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Saluting Mids

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
MIDNJAC said:
1) DONT walk around the ship being a dick to the enlisted sailors, expecting to get special/prefferential treatment because of your midshipman rank. Honestly, you will likely be called "sir" by a lot of people who don't know what to call you (I had a Master Chief call me sir for example)....but don't let it go to your head...you still don't have the rank. It really pissed me off to hear one of my fellow mids complain that he had to wait in line for the ship's store with the rest of the sailors, while officers were free to come and go into the store as they wished.

Good write up. Just some education (I think your attitude is right on, but the more you know...). As a Mid, you technically rate the "Sir" and salute. It seems weird, but that's the way it is. Like MIDNJAC said, don't expect it, but don't be surprised when you have that Chief call you it. Take it as a compliment and keep learning what you can.
 

SHAF

Idle for glory
pilot
gatordev said:
Good write up. Just some education (I think your attitude is right on, but the more you know...). As a Mid, you technically rate the "Sir" and salute. It seems weird, but that's the way it is. Like MIDNJAC said, don't expect it, but don't be surprised when you have that Chief call you it. Take it as a compliment and keep learning what you can.

As an enlisted man, I can tell you that most of us will not be saluting a mid, unless it is on accident. I don't mean any disrespect, but I salute all the men of every service, foreign ally, or US branch that wear the officer's crest on their cover. I will salute no-one else. Your crest will come soon enough and then i'll salute you all day long with a smile, but until then, you absolutely do not require a salute or verbal greeting. I greet all mid's as shipmates and mostly with a "good luck" or something similar attached to the end to be nice and friendly. If an enlisted man salutes you and you salute back.. oh man, good luck. I have seen a few poor midshipmen make the mistake to salute back only to be eaten for lunch by another officer or chief. Just a little FYI guys. Good luck gentlemen.
 

navy09

Registered User
None
CarbonFibre said:
If an enlisted man salutes you and you salute back.. oh man, good luck. I have seen a few poor midshipmen make the mistake to salute back only to be eaten for lunch by another officer or chief.

Good call. I've never heard that MIDN rate a "sir," let alone a salute from enlisted guys (especially in the fleet). I have heard it said that MIDN falls between E-9 and O-1, but that's really just not the case.

It will make it that much more special when we really have earned it (by getting commissioned).
 

Brett327

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CarbonFibre said:
As an enlisted man, I can tell you that most of us will not be saluting a mid, unless it is on accident. I don't mean any disrespect, but I salute all the men of every service, foreign ally, or US branch that wear the officer's crest on their cover. I will salute no-one else. Your crest will come soon enough and then i'll salute you all day long with a smile, but until then, you absolutely do not require a salute or verbal greeting. I greet all mid's as shipmates and mostly with a "good luck" or something similar attached to the end to be nice and friendly. If an enlisted man salutes you and you salute back.. oh man, good luck. I have seen a few poor midshipmen make the mistake to salute back only to be eaten for lunch by another officer or chief. Just a little FYI guys. Good luck gentlemen.
Actually, it's proper, and at least polite to return every salute, even if you don't rate it.

Brett
 

SHAF

Idle for glory
pilot
Brett327 said:
Actually, it's proper, and at least polite to return every salute, even if you don't rate it.

Brett

I suppose you make a strong point there, but I think when another chief or officer gets angry its because when that mid salutes back he is, in a sense, acknowledging to that other service member that he is due the salute, if you understand what I mean. In other words, I have saluted, you may drop yours now. The last time I saluted a mid, instead of saluting me back, he politely informed me he was a midshipman and didnt require one and so I just shook his hand and we went our ways.
 

raptor10

Philosoraptor
Contributor
was that me? I think that was me... are you a 3/C, cause i think that was me...

i've heard the tale go all sorts of ways, about middies being inchoate naval officers in the UCMJ (although you'll never see one prosecuted as such) about how our british counterparts do rate salutes, and so did the 19th century midshipmen. Does anyone know where in the "regs" this would be?
 

