GUN SALUTES

1212. Saluting ships and stations. Saluting ships and stations of the naval service are those designated as such by the Secretary of the Navy or by the Secretary’s duly authorized representative. The gun salutes prescribed in these regulations shall be freed by such ships and stations. Other ships and stations shall not fire gun salutes unless directed to do so by the senior officer present on exceptional occasions when courtesy requires.

1213. Gun salutes to the flag of the President or the Secretary of State.

1. 1. A 21 -gun salute shall be fired to the flag of the President:
   1. by each ship falling in with a ship displaying such flag, arriving at a place where such flag is displayed ashore or present, when such flag is broken;
   2. by a naval station when a ship displaying such flag arrives at the naval station, or when such flag is broken by a ship present; and
   3. by a flag or general officer assuming command or, while in command, breaking the flag of an increased grade, in the presence of a ship or naval station displaying the flag of the President.
2. Under the circumstances prescribed by this article, a 19-gun salute shall be fired to the flag of
   the Secretary of State when acting as special foreign representative of the President.

1214. Gun salutes to the flag of the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Navy, and Under Secretary of Defense,, and Assistant Secretary of Defense, the General Counsel of the Department of Defense, the Under Secretary of the Navy or an Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

1. A 19-gun salute shall be fired to the flag of the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Navy, Under Secretary of the Navy, Under Secretary of Defense, the General Counsel of the Department of Defense, or the Under Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Navy:
   1. by each ship falling in with a ship displaying such flag, arriving at a place where such flag is displayed ashore or present when such flag is broken. When two or more ships are in company, only the senior shall salute;
   2. by a naval station when a ship displaying such flag arrives at the naval station, or when such flag is broken by a ship present; and
   3. by a flag or general officer assuming command or, while in command, breaking the flag of an increased grade, in the presence of a ship or naval station displaying the flag of such official; provided that such officer is the senior officer present or the senior officer present on shore.
2. When the flags of two or more such officials are displayed under the circumstances prescribed by this article, only the flag of the senior shall be saluted.

1215. Gun salutes to a foreign nation.

1. When a ship enters a port of a foreign nation, the government of which is formally recognized by the Government of the United States, she shall fire a salute of 21 guns to that nation unless:
   1. there is present no saluting battery or warship of that nation capable of returning the salute; or
   2. the ship is returning from a temporary absence from port, when, by agreement with local authorities, the salute may be dispensed with.
2. When a ship is passing through the territorial waters of a foreign nation with no intention of anchoring therein, the salute to the nation need not be fired unless unusual circumstances make it desirable to do so.
3. In case of two or more ships arriving in port or passing through territorial waters of a foreign nation in company, only the senior shall fire the salute prescribed in this article.
4. The salute to the nation, if fired, shall precede any salutes fired in honor of individuals.

1216. Returning salute to the nation fired by foreign warship. A salute to the nation fired by a foreign warship entering a port of the United States shall be returned by the senior ship present, provided no saluting battery of an armed service of the United States, designated to return such salutes, is present in the area.

1217. Gun salutes to the flag of a foreign president, sovereign or member of a reigning royal family.

1. A 21 -gun salute shall be fired by a ship or station to the flag or standard of the president, sovereign or member of a reigning royal family under the circumstances prescribed in these regulations for firing a salute to the flag of the President of the United States.
2. In some foreign countries it is the custom to fire special. 21-gun salutes on certain occasions in honor of the president, sovereign or member of the reigning royal family. In such cases, ships shall conform to the national custom when requested by the proper local authorities.

1218. Gun salutes when several heads of state are present.

1. Each ship, upon entering a port where the personal flags or standards of several presidents, sovereigns or members of reigning royal families are displayed, shall fire a 21 -gun salute to each of the several flags or standards displayed, in the following order:
   1. the president, sovereign or member of the reigning royal family of the nation to which the port belongs;
   2. the President of the United States;
   3. the presidents or sovereigns of other nations, in alphabetical order of the names of the nations in the English language; and
   4. members of reigning royal families of other nations, in the same order as in subparagraph c. above.
2. In the circumstances set forth in this article, only the flag or standard of the senior dignitary of each nation will be saluted.

1219. Authority to fire gun salutes to officers in the United States naval service. Gun salutes prescribed in Article 1235 of these regulations for officers and officials entitled to 17 or more guns shall be fired on the occasion of each official visit of the individual concerned. Gun salutes prescribed in these regulations for officers and officials entitled to 15 guns or less shall not be fired unless so ordered by the senior officer present or higher authority.

1220. Gun salutes to the senior officer present.

1. A flag officer who is the senior officer present shall be saluted by the senior of one or more ships arriving in port.
2. When a flag officer embarked in a ship of his or her command arrives in port and is the senior officer present, or when a flag officer assumes command and becomes the senior officer present, he or she shall be saluted by the former senior officer present.
3. A gun salute shall be fired by the flagship when a flag officer who is the senior officer present assumes or is relieved of command, or is advanced in grade.
4. The provisions of this article shall be subject to the provisions of Article 1226.4 and shall apply, where appropriate, to officers of the naval service in command ashore.

