Silver Dollar for First Salute

[Guest CSpearsFly]

I'm enlisted in the Navy right now but applying for the next OTS board in May. I know that it's a long standing tradition in the Navy that when an Ensign (O-1) gets their butter bars, they give a silver dollar to the first enlisted member to render a salute. I've read that they have to "buy" their first salute and every one after is supposed to be earned. Anyway, I'm just wondering for those of you that have gone the OTS route, is this something the Air Force does? If you've seen the movie "Officer and A Gentleman", you'll know what I'm talking about. Thanks in advance.

CSpearsFly

[Right Seat Driver]

I'm enlisted in the Navy right now but applying for the next OTS board in May. I know that it's a long standing tradition in the Navy that when an Ensign (O-1) gets their butter bars, they give a silver dollar to the first enlisted member to render a salute. I've read that they have to "buy" their first salute and every one after is supposed to be earned. Anyway, I'm just wondering for those of you that have gone the OTS route, is this something the Air Force does? If you've seen the movie "Officer and A Gentleman", you'll know what I'm talking about. Thanks in advance.

CSpearsFly

Yes,

At my Det on Commissioning Day all the Lts were sworn in individually and then rendered the first salute after your bars were pinned on. We could choose the Commissioning Officer and the enlisted member for the first salute.

Best of luck w/OTS.

EDIT: Sorry, my lack of SA caused me to not fully read your question. I have heard from guys who have gone to OTS that some render a first salute and others don't.

Edited April 14, 2008 by awol406

[usaf36031]

At my commissioning some did and some didn't. I didn't have anybody there to render my "first salute", so I guess my actual first salute was walking across Maxwell when I got to ASBC, they clearly had somewhere to be and so did I, hence, no silver dollars were given.

I think it's a nice tradition though.

[Ill Destructor]

Personal preference. It's very common at OTS. If you're going to do it, make it someone important to you such as your retired enlisted father/grandfather/whatever.

[JS]

We definitely did it. Someone from our OTS class went out and got everyone a silver dollar. I think he got them for a deal and only paid around $1 for each of them. A lot of people literally gave theirs to the first person to salute them. For some, that was in the commissioning ceremony, for others it was a gate guard. My personal technique - I didn't "count" the commissioning salutes, and I had a waiver to not give the gate guard mine, because I kind of thought it was a waste. I waited until I got back to my home base and gave it to the first kid who saluted me there. It was some dude in the BX parking lot. He seemed to think it was pretty cool.

[Guest momann]

We definitely did it. Someone from our OTS class went out and got everyone a silver dollar. I think he got them for a deal and only paid around $1 for each of them.

What a deal!!!

Edited April 15, 2008 by momann

[M2]

I waited until I got back to my home base and gave it to the first kid who saluted me there. It was some dude in the BX parking lot. He seemed to think it was pretty cool.

Great story! I think this is the way it should be. We had a cool NCO at my AFROTC Det that ended up with most of ours, but I still think it should go to whoever gives you your first "operational" salute.

Cheers! M2

[MCO]

I waited until I got back to my home base and gave it to the first kid who saluted me there. It was some dude in the BX parking lot. He seemed to think it was pretty cool.

I did the same thing, when I got to ASBC at Maxwell. A random E-4 saluted me and i stopped him, and he gave me a big WTF look. Then I dug out my silver dollar and gave it to him and told him he was my first salute. He got the biggest smile, said "Thanks ell tee!" saluted again and walked into the BX.

I found out later my grandpa did the exact same thing back when he was commissioned in 1948.

[Clayton Bigsby]

Yeah. Staged first salutes at commissioning is

And besides the fact that SPs are fags, with the fact that gate guards are mostly contractors (to free up SPs so they can write speeding tickets with LIDAR), possibly having one of them be the silver dollar recipient is super-duper

One thing to consider - go to a trophy/engraving shop and maybe have something engraved on the silver dollar/coin? It's cheap and it'll have even more significance, make it kind of like the Airman's Coin - given at BMT graduation - it says "Presented on the occasion of becoming an Airman."

It's something special and something you can't just go buy in the store.

