Military Customs ...Share yours..

[Crusader74]

Recently the Bde EO (XO) visited my Unit. I was tasked with meeting him and escorting him to the C/O's office. He got out of his car without head dress on but I still came to attention and saluted the Col and introduced myself. He returned my salute.

Normally it would be not the done thing to salute an officer without any head dress on because you are meant to be saluting the Commission and not the person... if it is done the officer is meant to bring his arms down by his side as if to come to attention to accept the salute...

We address an RSM or BSM (E-9) as " Major" as we don't have a Major in the Officer ranks. Our OF-3 is addressed as Commandant.

Our Officers and E-9's have a brass cap badge on their Berets and enlisted have a shinny silver one to Identify O from E.

I'll add on as I think of more..

 

[Mac_NZ]

Well our tradition seems to be to find the simplest way to do something and then do the exact opposite.

Our RSM is just Sir. We salute Officers if we have headdress on even if they are dressed in PT kit. All officers of field rank and above are accorded an eyes right/left from a formed up body of troops and a salute from the commander of the group. If your running and a Major or above crosses your path you are to slow to a walk and pay a compliment but anything below just gets a Sir as you trot past.

 

[Crusader74]

All officers of field rank and above are accorded an eyes right/left from a formed up body of troops and a salute from the commander of the group.

We do this also and its done to all officers. Our E-9's although referred to as WO's in other countries do not get a salute.. They are entitled to be called Sir which they are but not always.

 

[digrar]

In my first Battalion the junior Sergeant in the Sergeants mess (the snake pit) was called Mr Vice, at dining in nights we also had a Rams head and shoulders mounted to a trolley. This ram was called Brian (as opposed to the real life mascot ram who was called Stan) and he was set a place at the table.
Mr Vice was duty bound to eat and drink everything put in front of Brian and the Sergeants and Warrant Officers surrounding Brian ensured that he was kept well watered (or well beer'ed and wine'ed to be accurate) and and to a lesser extent well fed.
Mr Vice was generally a gibbering mess early on in the night, which was unfortunate as his other duty was to ensure that the polished up shovel that was kept in the trophy case was also kept secure. The Subalterns led by Mr Vice's platoon Commander would use Mr Vice's indisposition to relieve the Mess of the Shovel. This all happened regular as clockwork, as would MR Vice getting in the shit from the RSM for once again letting the young Subbies abscond with the shovel.

 

[fox1371]

In the Marines we never salute an officer in any area designated as a combat zone. The Army Officers that I encountered still expects to be saluted at all times. Therefore the custom that was adopted was everyone getting a good 15 meter dispersion and walk by and salute saying, "sniper check." :) By about the 10th Marine their arm was wearing out and they were annoyed.

 

[Marauder06]

In the Marines we never salute an officer in any area designated as a combat zone. The Army Officers that I encountered still expects to be saluted at all times. Therefore the custom that was adopted was everyone getting a good 15 meter dispersion and walk by and salute saying, "sniper check." :) By about the 10th Marine their arm was wearing out and they were annoyed.

It's true. I remember being on a JRTC rotation with the 101st back in my infantry days, we were at the brigade TOC getting gassed up to support an air assault when I noticed the brigade folks who went by kept saluting. I stopped one of the young sergeants walking by and asked him, mostly out of curiousity, why he kept saluting me in this "combat zone," especially since I hadn't saluted anyone since I left Ft. Campbell. He replied that we were required to salute outdoors in pretty much all circumstances. After he left I checked the "blue book" that we were all supposed to carry in our left breast pocket and it turned out he was right. :-/ Later that evening I saluted my company commander and he almost chopped me in the throat. So the unwritten rule became, "salutes in the BDE TOC, no salutes anywhere else until we're back in garrison." Worked pretty well.