SASless
The emotiveness of the subject is not the rank issue per se but the insistance of WO1 that he should be saluted by all and sundry.
Why bite on the septic comment? Reel this one in...........
As for some young subaltern etc... The point being that in the British military, they will have earned their commission (not respect) and the salute from the WO is for the Queen's commission and not the subaltern.
As for assuming being in the military or not; the answer is yes. Why don't I like US forces; a pistol pointed at the head of my driver in Iraq (by a US Sgt) despite being in clearly badged uniform got my goat a little but the .50 cal pointed and cocked at my (stopped by the US) convoy really pissed me off, despite identifying myself as a brit officer (in the Brit AOR even!) This might go someway to explain why I think the yanks have little to no respect for their Brit cousins even leaving aside New WO1s poor attitude (and yours clearly). As slight aside, I even witnessed US truck drivers competing to see how many Iraqi kids they could knock down by throwing water bottles at them; you may now apreciate why my estimation and respect for you and your countrymen has gone down.
As for claiming snobbery; I am an ex-airman now commissioned with no university degree (must have been commissioned upon my ability maybe). Isn't it you yanks who insist that an officer (2lt and above) has a university education rather than proven experience and ability? Who's the snob now?
Why would a marine have an answer that I can understand? Would he be able to grunt it in more than one syllable (waits for bite...)