CUSTOMS OF THE SERVICES
The rules which govern official and social intercourse among members
of the military and naval services are based upon the well established
customs which prevail in all walks of life, modified only to such
extent as may be required by the peculiar conditions of the services in
order to secure the greatest degree of efficiency and discipline.
In a military sense discipline may be defined as the cheerful,
unquestioned and implicit obedience to the orders from higher authority
in such manner as to secure systematic action and the cooperation of
all of the component parts of a military force whatever its size may
be. This requires a close acquaintance between officers and men, a
mutual respect and confidence between them, and combined with this the
long hours of drill that tend to make obedience second nature and that
harden all physically and bring the whole machine to that high state of
discipline and training that may be termed “the fighting edge.”
To secure the desired end requires such a degree of mutual respect
among all of the personnel that there will never be the slightest
lack of confidence nor hesitation in complying with an order. To many
civilians the military hand salute appears unnecessary and it has even
been proposed in some quarters to abolish such salutes by enactment
of law on the ground that they are not in accord with the spirit of
American institutions. Yet the soldier knows that the salute is but the
outward and visible sign of discipline, that it denotes smartness and
_esprit_, that it is the patent evidence of alertness and cohesion and
the very antithesis of slouchiness and disaffection.
The regulations of the services are insistent that discipline shall be
enforced with firmness and decision but at the same time with constant
consideration of the rights and feelings of others, whatever their rank
or station may be. Courtesy and politeness are demanded at all times
in the services of the United States and no enforcement of authority
through the “rule of fear” is tolerated.
Strict attention to personal bearing and appearance is an index of
character no less in the military services than in other walks of life,
as the soldier who is not neat and clean when it is possible for him
to be so can rarely be depended upon in a pinch. The best soldiers and
sailors get their “clean shave” every morning when soap and water are
obtainable whether in the security of peace or the stress of wartime.
As one fine soldier expressed it, “We try to live clean, fight clean,
and if need be we’ll die clean.”
_Salutes._—On shore salutes are exchanged between officers and between
officers and enlisted men not in military formation, nor at drill,
work, games or mess, on every occasion of their meeting, passing near
or being addressed, the officer who is junior in rank or the enlisted
man always saluting first and the senior always promptly returning the
salute.
Upon the entry of an officer into a room where there are several
enlisted men some one of them who sees him calls “Attention,”
whereupon all rise and stand at attention until the officer leaves
the room or orders otherwise. If at meals enlisted men stop eating and
remain seated and quiet. Officers and enlisted men if seated, rise upon
the approach of a senior officer, face toward him and salute, and if
standing they face toward the senior and salute. Soldiers do not stop
work upon the approach of an officer unless addressed by the officer.
Before addressing an officer an enlisted man salutes and also salutes
again after receiving the reply of the officer.
No salutes are rendered by men on guard duty over prisoners if it will
interfere with the execution of their duty.
Officers or enlisted men passing the uncased colors always salute.
No salutes are rendered when troops are marching in double time or at
the trot or gallop when mounted.
When an officer or enlisted man is mounted and has a communication to
make to a senior who is dismounted the junior dismounts before saluting
and delivering his message, except during field maneuvers or campaigns
where time might be lost in doing so.
It should be noted that in all cases both the junior and the senior
salute, but that military courtesy requires the junior to salute first.
No salutes are exchanged between enlisted men but it is customary for
enlisted men to stand at attention when addressed officially by other
enlisted men who are their seniors in rank.
If an enlisted man is in a military formation and is personally
addressed by an officer he does not salute, but if not already standing
at attention he comes to that position at once.
The distance within which salutes are rendered, known as “saluting
distance,” is taken to be that within which the uniform and insignia
of an officer is readily distinguishable, normally about thirty paces,
one pace being thirty inches, and salutes are generally exchanged at a
distance of about six feet.
In railway trains, street cars, theaters and public buildings where
salutes would be manifestly inappropriate or where the observance of
the rules regarding saluting would be apt to interfere with civilians
present salutes are usually not rendered.
Officers and enlisted men in civilian clothing exchange salutes in the
same manner as if wearing uniform, but no officer in civilian clothes
is saluted with cannon or has a guard of honor turned out and paraded
in his honor.
The same salutes are given by all officers and enlisted men of the
military and naval forces to officers of foreign armies and navies.
On board ships of the Navy officers and enlisted men while on board
their own ship salute their captain on every occasion of meeting,
passing near or being addressed by him. They salute all officers who
are their senior in rank on the occasion of their first daily meeting
or passing near and upon being addressed by the senior officer, and at
other times during the day they stand at attention instead of saluting.
Officers from other ships are saluted on each occasion of meeting or
passing near.
When in uniform officers and enlisted men should salute ladies with the
military hand salute and the headdress should not be removed for this
purpose when out of doors.
The Navy Regulations require that all boats from men-of-war shall
exchange salutes when passing each other in accordance with the
following table, which covers all of the various conditions likely to
arise.
BOAT SALUTES.
---------------+---------------------------------------------------
| Rank of the senior officer in the boat
| to be saluted.
Rank or rate of+-------------+---------------+------------+--------
the senior in | |Commanding | |
the saluting |Flag or | officer above | Other |Midship-
boat. | general | rank of |commissioned| man or
| officer | lieutenant | officer. |warrant
| (with flag | (with pennant | |officer.
| flying). | flying). | |
---------------+-------------+---------------+------------+--------
Flag or | Junior | | |
general | salutes | | |
officer. | with hand. | | |
Commanding |Stops engine,|Junior salutes | |
officer above | lays on | with hand. | |
rank of | oars, and | | |
lieutenant | salutes | | |
(with pennant | with hand. | | |
flying). | | | |
Other naval |Stops engine,|When meeting a |Junior |
officer below | lays on | senior comman-| salutes |
flag rank and | oars, and | ding officer, | with hand. |
above rank of | salutes | or immediate | |
lieutenant, | with hand. | commanding of-| |
and marine | | ficer, stops | |
officers of | | engine, lays | |
corresponding | | on oars, and | |
rank. | | salutes with | |
| | hand. | |
Other |Stops engine,|Stops engine, |Junior |
commissioned | tosses or | lays on oars, | salutes |
officers. | trails oars,| and salutes | with hand. |
| and salutes | with hand. | |
| with hand. | | |
Midshipman or |Stops engine,|Stops engine, |Salutes with|Junior
warrant | tosses or | lays on oars, | hand. |salutes
officer. | trails oars,| and salutes | |with
| and salutes | with hand. | |hand.
| with hand. | | |
Officer and |Salutes with |Salutes with |Junior |Junior
coxswain in | hand. | hand. | salutes |salutes
loaded or | | | with hand. |with
towing boat | | | |hand.
or boat under | | | |
sail. | | | |
Coxswain. |Stops engine,|Stops engine, |Stands and |Salutes
| tosses or | lays on oars, | salutes |with
| trails oars,| stands, and | with hand. |hand.
| stands, and | salutes with | |
| salutes with| hand. | |
| hand. | | |
---------------+-------------+---------------+------------+--------
The starboard gangway ladder is used habitually by officers and their
visitors when going on board of a man-of-war or departing therefrom,
and the port gangway is used by all other persons. In other words the
starboard gangway may be considered the “front door” of a ship. Yet
whenever circumstances render it advisable or necessary an exception
may be made to this rule by the commanding officer’s order.
Upon reaching the quarterdeck from a boat, from a gangway or from
the shore, or from any other part of the ship, officers and men face
the colors, stand at attention and salute the colors; and the same
procedure is followed upon leaving the quarterdeck.
After saluting the colors upon arriving on the quarterdeck and just
before saluting the colors upon leaving the quarterdeck, officers and
enlisted men salute the officer of the deck, and the officer of the
deck returns both the salute to the colors and the salute to him.
Officers coming on board usually, after saluting the officer of the
deck, say, “I request permission to come aboard, sir,” and briefly
state their business; and after saluting the officer of the deck upon
leaving the ship they say, “I request permission to leave the ship,
sir.” The same procedure should be followed by civilians visiting a
ship except that no salutes to the officer of the deck are required.
Strict observance of military custom demands that an officer in uniform
and under arms, that is carrying the weapon with which he is armed or
wearing his belt and sword, should not remove his headdress either out
of doors or within doors; but in deference to the universal custom
among civilians it is considered proper for officers in uniform and
wearing their swords sheathed to remove their headdress when entering
a room, especially in case there are ladies present. Under such
circumstances the headdress is carried under the left arm, leaving the
right hand free to shake hands. With the sword drawn and in hand the
headdress should not be removed from the head.
The pedantic observance of so-called military customs is both
unnecessary and objectionable, and the safest course is follow the
rules of deportment which distinguish the gentleman the world over.
Following the universal custom the right side is considered the
position of honor and hence when two or more officers are walking or
riding in company the senior walks or rides on the right, and likewise
the senior occupies the seat at the right side in a carriage or other
conveyance.
_Visits and Courtesies._—An officer arriving at the headquarters of
a military command calls upon the commander as soon as practicable
and registers his name, address and probable length of stay. If the
visiting officer is senior in rank to the commander he may send his
card and address, in which case it becomes the duty of the commander
to make the first call. When an Army officer arrives at Washington, D.
C., he reports at the office of the Adjutant General of the Army, and
registers his name, local address and business in Washington. Naval
officers under similar circumstances register at the Navy Department
and Marine officers at the Headquarters of the Marine Corps.
After reporting for duty at a station on shore or aboard ship an
officer makes a social call upon the commanding officer who returns
the call promptly. In the case of other officers at the post it is
the custom for all of those already at the station to call upon the
late arrival, thus following the American and not the European custom
in this respect. In addition to the social call upon the commanding
officer the arriving officer also makes a call upon any officer at
the station or on board of the ship who is senior to the commanding
officer, as in the case of a general officer at an Army station or a
flag officer on board of a ship.
In the case of the arrival of a ship in a foreign port calls are
interchanged according to well established international rules between
the senior officer of the ship or ships arriving and those already
stationed at the port. The general rule is that if the two officers are
of the same grade the latest arrival makes the first call, but if they
are of different grades the junior makes the first call. The arriving
officer, however, always makes the first call upon the highest civil
official ashore at a foreign port.
Upon the arrival of a United States fleet, squadron or single ship at a
foreign port, the senior naval officer exchanges calls with diplomatic
and consular officers who may be stationed there according to the
following rules:—
A flag officer or commodore pays the first visit to diplomatic officers
of or above the rank of _chargé d’affaires_ and receives the first
visit from consular officers.
A commanding officer pays the first visit to diplomatic officers of
or above the rank of _chargé d’affaires_ and to a consul general and
receives the first visit from all other consular officers.
It will readily be seen that all of these rules and conventions are
devised for the purpose of avoiding friction or misunderstanding and to
secure efficiency and smoothness in the official and social relations
between officers and officials of different services and nationalities.