LEO Flag Etiquette

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Not trying to be a stickler here but it is an honest question.

My son was in the Memorial Day parade with the rest of his scout pack. At the head of the column and the tail are the national colors. I walked with the other parents in the tail in a meandering group. Officers were stationed at the lights on the parade route to make sure fools didn't smash into kids or 90 year old vets. Anyway, I notice, without fail, that older officers came smartly to attention when the colors arrived and held the salute until they had passed. I also noticed that, without fail, younger officers failed to render a salute (ratio was 4 out of 10 failed to salute). Anyway, my question is: What is the etiquette here or is there something else at play (e.g., do you think the older guys were in the service while the younger guys were not)?
 
http://www.americanflags.org/docs/etiquette.jsp?pageId=0690200091781119362391255

I think it is generational. Not a good answer but that is what I feel. I don't ever recall being taught flag etiquette until I joined the service. I am 42 and maybe if I had been a Cub Scout/Boy Scout, it would be different.

To salute the flag, all persons come to attention. All persons in uniform should give the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may also render the military salute. All other persons should salute by placing their right hand over their hearts.

In parades or reviews, at the moment the flag passes, each individual should stand at attention facing the flag and salute.
 
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I saw that as well in Marblehead, all the older officers saluted and the younger ones seemed too busy looking mean at everyone walking by.
 
Not trying to be a stickler here but it is an honest question.

My son was in the Memorial Day parade with the rest of his scout pack. At the head of the column and the tail are the national colors. I walked with the other parents in the tail in a meandering group. Officers were stationed at the lights on the parade route to make sure fools didn't smash into kids or 90 year old vets. Anyway, I notice, without fail, that older officers came smartly to attention when the colors arrived and held the salute until they had passed. I also noticed that, without fail, younger officers failed to render a salute (ratio was 4 out of 10 failed to salute). Anyway, my question is: What is the etiquette here or is there something else at play (e.g., do you think the older guys were in the service while the younger guys were not)?

I'd say this is most likely. For veterans like myself, saluting the colors is something drummed into us and doing so is almost second nature. Not so for someone who has not gone through that experience. Not implying that they're intentionally being disrespectful, just that the conditioning is not there.
 
If you are "UNDER-ARMS" you are not required to salute, but are supposed to be respectful and honor (position of attention) the Colors. Goes for returning a salute from an officer.
 
At sports contests it seems the number of people who are standing, facing the flag, hats off and hand over heart has increased, not decreased. Sometimes PA announcers call for it.

Let's not forget the "Patriots" driving around with dirty or tattered flags. If you're going to fly the flag, do it right.
 
I wonder if the older officers had completed some military service themselves or been trained by someone who had. The population of under 65 who have completed military service is not as large as it used to be.
 
I wonder if the older officers had completed some military service themselves or been trained by someone who had. The population of under 65 who have completed military service is not as large as it used to be.


True, additionally, I know LAPD went out of its way to hire non-vets as they felt in the early 90s they were becoming topara-military.

kind of ironic.
 
As a retired LEO ( 74 yrs old ) I always felt it an HONOR to snap to when old Glory passed by. I also snap to at military funerals during taps. Also I stand ( even at home ) whenever the national anthem is played. Maybe it is an old guy thing .. Happy New Year all. Stash
 
As a retired LEO ( 74 yrs old ) I always felt it an HONOR to snap to when old Glory passed by. I also snap to at military funerals during taps. Also I stand ( even at home ) whenever the national anthem is played. Maybe it is an old guy thing .. Happy New Year all. Stash

this...I went to a Celts game last Friday and got there early to get autographs. Somewhere in the process, the guy singing the National Anthem sings it as practice. I go to the position of attention them render a hand salute. Some lady behind me made some cracks to someone about how I must not come to games as this is just practice and no one stops what they are doing. I did not see who it was or I would have said something.

To me, if someone is singing the National Anthem, wether they they are doing it for warm up or for real, it is all good.
 
I was in a National Park near Hanscom AFB. Taps begins and we (my family and even my 20 year old son) come to attention and face the music. people just kept walking around / by us, staring. Go figure.
 
Here's some info about flag etiquette - hope this helps the discussion:

Below is the actual text of the Law:

Law Now Allows Retirees and Vets to Salute Flag

Traditionally, members of the nation's veterans service organizations have rendered the hand-salute during the national anthem and at events involving the national flag only while wearing their organization’s official head-gear.

The National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 contained an amendment to allow un-uniformed service members, military retirees, and veterans to render a hand salute during the hoisting, lowering, or passing of the U.S. flag.

A later amendment further authorized hand-salutes during the national anthem by veterans and out-of-uniform military personnel. This was included in the Defense Authorization Act of 2009, which President Bush signed on Oct. 14, 2008.

Here is the actual text from the law:

SEC. 595. MILITARY SALUTE FOR THE FLAG DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES NOT IN
UNIFORM AND BY VETERANS.

Section 301(b)(1) of title 36, United States Code, is amended by
striking subparagraphs (A) through (C) and inserting the following new
subparagraphs:
``(A) individuals in uniform should give the
military salute at the first note of the anthem and
maintain that position until the last note;
``(B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans who
are present but not in uniform may render the military
salute in the manner provided for individuals in
uniform; and
``(C) all other persons present should face the flag
and stand at attention with their right hand over the
heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should
remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it
at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart;

Note: Part (C) applies to those not in the military and non-veterans. The phrase "men not in uniform" refers to civil service uniforms like police, fire fighters, and letter carriers - non-veteran civil servants who might normally render a salute while in uniform.
 
It may be a departmental thing. Flag protocol was Strictly enforced at my department. Went the light malfunctioned the flag on our pole was lowered, folded and stored each night and raised again each morning under salute. One of the things I miss since retirement is the discipline and adherence to protocal.
 
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