STAND UP STRAIGHT!

Use your best posture when saluting. Don't hunch over or let your shoulders droop. 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.

The person of lower rank should initiate the salute. If you are an officer and by initiating the salute, you are not implying that you are in anyway inferior to your superior. It is just a showing of respect and camaraderie.

BRING YOUR RIGHT ARM to the CORRECT POSITION

Bring your arm up so the bottom of your bicep is parallel to the ground. Your arm should remain straight, so your elbow is in a straight line with your shoulders.

A well-executed salute is a crisp, singular movement. Once you use a salute on a daily basis, it will become reflexive.

RAISE YOUR HAND UP TO YOUR BROW

Keep the outer edge of the hand barely canted downward so that neither the back of the hand nor the palm is clearly visible from the front. The hand and wrist are straight, the elbow inclined slightly forward, and the forearm is at a 45-degree angle to the ground. Keep your fingers and thumb straight and in line with each other.

MODIFY THE SALUTE AS APPROPRIATE
FOR THE HEADGEAR YOU ARE WEARING

There are small adaptations you should make if you are wearing a cover or glasses.

Cover with a visor: you will salute with your right hand, touching the tip of your index finger to the rim of the visor, slightly above your right eye.

With no glasses or cover, or a cover without a visor, you will will touch the finger to the forehead beside the outer edge of your right eyebrow.

When wearing glasses or cover, or a cover without a visor, you will touch the tip of the right forefinger to your glasses where the temple piece of the frame meets the right edge of the right brow.

HOLD THE SALUTE

You should hold the salute until the commanding officer gives the "At ease" order or returns and your salute.

During the National Anthem, Reveille, Taps or other appropriate songs, you should hold the salute until the last note.

ACCOMPANY THE SALUTE WITH
AN APPROPRIATE GREETING

Saying "Good morning, Sir," or something along those lines is encouraged when you salute a superior. Perform the salute, then greet the soldier while holding the salute.

If you are reporting to the officer, you should identify yourself and state that you are reporting. For example, "Sir, Private Jones reports."

LOWER YOUR HAND

Bring your hand directly down to its natural position at your side when dropping the salute.

Do not slap your leg or move your hand out to the side.

Any flourish in the salute is improper. If you perform a salute that is at all showy or lazy, it can be perceived as being a greater insult than not performing a salute at all.

TIPS

Never salute when you are holding an item that requires both hands to hold, such as a large box or the American flag.

Do salute a higher ranking officer who is holding something that requires both hands, but do not expect a return salute.

It is customary for all ranks to render a salute to a recipient of the Medal of Honor, regardless of the recipient's rank.

Marines and Sailors do not salute uncovered, but you should still offer a greeting to show respect.

Do not salute an enlisted person. Only salute officers of a higher rank than you.