Customs & Courtesies ( 1ABG Airman Manual Chapter 5)

PRSG - 1st Air Base Group Airman Manual

Puerto Rico National Guard State Guard Command

1st Air Base Group Headquarter Muñiz Air National Guard Base, Carolina, Puerto Rico

Airman Manual

Airman Manual

MILITARY CUSTOMS, COURTESIES & PROTOCOL

As of January 2014

Airman Manual


Customs & Courtesies

The Salute. Coming to attention when an officer

enters a room. Shaking hands when meeting

someone. These are all examples of customs and

courtesies. They are small, but important

expressions of politeness and mutual respect.

Customs and courtesies are found throughout

society at large, but Air Force-style customs and

courtesies are especially important, because they re-

enforce the Core Values and bring us closer to our

fellow’s airmen.

All military customs and courtesies are rooted in

basic politeness and respect. To the newcomer, they

seem strange at first. People are often embarrassed

the first time they try to salute. But with a just a

little bit of study, practice, and mentoring comes

understanding and confidence.

This chapter provides guidance and history for

excellence in protocol, decorum, customs and

courtesies during Air Force ceremonies,

conferences, and social events, in hosting

distinguished visitors and in honors afforded at

military funerals.

Definitions:

• Custom - An act or ceremony that stems

from tradition and is enforced as unwritten

law.

• Courtesy – If a guidance in written form,

it’s a military courtesy.

• Esprit de corps— A common spirit of

enthusiasm and devotion to a cause among

the members of a group.

• Protocol— A code of precedence in rank

and status of correct procedure in

ceremonies; a form of etiquette observed in

ceremonies; a combination of good manners

and common sense that facilitates effective

communication.

General Customs/Courtesies:

• Constant usage of Professionalism

• Verbal Greetings

• Appointments and being on time

• Usage of appropriate Titles (rank and name)

• Stand or rise to the position of attention

when speaking to officers, unless told

otherwise

• Proper telephone etiquette

• Calling the room when an officer enters

• Respect towards the U.S. Flag, Air Force

Song, and other services.

• Proper Utilization of the chain of command

• Never put your hands in your pockets unless

doing so quickly to retrieve something

• Do not lean or sit on a superiors desk, ask for

permission to be seated

• Officers will treat everyone fairly, all airmen

receive the same treatment.

• You should always use Sir/Ma’am when

conversing or responding with senior

ranking officers.

• Do NOT use slang, profanity, “yeah”, “uh-

huh”, etc. It is too casual and therefore

considered disrespectful.

• When walking with a superior, allow the

superior to take the position of honor to the

right

• Saluting

• Courtesy is an attitude-an attitude that leads

to success.

Seven Basic Responses:

• Yes, Sir/Ma’am

• No, Sir/Ma’am

• No excuse, Sir/Ma’am

• Sir/Ma’am, I do not know

• Sir/Ma’am, I do not understand

• Sir/Ma’am, may I ask a question?

• Sir/Ma’am, may I make a statement?

Salute:

Nothing is more embedded in the military culture

than saluting. All Services teach this in their basic

officer and enlisted training programs and it is

reinforced throughout the service member's career.


Origins. The exact origin of the hand salute is

unknown; many references point to the knight's

symbolic gesture of raising his visor to reveal his

identity as a courtesy on the approach of a superior

as its origin. Another possible early origin was the

common practice of raising the right (weapon) hand

as a greeting of friendship. Major Mark M. Boatner

III, author of Military Customs and Traditions,

believes the origin of the hand salute derives from

the long established custom for juniors to remove

their headgear in the presence of superiors. In the

British Army as late as the American Revolution, a

soldier saluted by removing his hat.

As the British

soldier's hat became

more cumbersome,

the act of removing

the hat degenerated

into a gesture of gr asping the visor. The

following entry in

the "Order Book of

the Coldstream

Guards," dated 3

September 1745,

supports this view:

"The men ordered

not to pull off their

hats when they pass

an officer, or to speak to them, but only to clap up

their hands to their hats and bow as they pass." Over

the years, the practice may have evolved into the

modern hand salute.

Meaning. The hand salute today, while it varies

across the globe, says in effect, "I greet you."

