Rank Confusion

[lordmonar]

Nice, :clap:, that one made me chuckle.. I feel sorry for the person who returned the salute

What?

You feel sorry for someone returing a military courtesy even when he did not have to?  That makes me sad  .

[JayT]

Nice, :clap:, that one made me chuckle.. I feel sorry for the person who returned the salute

A salute isn't really that big of a deal. It's just a courtesy and greeting.

[mynetdude]

Nice, :clap:, that one made me chuckle.. I feel sorry for the person who returned the salute

A salute isn't really that big of a deal. It's just a courtesy and greeting.

The RM guy didn't return the salute, I didn't say he did but I saluted them anyway.  I was told that a salute does NOT have to be dependent on rank/grade necessarily; saluting is a mutual respect courtesy and can be extended to civilians for that matter if you so wish to.

I regularly get saluted by VFW folks (I have made the mistake of not saluting back, I am terribly torn about not knowing this before).  I live in an community heavily populated by WWII and some Vietnam veterans as well as Korean war vets.

[tdepp]

^ There is no problem.  There is nothing that needs to be fixed.  If anything, older Cadet Officers are mistaken for Real Air Force Officers more than Fat donut eating Senior Members.

Hey! Watch it.  I resemble that remark. 

[raivo]

I got saluted once by a couple of A1C's who were crossing the street I was waiting to turn into (I was in my car.) It caught me completely off guard to the point that I forgot to salute back.

[PHall]

I got saluted once by a couple of A1C's who were crossing the street I was waiting to turn into (I was in my car.) It caught me completely off guard to the point that I forgot to salute back.

Bad senior member, no doughnut!

[lordmonar]

I got saluted once by a couple of A1C's who were crossing the street I was waiting to turn into (I was in my car.) It caught me completely off guard to the point that I forgot to salute back.

Bad senior member, no doughnut!

Hey no fair throwing the book at him!  You got use progressive discipline! 

Bad Senior Member....don't do it again or I will have to wag my finger at you!

[GTM SGT Frazier]

In Vietnam we only saluted an Officer if we thought there was a sniper in the area.

That's just mean 

Agreed

[DakRadz]

I got saluted once by a couple of A1C's who were crossing the street I was waiting to turn into (I was in my car.) It caught me completely off guard to the point that I forgot to salute back.

A SF TSgt once saluted me as I was leaving the GA Academy Day at Dobbins ARB (driving away in my car). I was in my JROTC blues, plus our drill team's blue beret (I KNOW!!!! I was ignorant on this stuff at the time and my instructors didn't warn me- but the SF I met up close had no issue with it, I wasn't flaunting.), so I guess he saw shoulder marks and silver insignia on the beret and reacted.

I saluted back, kept a straight face to avoid embarrassing him, and started turning red and cracking up when I was out of sight.

He started getting this "Awww man" grin/grimace on his face after the salute, so I think he realized about midway that I was a cadet, which is the only reason I cracked up, plus being bemused and embarrassed that I was mistaken for a real officer.

[HGjunkie]

I got saluted once by a couple of A1C's who were crossing the street I was waiting to turn into (I was in my car.) It caught me completely off guard to the point that I forgot to salute back.

A SF TSgt once saluted me as I was leaving the GA Academy Day at Dobbins ARB (driving away in my car). I was in my JROTC blues, plus our drill team's blue beret (I KNOW!!!! I was ignorant on this stuff at the time and my instructors didn't warn me- but the SF I met up close had no issue with it, I wasn't flaunting.), so I guess he saw shoulder marks and silver insignia on the beret and reacted.

I saluted back, kept a straight face to avoid embarrassing him, and started turning red and cracking up when I was out of sight.

He started getting this "Awww man" grin/grimace on his face after the salute, so I think he realized about midway that I was a cadet, which is the only reason I cracked up, plus being bemused and embarrassed that I was mistaken for a real officer.

[tsrup]

I got saluted once by a couple of A1C's who were crossing the street I was waiting to turn into (I was in my car.) It caught me completely off guard to the point that I forgot to salute back.

