CHAPTER XIV
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.