CHAPTER 9CUSTOMS AND COURTESIESThe military services have a long history. Manytraditions have been established as a result of this longhistory. If you are familiar with some of these traditions,you will understand the military better. These traditionscan be broken down into various customs andcourtesies.A custom is a way of acting—a way that hascontinued consistently over such a long period that it hasbecome like law. A courtesy is a form of polite behaviorand excellence of manners. You will find that Navy lifecreates many situations, not found in civilian life, thatrequire special behavior on your part. Customs andcourtesies help make life orderly and are a way ofshowing respect.Customs are regular, expected actions. They havebeen repeated again and again and passed from onegeneration to the next. Courteous actions show yourconcern and respect for others and for certain objects orsymbols, such as the American flag.The use of customs, courtesies, and ceremonieshelps keep discipline and order in a militaryorganization. This chapter will give you some of themore common day-to-day customs and courtesies andways to deal with them.MILITARY CUSTOMSLearning Objective: When you finish this chapter, youwill be able to—Recognize the purpose of military customs.From time to time, situations arise that are notcovered by written rules. Conduct in such cases isgoverned by customs of the service. Customs areclosely linked with tradition, and much esprit de corpsof the naval service depends on their continuedmaintenance. (Custom has the force of law; usage ismerely a fact. There can be no custom unlessaccompanied by usage.)A custom is a usual way of acting in givencircumstances. It is a practice so long established that ithas the force of law. An act or condition acquires thestatus of a custom under the following circumstances:When it is continued consistently over a longperiodWhen it is well defined and uniformly followedWhen it is generally accepted so as to seemalmost compulsoryWhen it is not in opposition to the terms andprovisions of a statute, lawful regulation, ororderMILITARY COURTESIESLearning Objectives: When you finish this chapter,you will be able to—Identify how to, when to, and to whom to renderthe hand and rifle salute.Identify the military courtesies when ship andboat passing honors are rendered.Courtesyis an act or verbal expression ofconsideration or respect for others. When a person actswith courtesy toward another, the courtesy is likely to bereturned. We are courteous to our seniors because weare aware of their greater responsibilities and authority.We are courteous to our juniors because we are aware oftheir important contributions to the Navy’s mission.In the military service, and particularly in the Navywhere personnel live and work in close quarters,courtesy is practiced both on and off duty. Militarycourtesy is important to everyone in the Navy. If youknow and practice military courtesy, you will makefavorable impressions and display a self-assurance thatwill carry you through many difficult situations. Acts of9-1It rests with us to make the traditions and to set the pace for those who are tofollow and so upon our shoulders rests a great responsibility.—Esther Voorhess Hasson,First Superintendent, Navy Nurse Corps, 1908
Integrated Publishing, Inc. - A (SDVOSB) Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business
