By the way, I don't know that it makes a difference whether the military person is an E-1 or Chairman of the JCS. Military rules and traditions are "supposed" to apply across the board.
Above my desk (as an E-7) I had a copy of an excerpt from an Army Officers' Training Manual circa 1917. As best I can remember (from 1979, it read:
"Enlisted men are stupid, but cunning and sly and bear considerable watching".
We all (including the officers in my shop) enjoyed the heck out that, including the Commander, a Major General. The point, as we took it, was that enlisted men 100 or more years ago usually were unable to read or write. There were no other truly effective and accurate means of communication back then (no TV, radio, not even the Internet, God!). Officers, OTOH, were usually literate, frequently "quite so".
Enlisted men these days are as likely to be informed as many of their "superiors" and, typically, less likely to be Politically Correct. However, with this "enlightenment" remains the obligation to follow the rules (?at least in public?).
Salute the sucker. Then vote him out of office.
[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited March 14, 1999).]