Lindy

I've never been in the military, but I've seen this in movies.

Colonel -or whatever- enters room. Somebody yells "Attention!"
Officer says "At ease!"
or
Colonel -or whatever- enters room. Somebody yells "Attention!"
Officer says "As you were!"

What's the difference between "At ease!" and "As you were!"

Lindy

uncle phil

nothing, really...

__________________
"We were wrong, terribly wrong. (We) should not have tried to fight a guerrilla war with conventional military tactics against a foe willing to absorb enormous casualties...in a country lacking the fundamental political stability necessary to conduct effective military and pacification operations. It could not be done and it was not done."
- Robert S. McNamara
-----------------------------------------
"We will take our napalm and flame throwers out of the land that scarcely knows the use of matches...
We will leave you your small joys and smaller troubles."
- Eugene McCarthy in "Vietnam Message"
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never wrestle with a pig.
you both get dirty;
the pig likes it.

Plan9

Uncle Phil... you weren't in the military. You were in the Department of Defense golf club. *rimshot*

...

Dunno, I vaguely recall "at ease" to mean a slouchy parade rest and pay attention to The Man whereas "as you were" means get back to work.

But I was a retarded Braggling so we had all these special rules. I think the E9s in the 82nd come up with new rules after every drunk driving accident.

Seaver

The previous two posts are correct.

"At Ease" is technically a relaxed parade rest position, where "As you were" is identical to "Carry on" command... which changes with context. It's either continue working or sit down and be quiet (if he's walking in for a briefing).

In reality they're pretty inter-changeable.

__________________
"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

uncle phil

indeed!!

i wish i had taken up golf that early in my life...

__________________
"We were wrong, terribly wrong. (We) should not have tried to fight a guerrilla war with conventional military tactics against a foe willing to absorb enormous casualties...in a country lacking the fundamental political stability necessary to conduct effective military and pacification operations. It could not be done and it was not done."
- Robert S. McNamara
-----------------------------------------
"We will take our napalm and flame throwers out of the land that scarcely knows the use of matches...
We will leave you your small joys and smaller troubles."
- Eugene McCarthy in "Vietnam Message"
-----------------------------------------
never wrestle with a pig.
you both get dirty;
the pig likes it.

stevie667

In the British Army, at ease is a command for the 'at ease' stance, hands behind the backs and legs shoulder width apart. Can also be done for sitting in some circumstances.

As you were means just that, revert back to what you were doing.

For instance someone enters a room that people are busy in, they stand to attention then get back to what they were doing at the 'as you were' command. In a parade setting, they could be told to stand to attention, then told to stand at ease whilst someone talks to the assembled troops.

However the two terms do get used interchangably in movies.

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MSD

How can you figure out if a guy is Army or Marines?

Walk up to him and yell "Hooah!" If he breaks your nose, he's a Marine.