When the ship is entering or leaving U.S. ports at
times other than operational visits,
When the ship is visiting foreign ports, or
When the ship is departing for or returning from
extended deployments, and other special
occasions as determined by a superior.
When the ship is entering or leaving U.S. ports on
operational visits or home port on local operations, the
normal procedure is to parade only an honor guard.
SIDE HONORS.—Side honors, rendered to
officers and officials boarding and departing the ship,
are a part of the honors stipulated on the occasion of an
official visit. The honors consist of parading the proper
number of side boys and piping the side.
Acting as a side boy may be one of your shipboard
duties. When you are assigned to side boy duty, you
must remain in dress uniform and in the vicinity of the
quarterdeck at all times, ready to fall in when required.
Your uniform must be clean and neat, and you must be
especially neat and military in appearance. Enlisted
women may be detailed to this duty, but they are still
called side boys.
Side boys are paraded between 0800 and sunset
daily except on Sunday. Normally, side boys are not
called away during meal hours, general drills, all hands
evolutions, or periods of regular overhaul except in
honor of civil officials or foreign officers; then, they
may be called away at any time during daylight. The
number of side boys paraded varies from two to eight
(always an even number), depending on the rank of the
individual being saluted.
When called away, side boys form two ranks facing
each other to form a passageway at the gangway. When
the Boatswain’s Mate (BM) begins to pipe the call
“Over the Side,” the side boys salute in unison, hold the
salute until the last note of the call, and then drop their
hands smartly to their sides.
Gun Salutes
Gun salutes are used to honor individuals, nations,
and certain national holidays. Practically all shore
stations have saluting batteries, but not all ships are so
equipped. Whether aboard ship or ashore, you must be
able to act properly whenever you hear a gun salute
being rendered.
The salutes always consist of an odd number of
guns, ranging from 5 for a vice consul to 21 for the
President of the United States and for rulers of foreign
nations recognized by the United States. Military
officers below the rank of commodore are not entitled
to gun salutes. Normally, only one gun is fired at a
time at intervals of about 5 seconds. During the
salutes, persons on the quarterdeck, in the ceremonial
party, or if ashore, render the hand salute. All other
personnel in the vicinity (in the open) should stand at
attention and, if in uniform, render the hand salute.
Gun salutes also mark special occasions in our
country’s history. On President’s Day, Memorial Day,
and Independence Day, a standard 21-gun salute is fired
at 1-minute intervals, commencing at 1200. Thus, on
these holidays, the salute ends at 1220.
REVIEW 1 QUESTIONS
Q1. Define the following terms.
a. Courtesy—
b. Custom—
Q2. Name a required act of military courtesy.
Q3. What is the most common form of saluting?
Q4. When in uniform, Navy personnel salute which
of the following persons/things?
a. Flag
b. Anthem
c. Officers
d. Each of the above
Q5. True or false. Under naval customs, the hand
salute is accompanied by a word of greeting.
9-10
Student Notes:
