Dress, Appearance, and Customs and Courtesies
What to know
Know the standards for wear of the uniform, grooming, and personal appearance, and the principles behind customs and courtesies: the salute, rendering honors to the flag, the national anthem, and the chain of command. Understand when the hand salute is required (indoors and outdoors, under arms, during ceremonies) and when it is not (indoors when not under arms, in formation, while carrying items that prevent it). Know the rules for reporting to an officer, boarding and departing vehicles, and the order of precedence at ceremonies. Candidates should be able to distinguish the salute as a greeting of respect from the salute as a ceremony.
Traps
Common traps involve indoor saluting, saluting while in formation, or saluting when both hands are occupied. Another is confusing the position of attention with the salute or misapplying the rule that the junior member salutes first. Questions may also test grooming standards (hair, jewelry, tattoos) or the wear of civilian clothing with military items.
Worked example
If a member is indoors in uniform and not under arms and encounters an officer, no salute is rendered; the member comes to attention and offers a verbal greeting. If outdoors, the salute is rendered. The key discriminator is indoors versus outdoors and under arms versus not.
Rule of thumb
Outdoors, salute; indoors, not under arms, do not salute-come to attention and greet.