Military traditions...

[Field_Sailor]

Saluting

We usually think of a compliment as a pleasantry, a pleasing comment. In the military compliments are given for very much similar reasons ; for respect. A salute between an officer and service person is a sign of mutual trust and respect. It is a privilege granted to members of a service to use this form of greeting. For the same reason, the cadet organization follows this custom. They are always initiated by the junior rank acknowledging the senior rank. Salutes indicate a willingness to serve and do whatever is required of them. Smart saluting indicates a high degree of deportment.

Saluting with the open hand indicates friendly intentions and can be traced back to the middle ages when travellers held their open hands up in order to indicate that they had no weapons in their possesion capable of injuring others. It also dates back several hundred years to days when fighting men wore armour. In those days, when outside the safety of walled castles, people often had to defend themselves. Therefore, as the knight rode through the forest, he rode with his hand near his sword. When he met someone he recognized as a friend, he raised his empty hand to show he was not challenging the person. This action was a sign of trust and respect. As time went on, the uniforms of fighting men changed to the raising of the hat, which is still the custom when meeting ladies. From this raising of the hat, modern saluting developed.

Aside from saluting with the hand, there are other forms of salute. Eyes right (or left), the firing of guns and presenting arms (weapons), are other forms of compliments.

Eyes Right. When knights passed serfs in medieval times, the serfs lowered their heads as a token of respect. However, if they were the fighting men of the castle who followed the knights in war, they were allowed to look their superior in the face. This was the honor due to the fighting men. Eyes right is a continuation of this privilege.

Firing of Guns. The firing of gun salutes in honor of distinguished people or to mark a special occasion is a very old custom. This custom first developed in ships at sea. In the days of sail, the guns of a ship rested at ports along the length of the gund decks. The guns were often kept fully loaded and ready for action. Firing them in salute meant that for the length of time it took to reload the guns the ship was virtually defencelss. This action showed friendly intent.

Present Arms. The rifle is held in a friendly position that leaves the arms bearer defenceless. Like the hand salute, present arms shows there is no challenge to the person receiving the salute.

When to salute. The rules governing saluting by miitary personnel include (but are not limited to) the following:

a. Enlisted personnel shall salute all commissioned officers, including those not in uniform (if recognized).
b. Warrant officers will be saluted.
c. When an enlisted person is addressed by a commissioned officer, the enlisted person shall salute. The enlisted person shall salute again when the conversation has ended.
d. Do not salute Cadet or Midshipmen.

In general. Military compliments are paid to the Sovereign; the Sovereign's representative in Canada, the Governor General; the Head of government, the Prime Minister of Canada; Cabinet members for defence, the Minister and associate Minister of National defence; Lieutenant-Governor; commissioned officers; and consecrated colours.

It is also appropriate to accompany your salute with "Good Morning Sir or Ma'am" depending on the situation. In the Navy and Coast Guard, Officers below the rank of Commander (0-5) are usually addressed as "Mister" or "Miss" depending on the situation. Officers who are at the rank of Commander or above are usually addressed by their rank i.e.. "Good Morning Commander Jones" or "Good afternoon General Smith". You can never go wrong by using "Sir" or "Ma'am", but it is a nice touch if you can properly address a senior officer.

Salutes are usually rendered between 6 and 30 paces. If you are running you should slow down to a walk prior to saluting. If you are standing, you should face the individual to be saluted, come to the position of attention, then render a hand salute. Salutes are also exchanged when to members first meet and again when the conversation is completed just prior to departing.

Salutes must be rendered and returned to all members of the Uniformed Services: The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Saluting when not in uniform and uncovered is not usually performed by members of the Naval Services. You may see this practice in the Army and/or the Air Force. If you are saluted and you are not in uniform or in uniform and not covered, tradition dictates that you do not salute. Instead you may great the person saluting you with "Good Morning", "Good Afternoon", or "Good Evening" depending on the situation. If you approach someone who is senior to you and you are in civilian attire, you do not salute. Instead, you may say "Good Morning Sir or Ma'am" depending on the situation. If an Officer is civilian chlothes and recognizable, you are required to salute if in uniform.

Saluting the "Colors" refers to paying tribute to the United States Flag. There are two daily ceremonies in which uniformed service personnel will salute the colors (national flag). The first is at the beginning of the day (@ 0800). This ceremony involves raising the national flag while the national anthem is played. The second is at "Sunset", and consists of lowering the national flag will "Retreat or the National Anthem" is played. During both situations if you are outdoors, you must stop what you are doing, face the flag or the direction in which colors are being held, come to the position of attention and render a hand salute. You must hold this salute until the last note of the music; then you may proceed. On Army and Air Force installations it is customary to stop your vehicle, get out, come to the position of attention, and render a hand salute if colors or retreat is sounded. On Naval or Coast Guard installations and colors or retreat is sounded, you must stop your vehicle and sit at attention until the last note of the music is sounded; then you may proceed. If you are in doubt as to sit at attention or exit your vehicle, it is better to be formal than disrespectful. Therefore it is recommended that you exit your vehicle, face in the direction where colors are being held, come to the position of attention and render a hand salute.

Another common ceremony is the Cannon Salute. This form of salute can be rendered to an individual such as a "Flag Officer" (Admiral or General), or to recognize a particular day such as "Memorial Day". On this particular day, a twenty-one gun salute is fired at three second intervals and occurs at 1200 hours. If you are outdoors on a military installation during this ceremony, you must stop what you are doing, face in the direction of the national flag, come to the position of attention and render a hand salute (if in uniform). You will hold the salute until the last gun is fired; then you may proceed. If you are in civilian clothes, you will face the flag and come to the position of attention until the last gun is fired. On "Independence Day" a fifty gun salute is fired. You must observe the same customs and courtesies as "Memorial Day". Other times in which a cannon salute will be fired is when "Honors" are payed to visiting Flag officers and or high ranking dignitaries. The specific number of guns fired for visiting officials may be found in the appendix. If you are in the immediate vicinity where honors are being held, you will also come to the position of attention and render a hand salute until the last gun is fired or the command "Order Arms" is given. Other situations include the occasion of the death or funeral of a President or Vice President.

