Is it disrespectful for a civilian to salute?

TLDR – Civilians should face the flag and place their right hand over their heart during the National Anthem. Saluting the flag is a gesture reserved for the military. While civilians can salute soldiers, many veterans consider it inappropriate or awkward.

Is it OK to salute as a civilian?

"Civilian personnel, to include civilian guards, are not required to render the hand salute to military personnel or other civilian personnel. "Salutes are not required to be rendered or returned when the senior or subordinate, or both are in civilian attire."

Are you supposed to salute if you were never in the military?

The Flag Code states: “During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review, all persons present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute.

What does a left handed salute mean?

Left Handed Salutes. Actually only the Naval services (Navy and Marine Corps) are authorized to salute with the left hand when necessary. This usually means when your right hand/ arm is incapacitated due to injury but it can also apply at other times.

Can a veteran in civilian clothes salute the flag?

Veterans and Saluting Out of Uniform

This change adds to a provision which was passed in the 2008 Defense Bill, which authorized veterans and military personnel in civilian clothes to render the military salute during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag.

salute VS dont salute

How can a civilian show respect to a soldier?

Stand with your arms straight and flat at your side and fingers pointed at the ground. Face the flag or person you are saluting. Turn your head and eyes toward the person or flag you are saluting. If you are saluting a person, it is respectful to maintain eye contact.

What are the rules for saluting?

Specifically, a proper salute goes as follows: Raise the right hand sharply, fingers and thumb extended and joined, palm facing down, and place the tip of the right forefinger on the rim of the visor, slightly to the right of the eye.

Is it proper to salute when not in uniform?

Saluting during the Pledge of Allegiance is not altered. When not in uniform males of all ages should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Females of all ages should place their hand over their heart.

Who is entitled salute?

Those persons entitled to the salute are commissioned officers of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and commissioned officers of allied nations in time of war. It is also customary to salute officers of friendly foreign countries when recognized as such.

Can civilians salute at a military funeral?

Members should salute as the flag passes by. Former military members not in uniform may salute. However, civilians should not salute. As a sign of respect, civilians should instead remove any head gear and place it over their heart.

Do Marines salute in civilian attire?

Saluting is the traditional form of greeting between servicemen and women and it is an honored tradition of military organizations throughout the world. Marines in uniform salute officers, even if that officer is in civilian clothes (assuming the Marine recognizes the individual as an officer).

How do civilians salute the flag?

Saluting the American Flag when in civilian attire

MEN remove hats and hold at left shoulder with hand over heart; without hat, place right hand, palm open, over heart. WOMEN should place right hand, palm open, over heart. WOMEN may continue to wear headwear, although it is appropriate to remove all caps.

How should a civilian address a military officer?

Talking to Military as a Civilian. Greet military members using their proper title if you know it. If you know a service member's rank, use their title of address to talk to them. It is not considered rude or disrespectful to use military terminology when you've never served.

Should I salute during National Anthem?

So what should you do when the national anthem is played? The code states that persons present are expected to stand and face the flag, if there is one. Civilians should stand to attention with right hand over heart, while military personnel in uniform and veterans should salute throughout.

Can civilians wear dog tags?

Civilians can legally wear dog tags. Yet, attempting to use the dog tags for personal gain may be considered an act of stolen valor, which is a punishable offense. Some veterans and active military members may consider it disrespectful, while others do not care.

Can civilians wear military uniforms?

TLDR – In the United States, it is legal for civilians to wear military uniforms. However, it is against the law to impersonate a member of the military for personal gains, such as wearing a uniform to commit fraud.

Can Taps be played for a civilian?

No formal protocol accompanies the sounding of “Taps” at dusk, but when it's played at military funerals and memorial services, members of the military salute from the first note to the last. Civilians may place their right hand over their heart, but it's not required.

Do civilians have to call officers sir?

If you are a civilian, you aren't obligated to use any specific salutation with anyone. That said, if you want to be respectful, addressing someone by their rank is probably the best, and if you don't know the rank, then sir/ma'am would be ok I imagine.

What do civilians call soldiers?

Joe. Most civilians will recognize this slang term when “G.I.” is placed in front of it. “Joe” is an Army and Air Force term used to generically refer to a soldier. Frequently, “Joes” are junior enlisted personnel, and a single soldier is sometimes referred to as “Private Joe Snuffy.”

Do you salute officers in civilian clothes?

You don't have to salute indoors, except when you report to a superior officer. If either person is wearing civilian clothes and you do not recognize the other person as a superior officer, salutes are unnecessary. Use common sense.

Is saluting disrespectful?

Soldiers are required to perfect the military salute, as a sloppy salute is considered disrespectful. A proper salute involves raising the right hand with the fingers and thumb extended and joined together with the palm down.

Who is supposed to salute the flag?

During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review, all persons present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute.

Is it OK to salute with left hand?

Saluting with the left or right hand has nothing to do with being disrespectful. The salute, in and of itself, no matter which hand is used, is respectful. The US military uses the right hand for a reason and that reason is utilitarian, not an issue of respect.

Why do army and navy salute differently?

The British Army developed a salute with the palm facing outwards, also used by the Royal Air Force. The Royal Navy, however, adopted a version with the palm facing downwards, thought to be because many men working on ships had dirty palms and to display them was disrespectful.

Why do military remove hats indoors?

They do not wear covers indoors because they follow Naval traditions when it comes to covers and saluting, as does the U.S. Coast Guard. This means that, like Naval personnel, Marines never salute unless wearing a cover, and thus almost all Marines do not salute when they are indoors.