Military Customs

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Military Customs Courtesy

• Presented by
• Classification Unclassified

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• The purpose of this lesson is to briefly
  familiarize the class in the U.S. Armys history
  of its customs and courtesies, and the actions to
  take when raising and lowering the U.S. Flag.

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Tasks Teach and Familiarize on Military Customs
and Courtesies Conditions Given a classroom
environment, and highly motivated students
Standards All students in the class will be
familiarized on the History of Military Customs
and Courtesy and the U.S. Flag Safety
Requirements None Risk Assessment Level Low
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Overview

• Meanings and examples of Customs Courtesy
• The Hand Salute
• Identifying Ranks
• Common rules
• Saluting and Reporting to an Officer, NCO, or
  Board
• Walking with an Officer/NCO
• U.S. Flag
• National/Military Music

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The Meanings of Customs Courtesies

• Courtesies
• Good manners and politeness in dealing with other
  personnel.
• Respect and consideration shown to each other by
  members of the same profession.
• Basis for good human relations.
• Indicator of persons bearing, discipline, and
  manners.

• Customs
• Established Practice includes both positive and
  negative actions.
• Compliment procedures required by military
  courtesy.
• Add to the graciousness of garrison life.

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The Differences

• The difference between military courtesy and
  customs is that military courtesy are the Rules
  of Conduct required of military personnel either
  by regulation or tradition. Customs of the
  service are practices and procedures not
  prescribed by law or regulation, but by tradition
  and practice have become of a binding force.

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Examples of Customs

• Never criticize the Army or a leader in public
• Never jump the chain of command
• Never offer excuses
• Never use a superiors rank to get something done,
  when in fact the superior never gave such a order
  (First Sergeant wants this done now.)

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Examples of Customs Cont.

• Never turn and walk away to avoid giving the hand
  salute
• Never run indoors or pretend you dont hear
  (while driving) to avoid standing during Reveille
  or Retreat
• Never appear in uniform while under the influence
  of alcohol
• You will never go wrong with the response," I
  dont know, but Ill find out. if you dont know
  the answer to a superiors question.

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Examples of Courtesies

• Hand Salute
• Addressing and working with Commissioned and
  Non-Commissioned Officers
• Rendering honors to the Flag
• Reacting and rendering honors to specific
  National/Military music

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The Hand Salute
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Origin of the Hand Salute

• In the late Roman times assassinations were
  common. A citizen who wanted to see a public
  official would approach with his right hand
  raised to show he did not hold a weapon.

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Origin of the Hand Salute Cont.

• In the century of
• Knights in Armor,
• knights raised their visors with the right hand
  when meeting
• a comrade.

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Meaning of the Hand Salute

• Honor exchange, privilege gesture of respect and
  trust among soldiers, and recognition of each
  others commitment, abilities, and
  professionalism sign of self-discipline.
• Expression that recognizes each other as a member
  of the Profession of Arms that they have made
  a personal commitment of self-sacrifice to
  preserve our way of life.

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Appropriate and Non-Appropriate Examples of
Saluting

• Appropriate
• When in uniform
• When National Anthem, To the Colors, Hail to the
  Chief, Foreign National Anthems are played
• Funerals/Change of Commands
• Retreat or Reveille
• Sounding of Honors
• Pledging of Allegiance to the U.S. flag
  (outdoors)
• Turning over control of formations
• When rendering reports
• Officers of friendly foreign countries

• Non-Appropriate
• Indoors (unless you are reporting to a Officer,
  Board, or if you are on guard duty)
• A prisoner
• If you are working
• underneath a vehicle
• Either the senior or subordinate is wearing
  civilian clothes
• Either the senior or subordinate has articles in
  both hands
• When unit is resting alongside a road (road
  marches)

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• The salute should be accompanied with an
  appropriate greeting, such as, Good
  morning/afternoon, sir/maam, or the
  units/platoons motto such as Vikings. Remember
  to salute proudly because it shows you have pride
  in yourself and your unit and that you have
  confidence in your abilities as a soldier.

