In 1996 I graduated Massachusetts Army National Guard OCS, but was denied my commission due to a nonexistant medical condition. I guess you could say that I'm a 40-year old want-to-be; but I assure you that had I received my commission I would have endevered to live up to the expectations of 2LT and I would probably have a few stories of my own.

Actually, I do. In 1993, while on Active Duty with the 2nd Bn, 43ADA, at Ft. Polk, LA, my Battery had a rank auction to raise money for something. I cannot remember what. Anyway, whoever won the rank in the auction had to "shadow" the actual person for the week and basically do whatever they did. I won the Battery Commander, so I had to go to meetings, do paperwork, play golf; well you get the picture. The Battalion Commander, LTC Williams, gave us permission to wear the won non-subdued rank insignia on out BDU pocket in the Battalion Area only. Ok, enough background, on with the story!

One day I was coming back from eating lunch at the Shoppette in our Battalion Area, when I see walking down the sidewalk toward me two Lieutenants from the 2nd ACR. As we converged I got ready to salute then and say "Good afternoon"; as I was only a Specialist (E-4). Well, they must have seen the railroad tracks on my pocket, because they saluted first! I played along, returned their salutes, and kept walking. I probably got about two or three steps past them when they figured out that something was wrong, and called me back and demanded an explaination of why I had Captain's bars on my pocket, but Specialist rank on my collar! Well, I explained everything to them (see second paragraph). They seemed to think that it was a good idea, we all had a good laugh, they saluted me again, and we all continued on.

That was the only time anyone ever saluted me in the Army until I was a Senior Officer Candidate in 1996. No one has ever saluted me ever again.

Jim