Saluting (by rank or grade)

[lordmonar]

Nothing has changed.....grade is the insignia that you wear....it is tied on AD with your pay grade......So my pay grade is E-7 my grade is MSgt.

Ranks is where you figure out if you a superior or a subordinate.

On AD Rank goes in this order.  Grade, Time in Grade, Time in Service, and Date of Birth (believe it or not).

So a Captain always out RANKS a Lt.
If you got to LT....the guy who put it on first is senior.
If they both put it on the same day...the guy who joined the service first is senior.
If they both joined the same day...the guy who is older is senior.

CAP follows the same traditions.....is there regulation for this?  No.....but there you go.

And Flyboy pointed out.....a salute is always appropriate especially toward your commander.

[capmaj]

I recall a few years ago, when I was questioning cadets as to why they called the room to attention on a meeting night when the squadron commander walked in ( He was a Captain, while there were two Lt Col's and a Major sitting at the table).........   "That's what we were told we have to do". So I then went to the extreme and asked them "What if MGen Courtier were sitting here and the unit commander walked in? Would you still call the room to attention?

They still said that they would.   Confusion anyone??

[Storm Chaser]

I recall a few years ago, when I was questioning cadets as to why they called the room to attention on a meeting night when the squadron commander walked in ( He was a Captain, while there were two Lt Col's and a Major sitting at the table).........   "That's what we were told we have to do". So I then went to the extreme and asked them "What if MGen Courtier were sitting here and the unit commander walked in? Would you still call the room to attention?

They still said that they would.   Confusion anyone??

First of all, you don't have to call the room to attention EVERYTIME the commander or other officers in the unit enter the class room as it would disrupt the class of meeting going on. Second, if there is a higher ranking officer in the room, you don't call it to attention even for the commander. An exception could be a military ceremony or commander's call.

In the Air Force, rooms/buildings are called to attention depending on the rank/grade and position. You wouldn't call the building where the commander works to attention everytime. You would call the room/building to attention if the group or wing commander comes in. If you work in the group or wing commander's office/building, the same applies.

[capmaj]

^^^  I mostly agree.

I was citing the example as one to show the confusion that surrounds what some of our cadets are being taught. I spent time in both the USAF and US Army and am often amused about how many different interpretations CAP members put on what they believe are the 'regulations' surrounding a practice or a protocol.

Most of this is to be expected in a volunteer organization. Unless there is a situation where a long period of standardized training is taught to new members, followed by the practice of enforcing that training nationwide, there will never be 'one' correct way to do things in CAP. An SUI every 27 or so months is not going to go very far in enforcing a true standardization with-in CAP.

Anyway..............

[ol'fido]

Beyond that, the SUI does not measure or inspect such things.

[PHall]

In the Air Force at least, we didn't call the room to attention every time the Commander entered the room.
We did stand if we were seated if we weren't doing something work related. But everybody in the room did acknowledge their presence.
Only times the room was called to attention was when they entered the auditorium during Commander's Call.

[lordmonar]

I recall a few years ago, when I was questioning cadets as to why they called the room to attention on a meeting night when the squadron commander walked in ( He was a Captain, while there were two Lt Col's and a Major sitting at the table).........   "That's what we were told we have to do". So I then went to the extreme and asked them "What if MGen Courtier were sitting here and the unit commander walked in? Would you still call the room to attention?

They still said that they would.   Confusion anyone??

Nope.....cadets falling back on to their basic instructions when confronted with a strange situation.   Happens all the time. 

It is one of the quirks of CAP that we run into this situation more often then in the military.

The question I would ask you of your scenario......if Gen Courtier was at my squadron.....why the hell was the squadron commander not glued to her side! 

[Luis R. Ramos]

What about saluting a US Flag in a flagpole?

My first squadron commander when I re-joined in New York in Ramapo, the regulations stated to salute uncased flags. So he would salute as he walked by every flagpole.

