You can submit your questions to Dr. Drill via e-mail to : DrDrill@CadetStuff.org.

Dr. Drill,

In uniform and in formation, do you salute for a 21 gun salute?

Also, you all run a great website. Keep up the good work.

ANDREW K. STAUFFER, C/2d Lt, AFROTC
Drill & Ceremonies Officer

Dr. Drill responds

Ye olde "21 Gun Salute", eh? Interesting question, let's explore together, shall we?

The regulation that covers gun salutes for the Army (and therefore for the Air Force, which defers to the Army for this sort of thing) is AR 600-25 "Salutes, Honors, and Visits of Courtesy".

First we have to try to figure out what the heck we're talking about. Everyone's heard the term '21 Gun Salute', but what is that and why would you do it?

AR 600-25 - Section II - Terms - 21-gun salute The 21-gun salute is fired in honor of the national flag, the sovereign or chief of state of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family, and the President, former President, and President-elect of the United States. It is also fired at noon on the day of the funeral of a President, former President, or President-elect.

Okay, so now we know why we'd want to fire a 21-gun salute. I'm going to assume that you're not talking about funeral days, since they have a special set of rules:

6-3. Death notice for the President, a former President, or President-elect
c. On the day of interment
(1) A 21-gun salute will be fired commencing at noon at all military installations equipped with the necessary personnel and the materiel. Guns will be fired at 1 minute intervals. Uniformed personnel will not salute.

Okay, that was the least likely of our three reasons to be firing a 21-gun salute. That leaves us with two remaining reasons: to honor our flag or to honor a person.

When you're honoring a person - and in the case of the 21-gun salute, the person is either a head of state or royalty - you definitely salute if you're part of the ceremonial party.

2-3. b. (5) ... Military personnel being saluted and other military personnel in the ceremonial party will render the hand salute during the playing and firing. Civilian personnel being honored and other civilians in the ceremonial party will stand at attention.

Hmmm... But you're talking about being in formation, not being part of a ceremonial party. While looking in the Terms to decide if a formation of troops was part of the definition of a ceremonial party, Dr. Drill found this:

Section II - Terms - Honors to persons
Honors to persons consists of cannon salutes, escort of honor or honor guard, parades or review of troops, ruffles and flourishes, together with certain music which is played upon presentation of the escort to the person being honored and as part of the parade or review of troops.

'Review of Troops'? That's a 'Pass in Review' if ever I heard one! That we know how to look up!

Hot outta AFMAN 36-2203:

7.14. Honors:
7.14.2. In the Air Force, honors consist of Ruffles and Flourishes and appropriate music by the band as authorized by AFR 900-6, attachment 1. During the presentation of honors, military spectators come to attention and face the person receiving the honors, and all personnel salute.

Oh, wait, that doesn't quite get it, as the USAF only uses Ruffles and Flourishes and not gun salutes. Hmm... I guess it's back to AR 3-21.5:

10-3 b. Presentation and Honors. Use the following procedures to execute presentation and honors during a review.

(1) When the reviewing officer has halted at his post, the commander of troops faces about and directs BRING YOUR UNITS TO PRESENT ARMS. Unit commanders face about; command Present, ARMS; face to the front; and salute. When the units have completed this movement, the commander of troops faces about and commands his staff and himself to Present, ARMS.

NOTES: 1. If the reviewing officer is entitled to honors (AR 600-25), the commander of troops should verify that the salute battery (executive officer’s right arm is raised) and the band (band master’s arms are at the ready-play position) are prepared to render honors before he faces the reviewing officer. The Salute of the commander of troops is the signal for the band and salute battery to render honors. The reviewing party, and all military personnel within sight or hearing, salute on the first note of the music and terminate their Salute when honors have been completed.

2. If the reviewing officer is not entitled to honors, only the reviewing officer returns the Salute of the commander of troops.

3. During a review, Salutes (honors) are directed to the reviewing officer’s post. In some reviews, it is appropriate for a person (colonel) not entitled honors to participate as the reviewing officer, and a person (general) entitled honors to participate as host or distinguished guest. In that situation, honors (ruffles and flourishes and cannon salute) are not appropriate.

So, there you go, Cadet: if you're honoring someone in a PiR ceremony and they're entitled to honors (of any sort, not just gun salutes), the troop formations will also be saluting.

The only other occassion where a 21-gun salute is fired is on Memorial Day. The AR 600-25 has this to say about that:

On Memorial Day, the national flag will be displayed at half staff from reveille until noon at all Army installations. Immediately before noon, the band, if one is available, will play an appropriate musical selection, and at 1200 hours the national salute (21 guns) will be fired at all installations provided with the necessary equipment for firing salutes. At the conclusion of the salute, the flag will be hoisted to the top of the staff and will remain there until retreat. When hoisted to the top of the staff, the flag will be saluted by playing appropriate patriotic music.

Now, it doesn't say so, but Dr. Drill assumes that if you're there when that flag goes up, you'll be saluting.

I hope this gave you what you needed, Cadet. Good luck with D&C!

Dr. Drill

P.S.: Hey, thanks for the compliment! Unfortunately, I'm just the cranky old dude they found to answer drill questions. But, I'll pass your thanks along to the Staffers.