Don't worry, you are not required to salute back while operating a vehicle.

[FOgordo93]

I just became a SM back in March after being a cadet for a year. Just a few weeks ago, I got promoted to Flight Officer. I was looking forward to the 'sir's' and salutes. I had several cadets come up to  me and "Sir me to death" I finally told them the only time they need to call me sir is if there are SMs around, visitors present or several cadets. I salute every officer in our squadron. but not many of our cadets do, which is a shame. I have yet to receive a salute from a cadet since I have been a SM. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for them, I just think that people in higher rank / authority should be saluted.

[lordmonar]

I think it is a bad policy for you to NOT make the cadets call you "sir".

One...as a former cadet it helps create that barrier between cadets and senior members.
Two...That barrier will instill the idea in your senior members heads that you are not just an old cadet.

On the note of number two.....see what your other senior members are doing.  If they call each other by their first names....do the same.  It is a signal that "Hey I am one of you old guys too".

Seniors are not necessarily all about the rank thing.....they are about getting the job done.  If you act too much like a cadet around them....they will think thay are a cadet and treat you that way.

Good luck.

[FOgordo93]

A few weeks ago at a meeting, a cadet was walking out to go home and called me by my nickname I received from the squadron. Well, a Captain over heard it and got on to the cadet. The Captain said " What did you just call him?" the cadet responded " I called him _______". The Captain proceeded to tell the cadet that " You either call him: sir, Flight Officer, or Flight Officer Gordon."
       So I guess it kinda goes back to the post that was made above this one ^^^ I do have to learn to be more of a SM and get out of cadet mode

[lordmonar]

Go find that Capt....thank him....and ask him to mentor you.

Good Luck

[Hill CAP]

A few weeks ago at a meeting, a cadet was walking out to go home and called me by my nickname I received from the squadron. Well, a Captain over heard it and got on to the cadet. The Captain said " What did you just call him?" the cadet responded " I called him _______". The Captain proceeded to tell the cadet that " You either call him: sir, Flight Officer, or Flight Officer Gordon."
       So I guess it kinda goes back to the post that was made above this one ^^^ I do have to learn to be more of a SM and get out of cadet mode

Not like it probably hasn't already been said but I will say it as a former cadet and now as a former Senior Member who took the FO Transition at 18.

Step away from the cadet program for a year or two get in to something like Professional Development or Logistics or a role that is very limited time such as Public Affairs or Administration.

The Cadets in the squadron still see you as a cadet even though you have moved on seperate yourself from them and act like an adult member.

and Welcome to the Dark Side.

[Ozzy]

Hence why I tend to stay in the SM office... except during PT nights. I stayed away from this year's encampment (In part due to the Army) but also because I was so familiar with so many cadets for when I was a cadet. But I'm going to an out-of-state one where I'm only really familiar with a few older cadets.

[Майор Хаткевич]

snip

Some never grow out of the cadet stage at all and stay smackwads for years. 

[Briski]

snip

Some never grow out of the cadet stage at all and stay smackwads for years.

"Capt Briski, were you a cadet?"
"Yes, I was."
"I thought so. You can always tell."
"Yeah, it does tend to leave a mark on us. ...was it the shirt stays?"

I always thought that former cadets either made the transition to senior, or they didn't. But the more experience I gain as a Cadet Programs officer, the more clearly I understand that the transition from Cadet to Senior is more of a spectrum than anything else:

CADET <-------------------------------------------------------------------------> SENIOR

The transition from Cadet to Senior is an ongoing process.

And it's easier to regress than we'd like to think.

[lordmonar]

I was not a CAP cadet back when I was a kid.....but I was a boy scout...and they make the transition hard at 18.

It does take time to make the break.  But that is what it is....you have to break off the cadet relationship.

That means for a time...no haning out with cadets after meetings, no calling them by their first name.  Insiting on those salutes.  Getting your Adminstration Tech rating.

Sometimes it is the relationship with the older cadets that is the hardest.

Keep it tight....keep a low profile and press one.