Am I missing something here?
As a vet, why would I need permission from Congress to salute anything, anywhere, at any time?
I wasn't aware there was a law that requires me to put my hand over my heart or one that prohibits me from saluting in such situations.
Active duty personnel are always subject to the various rules & regs inherent in being service members, but neither the Secretaries nor Congress has any authority over me in telling me I can or can't salute anything or anybody.
Saluting is a gesture of respect, it ain't copyrighted by the military, and it ain't (as far as I know) forbidden to anybody who's not military.
The hand over the heart is merely a traditional sign of respect, it's neither mandated nor governed by legislation, and I can't see a huge problem if anybody, or everybody (aside from AD personnel), choses to salute instead.
I also don't recall ever being told that I could not salute if I was in civilian clothes when I was AD.
Can somebody help me out? Appears to be a waste of time.
Denis