Returning the salute says in turn, "I return your

greeting." It is rendered with pride as a sign of

recognition and respect between comrades in the

honorable profession of arms.

Whom to salute?

• The President of USA

• Any officer who is above you in rank.

• Warrant officers of any service above you in

rank.

• Commissioned officers of friendly foreign

countries above you in rank.

When do you salute in uniform?

• Pass by the U.S. Flag

• National Anthem

• Staff Cars with superior officers

• Military Funerals

• Salutes are normally exchanged only

outdoors. Indoors, salute officers only when

formally reporting (ie: when called forward

to receive an award).

• The junior person initiates the salute a fair

distance from the senior person such that the

senior has time to return the salute.

• Offer a greeting such as, “Good morning,

ma’am,” when exchanging salutes.

• When in formation, do not salute unless

commanded to present arms. The

commander salutes for the unit if an officer

approaches.

• When in doubt, salute. Anyone may render a

salute at any time if they believe one is

warranted.

General Rules for Saluting:

While the salute is a

simple concept to grasp

and an easy movement

to master with practice,

the specific occasions

and environments for

rendering the salute

can become confusing.

As a general rule,

salutes are rendered as

a courtesy between

those officers junior

(lower) in grade to

those officers senior

(higher) in grade. For

instance, a lieutenant


would salute a captain, a captain would salute a

major, or a brigadier general would salute a major

general. The junior officer initiates the salute as

soon as the senior officer is recognized.

If two members of the same grade meet, it’s a good

idea for them to salute as well. Salutes typically take

place outdoors. It’s also polite to greet the officer by

saying, “Hello” or “Good afternoon,” for example.

Positions of Honor.

The position of honor is to the right. When an

officer walks on your right, he or she is symbolically

filling the position of honor. The principle that the

right side of a person or thing is the position of

honor is a time honor tradition. The "right of the

line" was the critical side in ancient battle

formations and is the place of honor in ceremonies

today.

The first place of honor is always on the right. One

should always afford seniors this position when

walking, riding, or sitting with them. When joining

up with a senior, always assume a position to his or

her left.

In the combination of a junior woman and a senior

man, the senior man should precede the junior

woman through the door. Unofficially, or in a

"social" situation, the man may extend traditional

courtesies and allow the woman the position of

honor.

Other Official Customs of the Service:

RHIP (Rank Hath Its Privileges). RHIP refers

specifically to those special courtesies that persons

of junior rank or status extend to their "seniors."

Extending a verbal courtesy (such as "sir") or

physical courtesy (such as a salute) to a senior

acknowledges a privilege the senior has earned and

expects. It is also an acknowledgment of authority

and respect. Rank also has its obligations, which

includes ensuring subordinates' rights are respected.

Calling a Room to Attention. By enlisted custom,

the first person to see an officer entering the room

calls the room to attention. If an officer of equal or

higher rank is already in the room, the room is not

called to attention. When the officer departs, the

room is called to attention again.

It is not traditional for officers to follow this

practice. When junior officers are gathered in a

room awaiting the arrival of a senior officer, post an

individual to watch for his or her arrival. As the

senior officer approaches, the watcher may sound

off, ―stand by or ―at ease, as a warning. When the

senior enters the room, one officer will announce,

―Ladies and gentlemen, the commander, or

―Ladies and Gentlemen, General Jones. All

officers stand at attention until told to be seated. It is

a common courtesy for all individuals in a room or

area to stand when a senior civilian enters.

Brining a room to attention should be avoided if

doing so will create a safety hazard or negatively

affect the mission.

Ruffles and Flourishes

A song known as "Ruffles and Flourishes" is played

to honor certain high ranking military and

government officials as well as foreign dignitaries.

The song consists of a drum roll (ruffle) and a

trumpet fanfare (flourish). Up to four ruffles and

flourishes are played, depending on the rank and

position of the person being honored.

Upon hearing "Ruffles and Flourishes" indoors, in

uniform or civilian clothes, face the person being

honored and come to and remain at attention until

the last note of the music has been played.