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Working with and Addressing Officers and NCOs
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Identifying Ranks

• NCO- enlisted person, as a sergeant or corporal,
  holding any of various ranks below commissioned
  or warrant officers
• Commissioned Officer- a military or naval officer
  holding rank by commission.

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Common Rules

• Officers
• When speaking to an Officer stand at attention
  until ordered otherwise
• When dismissed, come to attention and salute
• When a Officer enters a room, the first soldier
  to recognize him calls the room to attention
• An Officer is always addressed as Sir/Maam
  depending on the sex.

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Common Rules

• NCOs
• When speaking to an NCO stand at parade rest
  until ordered otherwise
• When an NCO of a superior rank enters a room, the
  first soldier to recognize him calls the room to
  at ease
• Always greet or address the NCO with the
  appropriate title (Sergeant/Sergeant-Major)

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Crowded Hallways and Similar Areas

• When a Officer/NCO enters a crowded hallway or
  similar area where troops are taking a break or
  standing in a waiting line, the first person to
  see the Officer/NCO should call At ease and
  Make way so those present will move to the
  sides of the hallway and allow passage.

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Saluting an Officer or NCO
Always salute 6 paces away, or until you can see the rank of the Officer. On certain occasions enlisted will salute enlisted personnel (When reporting, handing over formation, rendering a report, reporting to a board). You will always hold the salute until the person you are saluting returns the salute.

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Reporting to an Officer/NCO/Board

• Reporting
• When you report to an Officer/NCO/Board, approach
  the person on whom you are reporting to and stop
  about two steps from him, assuming the position
  of attention. Give the proper salute and say, for
  example, Sir/Maam, Private Smith reports as
  ordered. When business is conducted and you are
  dismissed, come to attention and salute wait for
  the return salute, once acknowledged execute the
  proper facing procedure and leave the room.

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Walking with a Officer/NCO

• When walking with a superior, always walk on the
  left.
• The custom of walking to the left originated in
  the middle ages when a person carries his weapon
  in his right hand and was considered the right to
  be a part of honor the person to his left
  protected the unguarded side.

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Rendering Honors to the U.S. Flag,
National/Military Music
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U.S. Flag

• The flag of the United States is the symbol of
  our nation. The union, white stars on a field of
  blue, is the honor point of the flag
• All soldiers should pay respect to the flags
  daily, when it is being raised and when it is
  being lowered.

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Raising and Lowering of the Flag

• The flag should be raised briskly and lowered
  slowly and ceremoniously. Ordinarily it should be
  displayed only between sunrise and sunset. It
  should be illuminated if displayed at night.
• The flag of the United States of America is
  saluted as it is hoisted and lowered. The salute
  is held until the flag is unsnapped from the
  halyard or through the last note of music,
  whichever is the longest.

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Action upon raising and lowering of the Flag

• Dismounted-
• Whenever and wherever the National Anthem, To
  The Colors, Hail to the Chief, or Reveille
  are played, at first note, all dismounted
  personnel in uniform and not in formation face
  the flag or the music (if the flag is not in
  view), stand at Attention and renders a salute
• When not in uniform, personnel will, at first
  note, stand at attention facing the flag or the
  music (if the flag is not in view), remove
  headgear, if any, with the right hand, and place
  the right hand over the heart.

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Action upon raising and lowering of the Flag

• Mounted-
• Vehicles in motion will be brought to a halt.
  Persons riding in a passenger car or on a
  motorcycle will dismount and salute. Occupants of
  other types of military vehicles and buses remain
  seated at attention in the vehicle, the
  individual in charge of each vehicle dismounting
  and rendering the hand salute. Tank and armored
  car commanders salute from the vehicle.

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The Flag in Mourning

• To place the flag at half staff, hoist it to the
  peak for an instant and lower it to a position
  half way between the top and bottom of the staff.
  The flag is to be raised again to the peak for a
  moment before it is lowered. On Memorial Day the
  flag is displayed at half staff until noon and at
  full staff from noon to sunset.
• The flag is to be flown at half staff in mourning
  for designated, principal government leaders and
  upon presidential or gubernatorial order.
• When used to cover a casket, the flag should be
  placed with the union at the head and over the
  left shoulder. It should not be lowered into the
  grave.

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National/Military Music

• National Anthem
• Reveille
• Retreat
• To the Colors
• Hail to the Chief
• Taps
• The Army Song

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National Anthem

• Known as the Star-Spangled Banner
• Written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key
• Usually played after Retreat

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Retreat

• Originally called The Watch Setting
• Signal to forces outside the camps to return
  before the closing of the gates
• Originally sounded on drums
• Adopted to take effect before sunset in 1779
• Signal of when the night guard was taking control
• At the last note of this call a cannon is fired.

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To the Colors

• "To the Colors" is played while the flag is
  raised and lowered.
• To the Color is a bugle call to render honors to
  the nation. It is used when no band is available
  to render honors, or in ceremonies requiring
  honors to the nation more than once. To the Color
  commands all the same courtesies as the National
  Anthem.

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Reveille

• Originally from the French meaning to wake
  again
• Written by Joseph Hayden
• Signifies the beginning of the duty day
• Origins from the Roman Empire Dianas Hymn

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Hail to the Chief

• Originally written by James Sanderson for a stage
  adaptation of Sir Walter Scotts Poem, The Lady
  of the Lake.
• Song was first performed in the U.S in 1812.
• The tune for the song however, may have been
  borrowed from an old Scottish melody.
• Now its traditionally played to announce the
  ceremonial entrance of the U.S.
  Commander-in-Chief -- the President of the United
  States.

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Taps

• Meaning Lights Out
• Created in July of 1862 by union Gen. Daniel
  Adams Butterfield
• Played by the Brigade bugler Oliver Wilcox Norton
• Officially recognized in 1874

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The Army Song

• March along, sing our song
• with the Army of the free
• Count the brave, count the true,
• who have fought to victory,
• We're the Army and proud of our name
• We're the Army and proudly proclaim
• First to fight for the right, and to build
• The Nation's might, And the Army Goes
• Rolling Along. Proud of all we have
• done, Fighting till the battle's won, And
• the Army Goes Rolling Along
• CHORUS
• Then it's hi, hi, hey! The Army's on its
• way count off the cadence loud and
• strong (two, three) For wher-e'er we go,
• You will always know that the Army Goes
• Rolling Along

• Valley Forge, Custer's ranks, San Juan hill and
• Patton's tanks, And the Army went rolling
• Along. Minute men from the start, Always
• fighting from the heart,
• And the Army keeps rolling along.
• CHORUS
• Men in rags, men who froze, still that Army met
• its foes, And the Army went rolling along. Faith
• in God, then we're right, And we'll fight with
  all
• our might, As the Army keeps rolling along.
• CHORUS (the third chorus should be sung
• slower) (Keep it rolling) And The Army Goes
• Rolling Along.
• Upon hearing, soldiers should come
• to attention face the flag or the
• direction of the music and salute.

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Questions
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Conclusion

• Military Customs Courtesies is not a one-way
  street. Enlisted personnel must be courteous to
  Officers, and Officers are expected to return the
  courtesy. Officers respect the soldiers as
  individuals, just as you respect the Officers as
  individuals. Without the basis of mutual respect
  there can be no Military Customs Courtesy, and
  disharmony will result.
• Customs Courtesy show discipline, bearing, and
  the abilities of the Unit, Soldier, and Section.
  Pride in ones actions will show positive Courtesy
  and Custom.

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Work-Cited Page

• FM 3-21.5 Drill CeremonyFM 7-21.13 The
  Soldiers GuideAR 600-20 Army Command PolicyAR
  600-25 Salute, Honors, Visits of CourtesyAugust
  1995 Websters Handy College Dictionary 3rd
  EditionInternet Siteswww.armystudyguide.comwww
  .squad-leader.com