OP responds
To clarify, i chose to hand over my mil ID when asked for ID as opposed to a DL or other ID i was carrying. Nothing necessarily gave away the fact that i was active duty (though a detail aware person could likely have guessed so, due to haircut, style of dress, and bearing).
MIB - I did so because i wasn't thoroughly comfortable with my knowledge of require-to-ID laws in Washington as i was with those on Open Carrying. In other situations, i may elect to not provide identification, but i thought that it would be to my benefit in this case. Similarly, that was my reason for passing (and i always do, even during traffic stops) my mil ID. "Professional Courtesy" is often extended, though never to the extent of LEO-LEO PC, and this has smoothed my interactions with LEOs in the past.
That said, Levi is correct on his description of mil ID requirements. I am not required to show it to an LEO. Leadership often suggest that junior members show their Mil IDs, however, for just such a reason as i mentioned above. Call it stacking the deck in your favor.
Thor - I'm surprised i haven't seen you around, we seem to travel in similar areas. I don't think i've ever actually seen another person OCing around Spokane, and that always surprises me.
In regards to the "Think of the Children!" comment by the LEO...i, too always groan upon hearing this. You'll notice that when people don't have a rational argument to make, in virtually any moral/political/legal disagreement, this is often thrown up. It was, in this case, as in almost every other, a non-sequiter. The irony is that a week or so previous, i had been to HuHot with the same lady, and her two daughters...carrying openly. Think of the poor children, indeed
The kiddos the LEO was referencing were at a table behind us...they didn't even notice my pistol until the police showed up and came to the table, attracting the attention. In retrospect, i'm happy with how i handled it, though i can think of a couple of places to improve. One such would be to directly mention the illegality of the course of action suggested by concealing my weapon.
Mainsail - I can understand your desire to be absolutist in terms of our rights when interacting with LEOs, but i am a pragmatic man by nature. I try to pick my battles and arrive at outcomes that are most advantageous to me with the least effort and given the situations at hand. In this case, surrendering ID seemed to be the best course of action...losing the battle to win the war, as it were. Other than that, do you really think i did so poorly? I finished my meal without ever leaving my seat, being disarmed, or having to kowtow in other ways. The individual that wasted police manpower by calling them to the restaurant got to see that other people are not scared of a citizen acting lawfully with a firearm. And the management of HuHot got what was probably a good reminder that OC is completely legal, and that those who are nervous about it are the likely causes to disturbance of their ambiance, not the OCer hirself.
To all, thanks for the welcome to the forums. I'll try to be an active participant, and am interested in any OC and firearm in general related activities in the local area.
Also, on a side note, does anyone have any suggestions for a good local gun shop? What about an Android App that would be good for video/audio recording in a situation similar to the one i described?