There's a couple of ways to look at it.
When one salutes one renders compliments to the Crown.
When the Commissioned member returns the compliment and says 'thank you' the member is responding on behalf of the Crown, not on behalf of his/her self.
I think the compliment is one of those ancient rites we still have. As troops, recently descended from the armed rabbles of medieval times, we salute the Crown, with opened hand to indicate 'we will do no harm to you', the Crown in turn thanks us for our loyalty.
To me the salute, has become like some obscure greeting and/or rite of other ancient orders; it is part of the furniture of the trade. To that degree in
our culture it is
often simply a greeting between professionals. How many of us see the young Offr
or the OC and renders the compliment with a cheerful "G'morning sir", to receive likewise in return? A salute is then not a grovel( it's more like a
secret hand shake ; in that regard).
And woe betide the young subbie who thinks a salute from a nasty old man like me is a gratuitous personal compliment. It is a compliment to the Crown, a gesture of loyalty and a recognition of subordinated authority and often; "G'morning buds, wazzup?".
That's why it's fun to salute Ocdt's sometimes they don't quite get all this obscurity and mystery..... >