How to Salute Like a Soldier
Stand up straight., Face the flag or person you are saluting., Bring your right arm up to the correct position., Raise your hand up to your brow., Modify the salute as appropriate for the headgear you are wearing., Hold the salute., Accompany the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: 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. -
Step 2: 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.
By initiating the salute, the officer is not implying he is in anyway inferior to the superior.
It is just a showing of respect and camaraderie., 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., 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. , While the basic steps of the salute are quite similar, there are some small adaptations that you should make depending upon whether you are wearing headgear or glasses.
When wearing headgear with a visor (with or without glasses):
At the command "arms," 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.If you are not wearing glasses and are wearing no headgear, or headgear without a visor, you will use the same precise movements, only you will touch your finger to the forehead, beside the outer edge of your right eyebrow.When wearing glasses, with no headgear or headgear without a visor:
This time, you will touch the tip of your right forefinger to your glasses.
Touch the part of the frame where the temple piece of the frame meets the right edge of the right brow., You should hold the salute until the commanding officer gives the "At ease" order.
During the National Anthem or other appropriate songs, you should hold the salute until the last note. , 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."
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. -
Step 3: Bring your right arm up to the correct position.
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Step 4: Raise your hand up to your brow.
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Step 5: Modify the salute as appropriate for the headgear you are wearing.
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Step 6: Hold the salute.
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Step 7: Accompany the salute with an appropriate greeting.
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Step 8: Lower your hand.
Detailed Guide
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.
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.
By initiating the salute, the officer is not implying he is in anyway inferior to the superior.
It is just a showing of respect and camaraderie., 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., 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. , While the basic steps of the salute are quite similar, there are some small adaptations that you should make depending upon whether you are wearing headgear or glasses.
When wearing headgear with a visor (with or without glasses):
At the command "arms," 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.If you are not wearing glasses and are wearing no headgear, or headgear without a visor, you will use the same precise movements, only you will touch your finger to the forehead, beside the outer edge of your right eyebrow.When wearing glasses, with no headgear or headgear without a visor:
This time, you will touch the tip of your right forefinger to your glasses.
Touch the part of the frame where the temple piece of the frame meets the right edge of the right brow., You should hold the salute until the commanding officer gives the "At ease" order.
During the National Anthem or other appropriate songs, you should hold the salute until the last note. , 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."
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.
About the Author
Jerry Cooper
Experienced content creator specializing in hobbies guides and tutorials.
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