system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why does the military insist on saluting?
gpt
Saluting has a long history that is actually not written in stone. However one explanation is that it was originally used as a greeting between two knights to show their face and thus not be seen as an enemy. Additionally it would take away from their master hand to hold their weapon.

This has progressed through to when officers would remove their headgear in the presence of a superior, and then became just a grabbing of the hat. This turned into the modern salute which now has enlisted men salute officers and junior officers saluting superior officers.

The salute itself is in recognition of the Commander-in-Chief, for the Commonwealth the salute goes to the Queen, as recognised by the crown on the cap badge.

Really though it's just a longheld tradition and the military loves tradition.