Recognizing and properly returning salutes from enlisted personnel is at the "Heart of Military Courtesy". In the appendix you will find a chart with all the enlisted ranks as well as the officer ranks. Public Health Service and NOAA officer ranks are equivalent to the Navy and the Coast Guard. It is highly recommended that you become familiar with this chart in order to properly recognize men and women of the "Armed Services". It is a nice touch if you can address an enlisted member by their rank i.e.. "Good morning Petty officer Jones" or "Good afternoon 1st sergeant Smith". In general, enlisted insignia will be in the form of "Chevrons". Officer insignia have "Bars, Oak Leaves, Eagles or Stars. If you study the chart in the appendix, and make a sincere effort, you will be less likely to make mistakes.

Saluting a "Flag Officer's Vehicle" is an essential component of military courtesies. If you are on a military installation and a vehicle approaches carrying a flag with one or more stars on it, you must stop, face the vehicle, come to the position of attention and render a hand salute. You may drop your salute once the vehicle passes. The flag signifies that an Admiral or General is riding in the vehicle.

When overtaking an officer who is senior to you, tradition dictates that you must render a hand salute and say "BY YOUR LEAVE SIR or MA'AM" depending on the situation. The officer who is senior will return your salute and say "CARRY-ON ". You may then drop your salute and proceed.

Any service variations I have missed, fell free to correct.

[Field_Sailor]

Courtesies:

Riding in a Car with other uniformed service members can be a common occurrence. The junior officer, enters first so the senior officer may enter last. This situation may be reversed if you are entering from the left side of the vehicle. If there are three persons traveling, the junior person will take the middle seat. The place of Honor is always to the Right, so the senior person will sit on the right. This also holds true if you are walking with two or more people (the senior person is always on the right). It is the junior person who is responsible for lining-up on the correct side of the senior officer (to the left). When it is time to disembark from the vehicle, the senior person gets out first followed by the next in rank and so on.
Who goes first in the military - the man or the women? There has been much confusion regarding this question. If a man is with a women, the women goes first except:
- when assistance is needed

- there is no one to escort you to your table in a restaurant or your seat in a movie theater

- when there is a large crowd where the man will clear the way

- official military occasions where rank takes precedence over gender

[Field_Sailor]

When Boarding and Departing Naval vessels you must salute the national ensign (flag). The two methods for boarding a naval vessel will be with "The Quarterdeck" on the pier and with the "quarterdeck" onboard the ship. The quarterdeck is considered the "seat of authority" for a vessel. The OOD (Officer of the Deck) will be located on the quarterdeck and he or she represents the Captain. The commanding officer of a ship is always referred to as "Captain" regardless of their rank. If the quarterdeck is on the pier, you will salute the officer of the deck and say "Request permission to go aboard sir". When permission is granted you may proceed onto the "Brow" (passageway) from the pier to the ship). At the top of the brow you will stop and turn towards the national ensign (Usually located at the rear of the ship-stern), come to the position of attention and render a hand salute. After dropping your salute you may proceed aboard.

Leaving the ship, you will salute the national ensign, proceed onto the brow. At the end of the brow you will face the officer of the deck and say "Request permission to go ashore sir" After permission is granted, you may proceed ashore. If the Quarterdeck is on board ship, you will proceed onto the brow. At the top of the brow you will turn towards the national ensign and render a hand salute. Next you will turn towards the officer of the deck salute and request permission to go aboard. After permission is granted you may proceed aboard. To leave the ship, you reverse the order in which you came aboard. You will salute the officer of the deck and request permission to go ashore. After permission is granted, you will proceed onto the brow, turn towards the national ensign and render a hand salute. You may then proceed ashore.

Other occasions where you would salute the national ensign would be if it was being carried by a "Color Guard". This usually consists of approximately four service members. Two of the members will be carrying flags while the other two will be "Under Arms" (carrying rifles). If you are sitting, you must stand, come to the position of attention and render a hand salute if in uniform and covered. You must hold the salute until the colors pass by. If you are in civilian attire, you must also rise and come to the position of attention. Placing your right hand over your heart is optional. Like the salute, you will hold this position until the colors pass.

If you are attending a Military Funeral in Uniform, there are certain courtesies that must be adhered to. You will render a hand salute if you are in uniform and covered during the following situations:
The casket is being moved
While the casket is being lowered into the grave
During the firing of the volley (usually seven members firing simultaneously three times)
"TAPS" is being sounded
If you are attending the funeral in civilian attire, you will come to the position of attention and remove your headdress if appropriate and place it over your heart. If no headdress is worn, you will place your right hand over your heart.

Military members who are "Active Pallbearers" (assigned to carry the casket) will remain covered and do not salute during the ceremony.

The Military Funeral may have slight variations but there are basic components which remain constant. The ceremony starts with the casket of the service member which is draped with the American Flag being loaded onto a hearse (Caissons are used at Arlington National Cemetery - A cart which carries the casket and is drawn by horses). The hearse is driven to the burial site where six military body bearers remove the casket from the hearse and carry it to the grave site. The flag is held waist-high over the casket by the body bearers. The Committal service is read by the chaplain which is followed by the firing party firing three volleys. A bugler then sounds "TAPS". The flag is then folded in a prescribed manner and presented to the next of kin. The above ceremony is conducted regardless of the military members rank.