JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Military history dates back hundreds of years. As a result of military history, many traditions have been established. To understand the military better, one might want to study military traditions. From basic training, officer training school, or the Air Force Academy, we have been introduced to military traditions, such as customs and courtesies.
Customs are ways of acting in certain circumstances. For the most part, customs are regular, expected actions. If you stop and think about this, each and every one of us were introduced to some kind of custom from childhood. It may have been a parent or family member telling you how they expected you to act in a store, at church, or other social settings. So you see, a custom is something we all grew up with.
The Air Force has introduced many customs to us, but we should also start thinking about what customs our Sailors have. Now that we have moved toward working side-by-side with them, we should take some time to learn traditions they have. You never know, you could benefit from learning a new tradition.
Another tradition all military services share is courtesy. A courtesy is a respect or politeness paid to people or symbols. One longstanding military courtesy is saluting. We salute officers of all military services. The junior member initiates the salute to the senior member and should also extend a verbal greeting. We also extend salutes to staff vehicles.
Salutes are also rendered when a military member reports to his or her commander. The member will enter the room, report as ordered, and salute his or her commander. The salute is held until a salute is returned. In addition, the member will salute prior to leaving the room.
I believe the greatest opportunity to pay respect is during the national anthem. When the national anthem is played, military members outdoors should stop, face the flag or the sound of music, stand at attention and salute.
Some basic custom and courtesies we should use daily are:
· Using the titles of sir or ma'am.
· When an officer superior in rank enters a room or building, call the room or building to attention. Do the same when they depart.
· Stand up when officers or NCOs enter a room.
· Walk on the left of an officer or NCO of superior rank.
Customs and courtesies are two traditions Airmen have followed for years. They tell us what we should and shouldn't do in many situations. It's our responsibility to ensure these traditions continue to be passed along. Most importantly, customs and courtesies help make life orderly and show respect.