SHAF

Idle for glory
pilot
Would be cool if it was, but it was when I was an airman back in good 'ol P-cola. Good luck, btw, as a mid. Hopefully i'll have the priviledge of serving as an officer with you gents sometime in the future.
 

Gatordev

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pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Moved this over so as to not threadjack the Summer cruise thread...

CarbonFibre said:
I suppose you make a strong point there, but I think when another chief or officer gets angry its because when that mid salutes back he is, in a sense, acknowledging to that other service member that he is due the salute, if you understand what I mean. In other words, I have saluted, you may drop yours now. The last time I saluted a mid, instead of saluting me back, he politely informed me he was a midshipman and didnt require one and so I just shook his hand and we went our ways.

Which is fine. And I did the same thing as a mid. But what I'm getting at is that Mids do rate a "Sir." Just like officers rate going to the head of the chow line. That doesn't mean that a mid has to use what he rates, just like I've only gone to the head of the line once because I a) needed to eat right before I was about to fly and b) I was pushing all the maintainers in float coats who needed to launch us to the front of the line.

I know there are some chiefs and some first classes who will chastise you, but I've had others who've called me sir, as a mid, even after I corrected them. All I'm saying is what's technically right. I understand things may be different from person to person in the fleet.


middies being inchoate naval officers in the UCMJ (although you'll never see one prosecuted as such)

Not true. It does happen. Generally not to ROTC mids, but it can while on cruise. It most certainly happens to USNA mids who are full time active duty.
 

DocT

Dean of Students
pilot
gatordev said:
Just like officers rate going to the head of the chow line. That doesn't mean that a mid has to use what he rates, just like I've only gone to the head of the line once because I a) needed to eat right before I was about to fly and b) I was pushing all the maintainers in float coats who needed to launch us to the front of the line.

I undertsand you don't do this, Gator, but does this happen with any regularity in the Navy?
 

Brett327

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DocT said:
I undertsand you don't do this, Gator, but does this happen with any regularity in the Navy?
As a general rule, it's pretty standard in the Navy and also extends to some of the senior Es (1st class, etc) - RHIP. I'm sure there's lots of variance between Gator's small boy and the big boat, but on the carrier, it's probably less of an issue since most aviators eat in some form of wardroom (dirtyshirt or otherwise).

Brett
 

DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
Brett327 said:
Actually, it's proper, and at least polite to return every salute, even if you don't rate it.

Brett

I'm missing the point as to why mids aren't supposed to salute back if they are given a salute... do they just keep on walking on and kind of pretend that salute didn't even happen?
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
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Super Moderator
Contributor
DanMav1156 said:
I'm missing the point as to why mids aren't supposed to salute back if they are given a salute... do they just keep on walking on and kind of pretend that salute didn't even happen?
Yeah, it would be like a snub. You can't leave your shipmates hanging when they try to give you some sugar.

Brett
 

CommodoreMid

Whateva! I do what I want!
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Super Moderator
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We've always been told on cruise that if you get saluted, return it and just explain that they don't need to do it if they see you again since you're just a midshipman.
 

MIDNJAC

is clara ship
pilot
Never knew that we rated a "sir" but I guess that would explain some things that I've seen in the last few years. Personally, I would feel a little awkward saluting back, but if thats the proper etiquette, then I guess I stand corrected. Either way, its not like mids do a whole lot of saluting on cruise anyways (unless you are ashore or on a ship that isn't underway I suppose).
 

pennst8

Next guy to ask about thumbdrives gets shot.
Contributor
MIDNJAC said:
Never knew that we rated a "sir" but I guess that would explain some things that I've seen in the last few years. Personally, I would feel a little awkward saluting back, but if thats the proper etiquette, then I guess I stand corrected. Either way, its not like mids do a whole lot of saluting on cruise anyways (unless you are ashore or on a ship that isn't underway I suppose).
If you didn't return it, it'd be an insult. Even if you don't rate the salute, if you're given one, you should be returning it.

I got one at CORTRAMID 3 years ago (and obviously since then, this was just the first I remember). I did exactly what Brett said and things worked out fine. Its awkward for you, but it would be far more awkward if you didn't return it.
 
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