there is heavy traffic of officers, you may render the rifle salute at order arms. If you’re in conversation with an officer, you don’t interrupt the conversation to salute another officer.  If  the  officer  with  you  salutes  a senior, however, then you also salute. c.  During the time of challenging, you don’t salute  an  officer  until  the  officer  has advanced and has been duly recognized. You don’t salute if to do so will interfere with the proper execution of your specific duties. 11. To be especially watchful at night and during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post, and to allow no one to pass without proper authority. When you see a person approaching your post, take the position of port arms and call, “Halt! Who  is  there?”  The  challenge  must  be  made  at  a distance sufficient to prevent your being rushed by the person being challenged. If the person answers “Friend” or “Petty officer of the guard” or gives another reply indicating a friendly nature, call, “Advance (friend, and so on) to be recognized.” If you challenge a party of persons, after receiving a reply indicating the party is friendly, you call, “Advance one person to be recognized.” When you have identified the one, you have the person bring up the rest of the party and identify each individual. You must positively identify all persons challenged before permitting them to pass. If you can’t identify them to your satisfaction, detain them and call the petty officer of the guard. Never let more than one person advance at a time. If two persons approach at the same time, have them halt; then advance the senior and pass that person (if properly identified) before advancing the other person. If the people are in a vehicle, you halt the vehicle and inspect the driver’s or the passengers’ credentials, as appropriate. (Normally, inspecting the driver of a military vehicle is sufficient; but for a commercial truck or taxi, you should check the passengers too.) If you believe there’s something suspicious about the vehicle or its occupants, direct one of the occupants to get out and approach you for recognition. If you aren’t satisfied beyond  a  reasonable  doubt  that  the  people  are authorized to pass, detain the person or party and call the petty officer of the guard. When challenging, advancing, and passing persons and patrols, always stand where you can get a good look at them in such a way that you are protected from a surprise attack. Relieving an Armed Watch Two methods are used for relieving armed sentries. One way (usually used ashore) is for the Petty Officer of the Watch (POOW) to fall in the reliefs and march them to their posts. Normally, each person in the relieving detail is armed with a rifle. At each post, the petty officer halts the ranks, and both the sentry being relieved and the reporting sentry come to port arms while the person being  relieved  passes  any  special  orders  or  other information the relief should know. In the other method (usually used aboard ship), each relieving sentry goes alone to the post. This sentry normally is unarmed and will relieve the sentry of the rifle or pistol as well as the post. The relief reports to the sentry, “I am ready to relieve you.” The sentry executes inspection arms and port arms and repeats the orders; the relief says, “I relieve you.” The relieving procedure is completed when the sentry being relieved passes the rifle to the relief and says, “I stand relieved.” NOTE Refer  to  the  ship’s  Standard  Operating Procedures  (SOP)  for  relieving  an  armed watch. When standing an armed watch with a pistol, you must  strictly  observe  the  following  additional precautions: 1.  Keep the pistol in its holster except when the watch is relieved or circumstances require you to use it. Never engage in horseplay with the pistol—it is a deadly weapon and must always be treated as such. 2.  Do not surrender the pistol to any unauthorized person. 3.  The pistol normally is carried loaded aboard ship with one round in the chamber. Two loaded clips 3-10 Student Notes: