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The Salute: An Act Of Military Courtesy

The military services have a long history. Many traditions have been established as a result of this long history. If you are familiar with some of these traditions, you will understand the military better. These traditions can be broken down into various customs and courtesies. A custom is a way of acting — a way that has continued consistently over such a long period that it has become like law. A courtesy is a form of polite behavior and excellence of manners. Customs and courtesies help make life orderly and are a way of showing respect. Customs are regular, expected actions. They have been repeated again and again and passed from one generation to the next. Courteous actions show your concern and respect for others and for certain objects or symbols, such as the American flag.

Courtesy is an act or verbal expression of consideration or respect for others. When a person acts with courtesy toward another, the courtesy is likely to be returned. We are courteous to our seniors because we are aware of their greater responsibilities and authority. We are courteous to our juniors because we are aware of their important contributions to the Navy’s mission.

In the military service, and particularly in the Navy where personnel live and work in close quarters, courtesy is practiced both on and off duty. Military courtesy is important to everyone in the Navy. Acts of respect and courtesy are required of all members of the naval service; the junior member takes the initiative, and the senior member returns the courtesy.

One required act of military courtesy is the salute. Regulations governing its use are founded on military custom deeply rooted in tradition. The salute is a symbol of respect and a sign of comradeship among service personnel. The salute is simple and dignified; but, there is great significance in that gesture. It is a time-honored demonstration of courtesy among all military personnel that expresses mutual respect and pride in the service. Never resent or try to avoid saluting persons entitled to receive the salute. (The privilege of saluting is generally denied prisoners because their status is considered unworthy of the comradeship of military personnel.) The most common form of salute is the hand salute. However, there are other types, such as gun and rifle salutes.

The hand salute began in the days of chivalry when it was customary for knights dressed in armor to raise their visors to friends for the purpose of identification. Because of the relative position of rank, the junior was required to make the first gesture. Another school of thought traces the salute back to a custom at the time of the Borgias. Assassinations by dagger were not uncommon at that time, and it became the custom for men to approach each other with raised hand, palm to the front, to showthat therewas no weapon concealed. In the U.S. Navy, it's reasonable to believe that the hand salute came from the British navy. There is general agreement that the salute as now rendered is really the first part of the movement of uncovering. From the earliest days of military units, the junior uncovered when meeting or addressing a senior. Gradually, the act of taking off one's cap was simplified into merely touching the cap or, if uncovered, the head (forelock), and finally into the present form of salute. The following are some of the major points you should remember when rendering a salute:

When not to Salute When uncovered, except where failure to salute might cause embarrassment or misunderstanding. In formation, except on command. o On a work detail (the person in charge of the detail salutes). When engaged in athletics or assembled for recreation or entertainment. When carrying articles with both hands, or otherwise occupied making saluting impracticable. In public places where saluting is obviously inappropriate (theaters, restaurants, elevators, etc.). In public transportation. In action or under simulated combat conditions. When a member of a guard is engaged in performance of a duty that prevents saluting. At mess (when addressed, stop eating and show respectful attention). When guarding prisoners.

1. If possible, always use your right hand. Use your left hand only if your right hand is injured. Use your left hand to carry objects and to leave your right hand free to salute. (The Navy is the only branch of the service where you are, under certain unusual circumstances, allowed to salute with the left hand. If you are doing something military with your right hand (such as piping a whistle) then it is appropriate to salute with your left.)
2. Accompany your salute with a cheerful, respectful greeting; for example, "Good morning, sir"; "Good afternoon, Commander [Jones]"; "Good evening, Chaplain [Smith]".
3. Always salute from the position of attention. If you are walking, you need not stop; but hold yourself erect and square. If on the double, slow to a walk when saluting.
4. Look directly into the officer's eyes as you salute.
5. If you are carrying something in both hands and cannot render the hand salute, look at the officer as though you were saluting and render a verbal greeting as previously described.
6. Remove a pipe, cigar, or cigarette from your mouth or hand before you salute.
7. Salute officers even if they are uncovered or their hands are occupied. Your salute will be acknowledged by a verbal greeting, such as "Good morning," "Good afternoon," or something similar.
8. Army and Air Force policy, unlike the Navy's, is to salute when uncovered. Suppose you are in an office with several Army personnel, and all of you are uncovered. An officer enters and the soldiers rise and salute. You should do likewise; to do otherwise would make you seem ill-mannered or disrespectful.
9. If you are walking with or standing by a commissioned officer and the occasion for a salute arises, do not salute until the officer salutes. Assume that you are walking with a lieutenant. A commander approaches. Do not salute the commander until the lieutenant salutes; but as soon as the lieutenant starts to salute, you should quickly do the same.
10. When approaching an officer, start your salute far enough away from the officer to allow time for your salute to be seen and returned. This space can vary; but a distance of about six paces is considered good for this purpose. Hold your salute until it is returned or until you are six paces past the officer.
11. Salute all officers who are close enough to be recognized as officers. It is unnecessary to identify an officer by name; however, ensure that he/she is wearing the uniform of an officer.
12. Salute properly and smartly. Avoid saluting in a casual or perfunctory manner. A sharp salute is a mark of a sharp Sailor.

Enlisted personnel salute all officers, and officers salute their seniors. Salutes are returned by persons saluted except when they are uncovered - the person saluted should acknowledge the salute with an appropriate greeting or a nod of the head. Salutes are rendered to all of the following officers: Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Public Health Service, Foreign military services, Officers of the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Reserves, and Officers of the National Guard when they are on active duty. When not on active duty, they rate a salute only when they are in uniform.

Civilians who are entitled (rate), by reason of their position, gun salutes, or other honors are also entitled (by custom) to the hand salute. The President, as Commander in Chief of the armed forces, is always saluted. Other civilians may be saluted by persons in uniform when appropriate, but the uniform hat or cap must not be raised as a form of salutation.

On occasion, you might be uncertain whether the person approaching you in uniform is an officer, thus rating a salute. The safest course of action is to salute immediately and notwait for the person approaching you to disclose his/her rank. In other words, when in doubt, salute.

If enlisted personnel and officers are standing together and a senior officer approaches, the first to see the senior should call out "Attention," and all face the officer and salute. Never overtake and pass an officer without permission. If it becomes necessary for you to pass, you should do so to the left, salute when abreast of the officer, and ask, "By your leave, sir/ma'am?" The officer should reply, "Very well," and return the salute.

When reporting on deck or out-of-doors ashore, you should remain covered and salute accordingly. When reporting in an office, you should uncover upon approaching the senior; therefore, you should not salute. Sentries at gangways salute all officers going or coming over the side and when passing or being passed by officers close aboard in boats. You salute all officers riding in vehicles, while those in the vehicle both render and return salutes, as required. The vehicle's driver salutes if the vehicle is stopped; to do so while the vehicle is in motion endangers the safety of the occupants and may be omitted.

If you are in uniform and recognize an officer in civilian clothes, you should initiate the proper greeting and salute. In time of war, however, an officer not in uniform may be deliberately avoiding disclosure of his/her identity, so you should be cautious in following the normal peacetime rule. At crowded gatherings or in congested areas, you normally salute only when addressing or being addressed by officers. Honors are salutes rendered to individuals of merit, such as recipients of the Medal of Honor.

The First Salute

By saluting first, the person is demonstrating deference to the senior rank, not inferiority to the person being saluted. One tradition associated with the hand salute has withstood the test of time. The tradition is that of newly appointed officer giving a silver dollar to the first enlisted person to salute them after they have received their commission.

The exact origin of this custom is arguable. Researchers suggest that it came from the British regiments stationed in Colonial America. They brought with them a number of customs and traditions that were retained by the newly formed American Units. For example, newly commissioned British officers were assigned an enlisted soldier to train them, teach them the regiment's history and traditions, and ensure that his equipment met appropriate standards. Grateful lieutenants often showed their heartfelt gratitude by informally compensating the enlisted man with a small sum of money.

This custom continued to grow within the British military and newly formed American units. American second Lieutenants, in 1816, received a monthly base pay of $25, a $3 ration allowance, and $1 for an enlisted advisor. This advisor's pay was later discontinued, but the responsibility for teaching the newly commissioned officer continued. The present day tradition is thought to have its roots in this relationship.

Authorized by Congress on April 2, 1792, the silver dollar traditionally is the only coin given in exchange for the first salute. The coin should represent more than a dollar in currency. To every new officer, it has a special significance. It represents the symbolic receipt of respect due a newly earned rank and position.

It signifies a deep sense of gratitude for the knowledge-enlisted personnel, especially NCOs, have passed on to them during training. It's acknowledgement from one professional to another saying, "Welcome to our service and to the profession of arms."

The coin is an expression of respect shared together, as are all tasks and missions that are given together for the officer and enlisted to perform. The values and ethics that are passed on to the newly commissioned officer are there to be shared and remembered and to be passed on again when the time comes.

Whatever the origin of the "silver dollar salute", it is part of all soldier's, sailor's, airman's, and marine's love of duty and their respect for each other, and it strengthens their commitment and responsibility to serve their country. Over the years each branch of service has put it's own spin on the tradition of the "silver dollar salute."

Silver Dollar Salute Navy Adopted tradition is considered a way to show respect for those superior enlisted personnel who helped you achieve your commissioned status. Army-Navy Action signifies the officer having to "buy" their first salute. From that point on, the officer is expected to earn each salute that he receives. Air Force-Army-Navy Receipt of respect due to newly earned rank and position.

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