Servant leader: Trump helps marine with fly away cap

The special moment took place as President Trump arrived back from Germany for the G-20 summit. It was especially windy at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The president can be seen shuffling across the tarmac to retrieve the fly away head cover, then placing it on the Marine’s head and patting his arm. The wind picks up again, and the president goes after the cap a second time.

This isn’t the first notable salute exchange in recent years, however. Here’s a short timeframe, starting in 2010 about comical mix-ups, sheer lack of disrespect, and the overall awkwardness that can come about during the exchange.​

January 29, 2010 – a photo is taken of President Obama leaving Marine One with a cell phone to his ear.

May 24, 2013 – a video is shared of President Obama forgetting to salute a Marine before boarding Marine One, shaking the hands of the pilots of Maine One, getting off the helicopter when he realized he forgot to return a salute to the one on the ground and shook his hand before returning to the helicopter. He never saluted the marine.

September 23, 2014 – a video is taken of President Obama leaving Marine One with a latte in his hand saluting the two Marines on the ground.

July 8, 2017 – President Trump is recorded running across the tarmac to retrieve one of the Marine’s covers after it had flown off from the wind. After retrieving the cover, President Trump places the cover back on the soldier’s head.

Per U.S. Army regulations, the president doesn’t need to render a salute.

“The President of the United States, as the commander in chief, will be saluted by Army personnel in uniform.”

“Civilian personnel, to include civilian guards, are not required to render the hand salute to military personnel or other civilian personnel.”

“Salutes are not required to be rendered or returned when the senior or subordinate, or both are in civilian attire.”

The returning of a salute by the president began with Ronald Reagan in 1981. Reagan explained that he felt like as Commander in Chief he should return the salute of those standing there saluting him – especially when he noticed that those saluting him wouldn’t drop their salute after he acknowledged them with a nod. He explained this when speaking to U.S. service members and their families stationed in Iceland.

Although there are regulations that don’t require the president to return a salute, the precedent began with Reagan and it has continued so, now being considered a tradition.

If you’re going to return the salute at all, then you should be returning the salute in a respectable manner. President Trump went out of his way to retrieve the cover of one of the Marines rendering a salute. This act of kindness and respect displays how our president feels toward our armed forces; he holds the utmost respect for those who lay their life on the line every day to ensure our safety at home. The least our president can do for them, is chase down their cap.

The Twitterverse, in particular loved the exchange.

After social gaffes and awkward handshakes with world leaders, this heart-warming interaction was a much needed.