Salutes should always be accompanied by a proper greeting such as “Sir, Good Morning, Sir”, or “Ma’am, Good Afternoon, Ma’am.” A salute is military tradition and custom that recognizes the other person’s seniority. In the Coast Guard, a salute shows respect toward an officer, flag, or our country and recognizes, as a service member, that they have each made a personal commitment of self-sacrifice to preserve our way of life.
How to Salute
- Turn your feet out equally to form an angle of 45 degrees. Keep your heels on the same line and touching.
- Your legs should be straight but not stiff at the knees.
- The right hand is held straight, with all fingers tight against each other, and the thumb is held alongside the hand.
- The hand is raised straight from the waist to the corner of the right eye.
- If wearing a hat, the hand is raised straight from the waist to the corner of the bill of that hat.