
It is appropriate to salute officers in official vehicles (recognized individually by rank or identifyingĪrmy and Air Force members render the hand salute when reporting inside and outside to an officer or president of a board. Medal of Honor recipients are the exception to this custom, regardless of the MOH recipient's rank, officers and enlisted Service members render the hand salute first. Officers should salute other officers and authorized civilians of higher rank. Armed Forces, officers of friendly armed forces and authorized civilians of selected state and federal governmental positions. Salute to all officers and warrant officers of the U.S. When in uniform, it's consistent throughout all branches for enlisted members to render the hand Here are some hand saluting expectations and variations of the U.S. On Air Force bases, you do not dismount their vehicle, while Army Soldiers get out of the car and salute, he said. Flag when you're in a vehicle," Gilly said. "One of the biggest customs differences of the Army and Air Force is during the raising and lowering Thomas Gilly, Air Force liaison for the Fort Jackson MEPS, states a contrast between the Army and Air Force.įort Jackson policy states Service members and civilians are to safely stop, exit their vehicles and render proper honors during Reveille and Retreat. The Navy and Marine Corps customs and courtesies are pretty similar, mentions Garfield, while Airįorce Tech. Petty Officer Brian Garfield explained, "It's an advantage working with other branches, we get smarter on all services' customs and courtesies." With different ranks and traditions, there may be some variations when it comes to saluting.Īs the senior enlisted advisor for Fort Jackson Military Entry Processing Station, Navy Senior Chief Armed Forces, civilians and armed forces members from other countries. The salute is a tradition of showing honor and respect.įort Jackson is a training site for all U.S. Many customs a Service member must master is learning how, when and who to salute. The 21-gun salute is not to be confused with the three-volley salute (or three-rifle volley) rendered at military honors funerals, which you might see or hear at Arlington National Cemetery.After pledging to serve, Service members are inculcated with military customs and courtesies. and foreign military and civilian leaders vary in number, based on protocol and the honoree's rank. The 21-gun salute is also fired at noon on George Washington's birthday, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and the day of the funeral of a president, ex-president or president-elect. military fires a 21-gun salute in honor of a national flag, the sovereign or chief of state of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family, and the president, ex-presidents and president-elect of the United States. In 1842, the 21-gun salute was designated as the "presidential salute," and in 1875 the United States followed Britain in adopting the 21-gun salute as its international salute.

military installations on Independence Day and whenever the president visited a military installation. In 1810, the War Department defined the "national salute" as equal to the number of states in the Union (at the time, 17). In the United States, the custom has changed over time. The 21-gun salute eventually became the international standard. With the improvement of naval gunpowder, honors rendered at sea increased to 21, as well. Because greater quantities of gunpowder could be stored on dry land, forts could fire three rounds for every one fired at sea - hence the number 21. The British navy developed the custom of a seven-gun salute because naval vessels typically had seven guns (and possibly also due to the number seven's Biblical and mystical significance). The custom stems from naval tradition, when a warship would signify its lack of hostile intent by firing its cannons out to sea until all ammunition was spent. Salute by cannon or artillery is a military tradition that originated in the 14th century. The 21-gun salute, commonly recognized by many nations, is the highest honor rendered.