[Guest Light the Wick]

I went through OTS and dodged every enlisted airman I saw until I got back home and rendered my first salute to a guy who is a family friend and former Huey Crew Chief. I got a nice container to put it in and had it engraved to mark the occasion. He thought it was awesome.

[Dead Last]

I went through OTS and dodged every enlisted airman I saw until I got back home and rendered my first salute to a guy who is a family friend and former Huey Crew Chief. I got a nice container to put it in and had it engraved to mark the occasion. He thought it was awesome.

I did the ceremonial first salute at my commissioning, and I also did the no shiite first salute at Vance. I carried the coin around and the first non-gate guard that saluted me got the salute, a coin, thanks and a handshake.

cheers

[ColoradoAviator]

My silver dollar salute was given to a seasoned Master Sergeant from the USAFA parachute team that had come to Maxwell to jump as our fly by. Unfortunately they had to cancel for weather. He snapped as crisp a salute as I've ever seen. I was honored to give him the silver dollar.

[Boxhead]

I did the ceremonial first salute at my commissioning, and I also did the no shiite first salute at Vance. I carried the coin around and the first non-gate guard that saluted me got the salute, a coin, thanks and a handshake.

Any other traditions that you choose to disregard and just do it your way instead? It's always good to share!

[pawnman]

I gave out one at my commissioning to my Step-Father, a retired Chief, and one to the first guy to salute me once I was on active duty (a Marine at tech school in Pcola...had to go across the entire BX parking lot to catch up to him...those young Marines will salute from a football field away).

[Dupe]

Anyone else besides me think that the tradition should be updated? Back in the '40s, a silver dollar was a big deal...that was a dinner and a beer. Now, a couple 20-spots may be better than a coin that most folks would give their kids as a neat trinket. Other thoughts are maybe a silver dollar from the turn of the century (worth $25-$40), a bottle of booze (okay...a little tough to put in your pocket), or an AAFES gift card.

As a sidebar for fighter dudes: I think the "Standard Bomb Bet" needs to be updated as well. Back in the day, the best way to ensure bombing success was to be on parameters and pickle at the appropriate time. The guys with the most quarters were the guys with the best physical flying skills. With the advent of system deliveries, it is no longer the pilots with the best skills that make the quarters but he who flies the jet with the the tightest radar, the best INS alignment, the most recent TGP boresight, and who has the best batch of BDU-33s is the one who has the tallest chip stack. On top of that, combat deliveries are now exclusively PGMs that are not as sensitive to parameters but much more dependent on things that don't even enter the BDU-33 range brief like laser spot placement, lase-time, TLE, or target coordinate category. My experience is that good procedures and being decently on parameters will get a BDU-33 inside the HAT every time and will occasionally, luck-dependent, get a shack. Buffonery will still generate buffonerous results. Bottom line is that I don't think the accuracy of system-delivered BDU-33s correlates well with aviating ability or trains crews well for combat success thus making the bet a side game and not much more. A new bomb bet should still punish buffonery and reward success but take the "bent fin" factor out.

There is one area, however, where parameters still matter: Strafe. If you're going to lay down 20 or 30 mike-mike danger close, you damn well better be on parameters. An updated bomb bet needs to reflect this.

All this said, here's my opinion on what the "Standard Bomb Bet" for the 21st century should be: For all BDU-33 deliveries: $1 a foul/gross error, $1 a shack...nothing else. When you move over to the strafe rag, go nickel a bullet if the range can do accoustic scoring. If not, revert to $1 a hit. The new standard bet will reinforce good/bad behavior and may even get you a burger and a beer if you have a good day.

Ok...maybe that was more than a side-bar. Still...feel free to PM me with spears or your thoughts.

[Toro]

One thing to consider - go to a trophy/engraving shop and maybe have something engraved on the silver dollar/coin? It's cheap and it'll have even more significance, make it kind of like the Airman's Coin - given at BMT graduation - it says "Presented on the occasion of becoming and Airman."

I think that is an outstanding idea.

