Greet and Farewell

As simple a process as this should be, the failure to properly greet or farewell a DV can set the wrong tone for the rest of a visit or ruin what was an excellent visit. The general rule of thumb is that a general officer, flag officer, or civilian equivalent will be greeted and farewelled by a general officer, flag officer, or civilian equivalent who is commensurate in rank to the visitor. At installations where there are no general or flag officers assigned, the commander or vice commander should greet distinguished visitors. When the DV will be arriving or departing with a spouse, it is appropriate for the greeter or fareweller to bring his or her spouse along as well. Your job is to make sure the greeter or fareweller is where he or she is supposed to be, at the correct time, in the appropriate dress, and has been provided the DV's biographical sketch and itinerary beforehand. You must be prepared to introduce the parties, know first names or nicknames or individuals concerned, know foreign customs in the case of a foreign dignitary, know the DV's schedule, and basically be prepared to answer any questions which are asked of you.

Some key points of discussion or policy may be the difference between greeting and farewelling at a military installation versus a commercial terminal, the difference between the DV being on official business versus leave, or the difference between the DV being retired or on active duty, if a military member. Those decisions are normally made by the installation commander, but regardless, you need to be keenly aware of policy regarding any issue where protocol is involved.