You should never salute the Sergeant Major.

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Multiple Choice

You should never salute the Sergeant Major.

Salute etiquette is grounded in who is being saluted. In general, you render a hand salute to commissioned officers and warrant officers, not to enlisted personnel. A Sergeant Major is one of the senior enlisted leaders, so in ordinary day-to-day interactions you would not return a hand salute to him; you’d greet him verbally and address him properly. However, there are ceremonial or formal situations where respect for the unit’s leadership can involve saluting in a way that acknowledges the position or ceremony, not the person alone. In other words, while the everyday rule is not to salute the Sergeant Major, there are limited, established ceremonial contexts where a salute may be appropriate according to the unit’s drill and ceremony procedures. Always follow your unit’s specific guidance for those occasions.

Salute etiquette is grounded in who is being saluted. In general, you render a hand salute to commissioned officers and warrant officers, not to enlisted personnel. A Sergeant Major is one of the senior enlisted leaders, so in ordinary day-to-day interactions you would not return a hand salute to him; you’d greet him verbally and address him properly.

However, there are ceremonial or formal situations where respect for the unit’s leadership can involve saluting in a way that acknowledges the position or ceremony, not the person alone. In other words, while the everyday rule is not to salute the Sergeant Major, there are limited, established ceremonial contexts where a salute may be appropriate according to the unit’s drill and ceremony procedures. Always follow your unit’s specific guidance for those occasions.

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