As a sidebar for fighter dudes: I think the "Standard Bomb Bet" needs to be updated as well...Bottom line is that I don't think the accuracy of system-delivered BDU-33s correlates well with aviating ability or trains crews well for combat success thus making the bet a side game and not much more. A new bomb bet should still punish buffonery and reward success but take the "bent fin" factor out.

Putting money down on system deliveries is gay. We all still do visual deliveries, put your money down there.

For all BDU-33 deliveries: $1 a foul/gross error, $1 a shack...nothing else.

Your scoring system is flawed - who takes the money when two guys foul but nobody shacks? At any rate, it's not about the money, it's about the principle of enjoying the competition. Consider the handful of quarters your tiny silver medals (but nobody says you can't brief a non-standard bomb-bet). If it ain't broke....

[Guest CSpearsFly]

Thanks for all the replies. I've been looking at a Silver Dollar from about 1880 and will probably try to do something like the engraving. I also think it's a great idea to do the real "first operational" salute to someone not expecting it. Very cool. Thanks again for everyone's input.

CSpearsFly

[C130GuardBum]

Being prior enlisted I had my first supervisor and my last supervisor put my gold bars on me and then we went outside and I saluted both and gave them both a silver dollar. I went to a coin shop and got two 100% silver dollars minted that year. Those cost me about $20 a piece. They both still have them and both had them mounted on a plaque.

[Duck]

Being prior enlisted I had my first supervisor and my last supervisor put my gold bars on me and then we went outside and I saluted both and gave them both a silver dollar. I went to a coin shop and got two 100% silver dollars minted that year. Those cost me about $20 a piece. They both still have them and both had them mounted on a plaque.

Sorry had to post this story. A chick from my ROTC Det went up to the Detachment Commander and asked him if he would give her, her first salute... Did ya'll know O-6s salute 2nd Lts nowdays?

[pawnman]

Sorry had to post this story. A chick from my ROTC Det went up to the Detachment Commander and asked him if he would give her, her first salute... Did ya'll know O-6s salute 2nd Lts nowdays?

Someone should probably repeat a year...the one where you learn customs and courtesies.

[dirkdigler9]

Does anyone know what the regulations are on who can be your first salute? Say you have a father/ grandfather/ relative who is a veteran but not a retiree, can they give you your first salute?

[ram02]

Anyone else besides me think that the tradition should be updated? Back in the '40s, a silver dollar was a big deal...that was a dinner and a beer. Now, a couple 20-spots may be better than a coin that most folks would give their kids as a neat trinket. Other thoughts are maybe a silver dollar from the turn of the century (worth $25-$40), a bottle of booze (okay...a little tough to put in your pocket), or an AAFES gift card.

I think the dollar tradition may be quite older than one would think. Supposedly, it dates back to the colonial army when the Americans copied the British tradition of paying an enlisted man to be their servant. In return, the enlisted man would keep the officer's kit serviceable at all times and teach them about the unit's history and customs. Apparently, the tradition was still in effect as recent as 1816, when a second lieutenant still received a $1 monthly allowance for an enlisted advisor. While the allowance doesn't exist today, that enlisted advisor relationship may be where the "dollar salute" originates from.

[Duck]

Does anyone know what the regulations are on who can be your first salute? Say you have a father/ grandfather/ relative who is a veteran but not a retiree, can they give you your first salute?

Same question was asked in my AS400 class. Its nothing official, so yes your grandfather can give you your first salute.

[pawnman]

Anyone else besides me think that the tradition should be updated? Back in the '40s, a silver dollar was a big deal...that was a dinner and a beer. Now, a couple 20-spots may be better than a coin that most folks would give their kids as a neat trinket. Other thoughts are maybe a silver dollar from the turn of the century (worth $25-$40), a bottle of booze (okay...a little tough to put in your pocket), or an AAFES gift card.

That kind of defeats the purpose, I think. You're handing out a silver dollar in hopes that it will be kept as a souvineir, not in hopes that it will be spent. If that were the case, why not just give out dollar bills?

I could see substituting a coin-check coin, but not an AAFES gift card.

[Guest loydma3]

this is pretty cool- I never knew there was such a tradition- gives me something cool to look forward to.