If there would be a school followed by a post office followed by an office building he would expect us to salute all three. Back then the expectation was to come to attention and salute when playing the US Anthem or To The Colors. Not to salute when the flag was up...

Flyer

[a2capt]

What about saluting a US Flag in a flagpole?

If it's .. in the pole, you can't see it. 

Anyhow, there is taking things to the extreme. If you ever hear of someone locking up traffic to salute flags.. you know where your guy went.

[lordmonar]

What about saluting a US Flag in a flagpole?

My first squadron commander when I re-joined in New York in Ramapo, the regulations stated to salute uncased flags. So he would salute as he walked by every flagpole.

If there would be a school followed by a post office followed by an office building he would expect us to salute all three. Back then the expectation was to come to attention and salute when playing the US Anthem or To The Colors. Not to salute when the flag was up...

Flyer

That's really nice example of only reading part of the reg.   Because it also specifically states that you don't salute the flag on the pole except during reveille and retreat.

[Luis R. Ramos]

This was back in the 1990's. The regs did not clarify about reveille or retreat back then...

Anyway I will never see that guy again...

I moved to a different Group, then I heard about two years after that he divorced his wife, left his kids, and went to a different Group. A year after that I heard he dented the wing of that Group's plane and left without paying!

Flyer

[a2capt]

A year after that I heard he dented the wing of that Group's plane and left without paying!

Probably panicked .. when he saw the flag reflection in the side window.

Never say never.

[DMinick]

So a question on saluting the flag. If the flag is in a parade, such as the veterns day parade where there are many of them, do you salute each one as it passes or only the first one? I have seen both occur. Where is the regs on that? I remember seeing it before but not sure where!

[a2capt]

The Flag Code says "the first flag", though I know when we've been far back in the lineup, I've still seen salutes as we've passed, with our Color Guard leading.

[Brad]

What about saluting a US Flag in a flagpole?

My first squadron commander when I re-joined in New York in Ramapo, the regulations stated to salute uncased flags. So he would salute as he walked by every flagpole.

If there would be a school followed by a post office followed by an office building he would expect us to salute all three. Back then the expectation was to come to attention and salute when playing the US Anthem or To The Colors. Not to salute when the flag was up...

Flyer

Hah! I heard one of my cadets try to get on one of his subordinates about that for walking by a flagpole without a flag on it/being raised/lowered/whatever without saluting it. That drew quite the eyebrow raise from me, and after a brief discussion apparently he was misinterpreting the C&C with regards to saluting the flag passing by in a parade or other ceremony as to it being the same as passing by an officer, but the "officer" being the bare flagpole. Yea idk either. Despite my best efforts to the contrary I couldn't convince him that frankly he was dead wrong. You salute the flag when it comes up, when it comes down, when the National Anthem or To The Colors is played, and when it passes near during a parade or such, provided it is uncased, e.g. not in that big leather CASE that comes with the pole kit. You don't salute a bare flagpole, period.

[Private Investigator]

After 72 years you will think we got this figured out?

BTW, Happy Birthday CAP   :clap:

[ol'fido]

After 72 years you will think we got this figured out?

BTW, Happy Birthday CAP   :clap:

I salute you, sir! Or wait a minute, do you salute me? I'm confused here.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I was always taught "you salute the rank/grade, not necessarily the person wearing it."

[SarDragon]

I was always taught "you salute the rank/grade, not necessarily the person wearing it."

That's an entirely different barrel of worms. 

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I was always taught "you salute the rank/grade, not necessarily the person wearing it."

That's an entirely different barrel of worms. 

A former CC of mine, who became a wing commander and then a region PD Officer, who spent a lot of time at Maxwell, said that with all the foreign military going to various schools at Max, and not knowing their ranks, he would wear his arm out saluting.

He said, "I am up on the British and Commonwealth ranks and know those fairly well, but they have Germans, French, Belgians, Japanese and what not taking courses there...I might be saluting Corporals, but at least I'm covering myself!"