Upon hearing "Ruffles and Flourishes" outdoors, in

uniform, come to attention, face the person being

honored, and present arms (salute), remaining at

attention until the last note of the music has been

played.


Reporting to Senior Officers

Typically, salutes are not rendered indoors. The

exception to this is when reporting to a senior

officer. It is proper to salute the senior officer when

reporting indoors or outside.

To report indoors, knock on the door and wait for

the senior officer to respond to come in. Walk

directly to the senior officer until about two paces

away. Stop, salute, and report (“Lieutenant Smith

reports to Major Jones,” for example). When

dismissed or at the end of the conversation, come to

attention, salute, and walk directly out of the room.

Reporting outdoors follows the same basic

sequence.

Respect to the Flag and National Anthem

The U.S. & P.R. flag are symbols of the principles

and ideals America and Puerto Rico stands for and

should always be treated with respect. The National

Anthems and the Pledge of Allegiance honor the

flag and deserve the same respect.

Saluting for flag and anthem honors is expected

when in uniform. When wearing civilian apparel,

place the right hand over the heart for flag and

anthem honors.

Honoring the Flag Outdoors

In uniform, when an uncased flag passes by (such as

in a parade or at a sporting event), come to attention

and salute when the flag comes within six paces and

hold the salute until the flag passes six paces

beyond.

In civilian clothes, come to attention. If wearing a

hat, remove it, and hold it in the right hand. Place

the right hand over the heart when the flag is within

six paces and hold until the flag is six paces past.

On Air Force installations, flags on stationary staffs

are saluted only at reveille, retreat, and on special

occasions.

The U. S. National Anthem:

Composed by Francis Scott Key‘s "The Star

Spangled Banner" became the U.S. national

anthem on 3 March 1931.

―O say! can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last

gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thro‘ the

perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly

streaming?

And the rockets‘ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

gave proof thro‘ the night that our flag was still there.

O say! does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

―On the shore, dimly seen thro‘ the mist of the deep,

Where the foe‘s haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o‘er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning‘s first beam,


In full glory reflected now shines in the stream.

‗Tis the Star-Spangled Banner. 0 long may it wave

O‘er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

―And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,

That the havoc of war and the battle‘s confusion

A home and a country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wash‘d out their foul footstep‘s

pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave

0‘er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

―O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand

Between their lov‘d home and war‘s desolation,

Blest with vict‘ry and peace, may the Heav‘n-rescued

land

Praise the pow‘r that hath made and preserv‘d us a

nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto, ‗In God is Our Trust.‘And the

Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave

O‘er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The P.R. National Anthem:

Composed by Manuel Fernandez Juncos "La

Borinqueña" in 1903 and became the P.R. national

anthem on 1952.

La tierra de Borinquen

donde he nacido yo,

es un jardín florido, de mágico primor.

Un cielo siempre nítido

le sirve de dosel.

Y dan arrullos plácidos,

las olas a sus pies.

Cuando a sus playas llegó Colón;

exclamó lleno de admiración:

"¡Oh! ¡Oh! ¡Oh!

Esta es la linda tierra

que busco yo".

Es Borinquen la hija,

la hija del mar y el sol.

Del mar y el sol. Del mar y el sol.

Del mar y el sol. Del mar y el sol.

Proper way to address by rank:

Abbrev. Grade Terms of address

AB Airman Basic Airman

Amn Airman Airman

A1C Airman First Class Airman

SrA Senior Airman Airman

SSgt Staff Sergeant Sergeant

TSgt Technical Sergeant Sergeant

MSgt Master Sergeant Sergeant

SMSgt Senior Master Sergeant Sergeant

CMSgt Chief Master Sergeant Chief

CCMSgt Command Chief Master Sergeant

Command Chief

2d Lt Second Lieutenant Lieutenant

1st Lt First Lieutenant Lieutenant

Capt Captain Captain

Maj Major Major

Lt Col Lieutenant Colonel Colonel

Col Colonel Colonel

Brig Gen Brigadier General General

Maj Gen Major General General

Lt Gen Lieutenant General General

Gen General General

“WE ARE HERE AND WE ARE READY”

Customs & Courtesies ( 1ABG Airman Manual Chapter 5)

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