Commencement Salute

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Watched commencement of WP and USAFA this morning. Isn't it common courtesy that a salute be acknowledged with a salute? VP Biden did it a thousand times to the newly commissioned 2LTs. Don't the WP grads deserve it from no less than the commander in chief or is this optional?:confused:
 
For that matter why would a commission officer salute the VP? I understand the President is also the Commander-In-Chief but what position in the military does the VP hold that requires a salute?
 
Presidential salutes for military servicemembers are relatively recent - most historians have Ronald Reagan being the first recent President to render a hand salute. Whether a President should or shouldn't render hand salute is a matter of debate, both inside and outside the military.

This piece does a pretty thorough job linking to various (non-histrionic) sources of information from several points of view.
 
I don't remember saluting anyone when I graduated. I can imagine a tired right arm after 200 straight salutes. I'm sure that's much worse at a larger service academy when it's 1000 salutes.

Salutes also take time....

Now, my graduation day is a blur, but I feel like we didn't salute on stage.... and that we were directed not to salute.
 
The observation I made led me to look back at previous years and I noticed that in 2012, when the president was at USAFA, he returned salute to over 1,073 newly minted 2LTs as well as VP Biden this year. I often see clips of the President salute the Marines as he disembarks air force one and on other occasions. Video clips are all over youtube . I guess it's different for every branch. The Naval academy graduates just walks through and shakes hand. West point graduates salute and it just seems awkward that there's no reciprocation.
 
The observation I made led me to look back at previous years and I noticed that in 2012, when the president was at USAFA, he returned salute to over 1,073 newly minted 2LTs as well as VP Biden this year. I often see clips of the President salute the Marines as he disembarks air force one and on other occasions. Video clips are all over youtube . I guess it's different for every branch. The Naval academy graduates just walks through and shakes hand. West point graduates salute and it just seems awkward that there's no reciprocation.

At USNA graduation, we're uncovered. Marines and Navy never salute uncovered.
 
I watched the USMA graduation also.

I can't remember the first part, when the distinguished graduates, the First Captain, Class President, and Valedictorian received their diplomas.

But, when they started rapid firing the rest of the class up the two ramps, Obama stood in the background, behind the Superintendent and the Dean. Each cadet I saw saluted the Supe or the Dean (right or left side) and that salute was not returned. Rather, their diploma was handed to them and they were given a hand shake. Same routine as the cadets filed back toward Obama, who shook each cadets hand.
 
I was at the USAFA graduation yesterday. Each cadet saluted the VP who returned the salute. 925 or so.

I quizzed the graduating cadet I knew and she had no idea why the salute was rendered. So the staff certainly didn't do a good job of "educating" them on that one.

When the VP arrived, all military personnel were instructed to salute at the first note of Honors (or whatever it is called). The Honor Guard saluted the VP - who did not return the salute on his walk to the reviewing stand.

A quick search of Google has not revealed any clues as to this practice.
 
Such a small thing to dwell on among the entirety of graduation activities. Too much reading into it.
 
I will say this, the speech itself, in my opinion, was not appropriate for a service academy graduation.

My graduation was sandwiched between the class of 2005's Vice President Cheney and class of 2007's President Bush's speeches. We had the outgoing DHS secretary. All of those speeches are apolitical thoughts in service and the pride of leading in the military. It is not the time to go on the defensive.... save that for another time. So I was disappointed in the tone.

Saluting? If you ever get hung up on that as an officer, walk a day in the life of a Coast Guard officer driving on some other service's base.... and then don't worry about it.
 
Sorry that you picked a branch that some don't think they should extend the respect warranted of officers regardless of branch. That's your own issue alone. Cadets get chewed up for not saluting officers. Just wondering how others felt. I for one would salute and if it is ignored, next time I may not bother.
 
Sorry that you picked a branch that some don't think they should extend the respect warranted of officers regardless of branch. That's your own issue alone. Cadets get chewed up for not saluting officers. Just wondering how others felt. I for one would salute and if it is ignored, next time I may not bother.

My branch had no problem saluting. I'm referring to going to an Army or Navy base to see how often a CG officer is saluted by sailors or soldiers…..

My point is, don't get hung up on it….. correct it. I'm not sure the President gets that kind of correction (and he needs plenty of correction).
 
I will say this, the speech itself, in my opinion, was not appropriate for a service academy graduation.
Hard to believe he would make a mistake like this while addressing a SA graduation.

Biden has been "wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades."
Robert Gates - former Defense Secretary

Asked to back up his harsh words Jan. 13, 2014, on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, Gates replied:
"Frankly, I believe it. The vice president, when he was a senator — a very new senator — voted against the aid package for South Vietnam, and that was part of the deal when we pulled out of South Vietnam to try and help them survive. He said that when the Shah fell in Iran in 1979 that that was a step forward for progress toward human rights in Iran. He opposed virtually every element of President Reagan's defense build-up. He voted against the B-1, the B-2, the MX and so on. He voted against the first Gulf War. So on a number of these major issues, I just frankly, over a long period of time, felt that he had been wrong."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-m...ert-gates-criticism-vice-president-joe-biden/
 
To the OP:
"Vice President Joe Biden shook hands with all 995 graduates, despite temperatures measured at 90 degrees on the floor of Falcon Stadium. Graduation speakers often shake hands with the top 10 percent of the graduating class and then take a seat."
-Colorado Springs Gazette
 
At USNA graduation, we're uncovered. Marines and Navy never salute uncovered.

I understand being uncovered indoors but USNA graduation is also outdoors. How come? You have the cap but don't wear it and just save it for tossing at the end?
 
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