What confuses you most about "sister services?"
I'm not sure why they did it like that. Maybe they didn't know any better because they were fresh out of boot camp or possibly they just stood like that because they didn't know what else to do with their hands lol. I will say they were always respectful though.
When I was a Navy instructor at an Army school we would have several students present themselves before the board. When the commander put them at ease you would see the Army Students with their arms behind their back like they were still in "parade rest" mode and the Navy students would bring their hands in front of them. It looked odd and I don't know how many times I had to explain "at ease" to my Army counter parts our policies.
Now, some may ask why did we not keep them at the position of "attention." In my opinion when you have someone at "attention" more often than not you're at an NJB or getting verbally counseled (unless in normal formation), which keeps one's guard up. While "at ease" and a student is trying to plead their case to the 8-12 member board consisting of the company commander and E-6's - E-9's on why they should stay in the year long course, it is best to give them the best opportunity to present themselves. They're already nervous enough. Before someone says well if they can't handle the board what makes them think they can handle the job, all I can say is not everyone is makes it through unscathed and those who get the fear of the board beaten into them seem to excel just as well as those who never had to go to the board.
Maybe it's from some particular time period? I was active Navy 98-2003 and I had heard they were incorrectly training recruits in boot camp to call everyone 'sir' immediately after I went through, so...
Naval rank period is confusing. I was taught in basic as an Infantryman that if there was Gold on the seleve salute.
And airforce enlisted rank. can't get it either!
What I could not understand in my time, was why the Army carried BA 30 batteries and the Air Force had D size Energizers.
Also Why did the Air Force mess hall looked so far better then the Army's and Why did the Navy served great food.
If any one seen an Air Force billets its like the taj mahal, holiday inns cant beat it.
Some times they made us go to other mountains for recon.....the very nerve...
I even went back in Feb 2001, same hard duty.....