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Where did the 'across the chest salute' orginate? Is there a regulation somewhere about this peculiar motion that has taken hold across all branches of the military? (I am referring to the arm movement that a gate guard makes that is sort of a salute and also apparently signals a driver to go on through.)
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Saluting
Regulation
Saluting Regulation
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 10
*chuckle*
CPO Jon Campbell, what you referring to isn't a salute, it's the hand and arm signal for traffic to proceed.
CPO Jon Campbell, what you referring to isn't a salute, it's the hand and arm signal for traffic to proceed.
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COL Randall C.
SGT Richard H., as long as they recognize it as an Officer that is in the vehicle. It used to be that you would have the blue DoD sticker and they defaulted to that. There are still some left, but a lot have been scraped off since they stopped requiring them ~3 years ago (some took a while to phase them out though).
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SGT Richard H.
COL Randall C. I think the Navy base here does 100% ID check now...I assume that's what most posts are doing, right?
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COL Randall C.
SGT Richard H., correct (so yes, if the gate guard is military and recognizes the driver or someone else in the car as an officer, they should render the proper military courtesies, unless they've been instructed not to because it would be impractical [I'll leave that up to their supervisor])
One side note is that many of the gates around here (in the NCR) are manned by DES civilians, and I would suspect that might be a trend elsewhere as well (previously it was a push to go with contract guards, now it's migrated to DES civilians).
One side note is that many of the gates around here (in the NCR) are manned by DES civilians, and I would suspect that might be a trend elsewhere as well (previously it was a push to go with contract guards, now it's migrated to DES civilians).
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SPC Mark Trimpe
There WAS an across the chest salute. Now whether that is some how connected to what you are seeing now I do not know, but it is possible. At one time and I can't verify when it came into existence there was an across the chest salute. In addition to having served in the army I am also a Civil War Re-enactor and during that period they used an "across the chest salute" when they were under arms particularly when they were at "shoulder arms". When holding the weapon at "shoulder arms" (which the rifle is held in the right hand by the trigger guard, vertically and parallel to the body) according to "Hardee's Light Infantry Tactics" the salute would be rendered with the left hand across the chest. Just something to think about.
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The Roman "across the chest" salute was actually a fist over the heart, as in a pledge of fealty.
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CPO Jon Campbell
That is almost the motion I'm talking about, except gate guards typically keep their hand open and flat just like you would when rendering a regular hand salute instead of making a fist.
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I am 99% sure that there is no Coast Guard regulation or any class that the Coast Guard teaches that involves gate guards making this gesture. I have to assume that gate guards have adopted it from seeing other services do it. The Coast Guard mostly used rent-a-cops for gate guards until after 9/11. Then it became a collateral duty for nearly everyone. Eventually, it degraded to the point where walking wounded, and other lay abouts were ordered to man gates. The only instruction I have ever heard a gate guard being given is "Call the OD if you have a question."
If the motion originated in any other branch of the service, there is likely a regulation and probably an illustration to go with it. My suspicion is that some guy somewhere said, "Hey let's start giving the Roman salute to cars and see what they do."
If the motion originated in any other branch of the service, there is likely a regulation and probably an illustration to go with it. My suspicion is that some guy somewhere said, "Hey let's start giving the Roman salute to cars and see what they do."
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I am from a very old Navy family. The way I learned the across the chest salute is this.
As we all know, the proper way for a civilian to salute the flag is to uncover and hold the hat over the heart in the right hand, or just the open right hand if uncovered.
However in the case of a military man out of uniform or a veteran, one holds the closed right fist over the heart, symbolising that we are the fist of the Republic. This is rather similar to present arms with sidearms.
As we all know, the proper way for a civilian to salute the flag is to uncover and hold the hat over the heart in the right hand, or just the open right hand if uncovered.
However in the case of a military man out of uniform or a veteran, one holds the closed right fist over the heart, symbolising that we are the fist of the Republic. This is rather similar to present arms with sidearms.
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This happened to me the other day, by a Navy gate guard who was carrying a shotgun over his right shoulder. He performed the salute in the same way that a guidon bearer would render a salute.
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This is NOT a salute, but a gesture. Military gate guards render officers separate salutes.
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I'm wondering if this motion is something that was specifically developed by one branch of the military? Typically, civilian police use a completely different arm movement to accomplish the same thing. I have seen this arm movement used by all branches of the military, but only in the last few years. It seems to be something that has been informally adopted - sort of like a disease that has spread. I have never seen anything in any manual about it. I have also seen gate guards use it in place of a salute.
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CPO Jon Campbell, as LTC (P) Randall Cudworth said, it is an appropriate hand movement to direct the traffic. Typically for either high traffic areas, to detour around accidents, or when directing non officers... When done with a slight 'tweak a 'salute' is included in such a manner as to be respectful but still doing what needs to be done. No disrespect to any officers intended, but when not checking IDs the motion is intended to keep traffic moving in the desired direction, in a safe and most efficient manner.
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SGT (Join to see)
I have never heard of any kind of salute that looks like that, and I have directed more than my fair share of traffic. I can tell you that if I am directing traffic the last thing on my mind is saluting, because that traffic is more important than an officer receiving a salute.
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SSG Pete Fleming
SGT Jonathan Perkins, it isn't a salute... I was playing on the words, perhaps not very clearly. The basic gesture he is referring to is the crisp movements that made to wave traffic and to direct them to where it is intended to go.
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