Obama Stuck on salute to way for Air Force One?

[NewLIfeArea]

As the first family made their way from Martine One to Air Force One Thursday morning to board the nine-hour light to Hawaii, FLOTUS, Malia and Sasha boarded the plan first, while Obama chatted with some of the Air Force men and women who greeted him on the tarmac.

POTUS tried to shake the hand of one of them, at the foot of AF1 stairs, but the airman either wouldn’t or couldn’t let go of the salute.

Also spotted boarding Air Force One, NSC chief of staff Denis McDonough and what appeared to be his family.

see pictures on website
http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1209/mixed_greetings_8c3923b9-b22e-406d-a06b-07de3f2edcba.html

(I try to set pictures on message form, but it doesn't work. Do you know how.. I'm newest..)

[onehandle]

1. Probably some regs thing. Pic --->

[NewLIfeArea]

5. That pictues

Does Obama Stuck or Salute?
To me.. A Thousand word on one pictures..

[suston96]

9. Military courtesy......?

I believe that when the CIC returns the salute, the two airmen will drop their arms.

Is there a video of the transaction?

[razorman]

13. Military protocol requires that the salute be returned.

I am sure that it was a little startling for the airmen. After all, most folks might get a little rattled when meeting the POTUS, and confusion can result. It could take a moment to respond in that situation.

[Hippo_Tron]

17. Alternatively couldn't he say "at ease"?

[crikkett]

19. yes, I believe so.n/t

[dbmk]

20. One would think that the President putting out his hand for a shake

.._if_ he did do that - would constitute an implicit "at ease" command.

Can totally understand the airman being afraid of violating protocol, though. :)

[razorman]

21. And the photo could have been taken at that precise moment of confusion.

[still_one]

2. So what is politico trying to stir up, that the airman doesn't like him? /nt

[NJmaverick]

4. ding! ding! ding!

you win the prize

[NJmaverick]

3. Since when did people shake hands with their palms up?

sounds like bullshit to me (based on the picture)

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. Politico is bullshit period

[NewLIfeArea]

7. Yeah!!

I would like to you see that pictures
:) :) :)

[Trajan]

10. .

:wtf:

[firedupdem]

15. bullshit....right along with Bo not going to hawaii n/t

:yawn:

[Nickster]

8. The Airman did right, the lower ranking solider doesn't lower his salute until the higher ranking

officer salutes him back, otherwise the lower ranking person holds the salute. It's a sign of respect, so no controversy here.

[demmiblue]

12. Although I know nothing about protocol, I believe that you are right.

I heard this story a little while ago on the radio. The older officer shook his hand, but the younger one held his salute.

From what I understood from the commentary, it is unusual for the Commander in Chief to shake hands with service women/men in this situation. The poor kid probably didn't know what to do!

I agree... no controversy here.

[NewLIfeArea]

11. Crazy

That's my point..
Sometime the pictures would be lie or trick you...
I want to see the video... to prove
:shrug:

[LovinLife]

14. where's the vid? Did he eventually het his handshake? NT

[me b zola]

22. To prove...what?

[TexasObserver]

16. When I saluted LBJ face to face and he offered me his hand, I shook it.

Lady Bird was there, too, right beside him. He didn't salute me back. That was 1968.

The SSGT should have simply shaken the president's hand. The CIC doesn't have to return salutes, if he doesn't feel like it. He's the CIC. He's the boss of the military. This isn't even an issue except among the nut jobs of Fox News and their ilk. While military protocol requires a soldier to salute officers, that's a military protocol. The president is CIC, but he's a civilian. Presidents such as Bush love to be saluted, and wallow in their military role. Not all presidents do so.

[LiberalFighter]

18. Politico doesn't know how to spell plane. So that means they don't know jack shit.