1221. Gun salutes to foreign flag officers.

1. When a ship enters a port where there is present no officer of the naval service senior to the senior arriving officer, and finds displayed there, afloat or ashore, the flags of foreign flag officers of one or more nations, salutes shall be exchanged with the senior flag officer present of each nation.
2. The senior officer present of the United States Navy in a port shall exchange gun salutes with the senior foreign flag officer displaying a flag in an arriving warship, provided such flag officer is the senior officer present of his or her nation.
3. Upon departure from port of the senior officer present of the United States Navy, the new senior officer present shall exchange gun salutes with the senior flag officer present of each foreign nation.
4. The senior officer present of the United States Navy shall exchange gun salutes with the senior officer present of a foreign nation when either hoists the flag of an increased grade.
5. In firing the salutes prescribed by this article, the following rules shall govern:
   1. An officer of a junior grade shall fire the first salute.
   2. When officers are of the same grade, the arriving officer shall fire the first salute.
   3.  Seniors shall be saluted in order of rank, except that when firing salutes to two or more foreign officers of the same grade, the first salute fired to an officer in that grade shall be to the flag officer the nationality of the port.
6. When a ship of the Navy falls in at sea with a foreign warship displaying the flag of a flag officer, an exchange of salutes shall be fired, the junior saluting first. Such salutes shall be exchanged only between the senior United States ship and the senior foreign ship. Should flag officers be of the same grade and their relative rank be unknown or in doubt, they should mutually salute without delay.
7. The provisions of this article shall be subject to the provisions of Article 1226.4.

1222. Notification of gun salute. Whenever practicable, an official or officer to be saluted shall be notified of the salute and the time that it is to be fired.

1223. Procedure during a gun salute.

1. The interval between gun salutes normally shall be five seconds.
2. During the gun salute, persons on the quarterdeck, or in the ceremonial party if ashore, shall render the hand salute. Observers on deck, or in the vicinity of the ceremonial party if ashore, shall stand at attention facing the personage, or if the personage is not in view, toward the ceremonial party, and if in uniform shall salute.
3. Officers being saluted shall render the hand salute during the firing of the gun salute.
4. The boat or vehicle in which a person being saluted is embarked shall be stopped, if
   practicable to do so, during the firing of the gun salute.

1224. Inability to render or return a gun salute.

1. A gun salute shall not be fired when a return salute is required and cannot be fired, but shall be considered as having been rendered and returned.
2. In cases where, from any special cause, a ship, from which a salute in compliment to a foreign power or official may reasonably be expected, is unable to salute, the circumstances are to be explained immediately to the representative of such foreign power.
3. In cases where, from any special circumstances, the failure to salute cannot be explained without giving offense to a foreign power or official, salutes shall be fired by any ship which can do so with safety.

1225. Returning a gun salute.

1. The following rules shall be observed by United States ships and stations:
   1. A salute fired to the nation by a foreign ship arriving in port shall be returned gun for gun.
   2. A salute fired to a flag or general officer by a foreign ship or station shall be returned
      gun for gun.
   3. A salute fired in honor of the President of the United States, or of the Secretary of State when acting as special representative of the President, shall not be returned.
   4. A salute fired in honor of any official or officer on the occasion of an official visit or inspection shall not be returned.
   5. A salute fired in honor of a flag or general officer by his or her flagship or headquarters shall not be returned.
   6. A salute fired in honor of an anniversary, celebration or solemnity shall not be returned.
   7. Subject to the provisions of this article, a salute fired in honor of a United States officer or official shall be returned with the number of guns specified for the grade of the flag or general officer rendering the salute, or, if he or she is not a flag or general officer, with seven guns.
2. No return salute maybe expected in the case of a salute fired by a United States ship or station in honor of a foreign sovereign, head of state, member of a reigning royal family or special representative of a head of state, or on the occasion of a foreign anniversary, celebration or solemnity, or on the occasion of an official visit. Otherwise a salute fired in honor of a foreign nation, or of a foreign official or officer, may be expected to be returned gun for gun.

1226. Restrictions on gun salutes.

1. In the presence of the President of the United States, or the president, sovereign or a member of the reigning royal family of a foreign nation, no gun salute which maybe prescribed elsewhere in these regulations shall be fired to any other official of lesser rank of that nation.
2. When two or more officials or officers, each entitled to a gun salute, make an official visit in company to a ship or station, only the senior shall be saluted. If they arrive or depart at different times, each shall be rendered the gun salute to which he or she is entitled.
3. Salutes shall not be fired in ports or locations where they are forbidden by local regulations.
4. No official or officer, United States or foreign, except those entitled to 17 or more guns, shall be saluted by the same ship or station more than once in 12 months, unless, and subject to the other provisions of these regulations, such official or officer has been advanced in grade, makes an official visit or inspection, or is on special duty in which international courtesy is involved or exceptional circumstances exist. In the latter case, the commanding officer, in the absence of instructions, shall exercise discretion.
5. No officer, except a flag or general officer, shall be saluted with guns except in return for a gun salute.
6. No officer of the armed services, while in civilian clothes, shall be saluted with guns, unless he or she is at the time acting in an official civil capacity.
7. No salute shall be fired between sunset and sunrise, before 0800 or on Sunday, except where international courtesy so dictates, or when related to death ceremonies. Subject to the provisions of this paragraph, a gun salute in honor of an official or officer who arrives before 0800 shall be fired at 0800. However, if the day is Sunday, the salute shall be fired on Monday. The salute shall not be fired if the official or officer has departed meanwhile. In case of a gun salute at 0800, the first gun of the salute shall be fired immediately upon the completion of morning colors or the last note of the last national anthem.