LESSON OJECTIVES

At the end of the lecture/presentation

the students must be able to:
 To understand the importance and value of
Military Courtesy and Discipline
 To demonstrate the proper execution of actions
showing Military Courtesy and Discipline
 To apply what they have learned in formations
and duties
Background on Military Courtesy &
Discipline
 Started during early times when men organized
 For defense > community
 For aggression > to gain material wealth through looting
 Evolved into more refine forms
 Parallel development with customs and traditions
 Became part of unwritten code of deportment of all armed forces.
 Established since early times
 system of discipline (Greeks, Persians, Romans, French, British)
 Britain during the middle ages
 list of Rules and Ordinances of War
• formed the basis of a code of military law
 Required by all states today
 special rules and regulations for maintaining and disciplining their armed
forces
 Philippines
 Commonwealth act Nr 408 (Articles of War), enacted on 14th of September
1938
An act for making further and more effectual provision for the national defense by
establishing a system of military justice for person subject to military law.
 Definition of Discipline
 Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary
training.
 Control obtained by enforcing compliance or
order.
 A systematic method to obtain obedience.
 A state of order based on submission to rules
and authority.
 a teacher who demanded discipline in the classroom.

-----The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

 Military Discipline
 subordination of individual will for the good of
the group
 demands habitual but reasoned obedience to
Command
 created by training, use of punishment and
rewards
 demands correct performance of duty
 Military Discipline:
 The state of order
and obedience
existing within a
command.
 Discipline is the
character training,
which enables the
soldier to play his
part in the military
team.
 Importance of Discipline

 Insures orderly & effective group action = teamwork.

 Instill a sense of obligation to oneself, to his
commander, unit, and entire organization.
 Insure unit efficiency in battle
 Creating a Climate for Discipline
 Training
 Develops Teamwork in accomplishing tasks.
 Unify actions into single effort to accomplish the mission
 Develops habit of prompt obedience to orders
 Enables one to learn what is required in the battlefield
 Judicious use of punishment and rewards
 Awards – “positive incentives”
• only to those who deserve
 Punishment: to reform or eliminate those unfit in the organization
• Punish only the guilty person/party.
• Impose promptly
• Make the guilty party/person realize his mistake. (“sandwich method”)
• Impose punishment appropriate for the offense.
• Should be done in private.
 Instilling sense of confidence and responsibility
 Makes one realize his obligations
• not only to himself but to his entire organization.
How Discipline is Measured
 result of the job
 subordinate’s attitude
 performance of jobs even in the absence of
the Commander
“A soldier, an army, which loses
its sense of discipline ceases to be
an army.”
---- Juan Carlos I, Spanish Monarch
 SCOPE OF THE SUBJECT
I. Military Courtesy
II. Importance of Military Courtesy
III.The Salute:
 The Hand Salute
 Persons Entitled to the Salute
 General Rules for Saluting
 When not to Salute
 Honors to the National Anthem
 Honors to the National Flag
IV. Commissioned Officer Ranks and Insignias
V. Enlisted Personnel Ranks and Insignias
VI Other Courtesies
 Historic times
 Men of arms salute
• As form of greeting
• As expression of respect
 Slaves > unworthy of bearing arms
• Forbidden to salute
 Dark ages of history
 All men were armed
 Strangers wave their right hands with palm open > indicates:
• that the right hand had no weapon
• that the meeting was friendly
 Customary Salute of the right hand
• Developed to form part of the noble profession of arms
 Today
 Waving to a friend roughly corresponds to a military salute.
 Definition of Courtesy
 expression or manifestation of consideration for the
rights of others.
 polite or considerate behavior: politeness that shows
consideration for other people or good manners.
 polite behavior; a polite gesture or remark.

- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

Military Courtesy
 Acts of politeness, civility and respect
 Serves to smoothen personal relationship
 The Salute
 most important form of
military courtesy
 the way it is executed
indicates the state of morale
and discipline
Persons Entitled to Salute

 commissioned officers of the AFP

 commissioned officers of allied nations
 high civilian officials or foreign dignitaries during military
honors
 General Rules for Saluting
 required on and off military installations and on and
off office hours
 rendered at a distance of about 6 paces or the
recognition distance of 30 paces
 the hand is held in position until the officer saluted has passed
or after the salute is returned
 salute must be returned by the person entitled to it
 if he is in formation with other officers, only the most senior or
the marcher returns it
 salute is not rendered when you are running
 never salute while smoking
 salute should not be executed in a haphazard
manner
 General Rules for Saluting

 salutes are exchange whether individuals are covered

or uncovered
 salute is rendered but once only, if the senior remains
in the vicinity and no conversation takes place
 if conversation takes place salute is rendered after the
conversation
 the person reporting should salute first
 army personnel never salute with the left hand
 the salute is always executed while looking at the
person being saluted
 it is best to accompany such courteous gesture with some
appropriate greeting

                       
 General Rules for Saluting
 when not to salute:
 while at work
• when called from work, the soldier stops working and reports
to the officer and salute again before departing
 when indoors, except when reporting or a sentinel
or a guard
 when carrying articles on both hands or when
saluting is impractical
 when riding in a fast moving vehicle and the other is
dismounted except when the vehicle is clearly
marked or it is a part of a ceremony
 when meeting a prisoner of war

 when in doubt, salute!

 Honors to the National Color and Anthem
 When the national anthem is
played or an uncased color
passed by
 Face the flag, stand at attention and
render a smart salute
 If no flag is near
 Face the source of music and salute

 Vehicles are brought to a halt

 Troops onboard need not disembark
 Passengers sit at attention and do
not salute
 The driver may disembark and
stand by the door of the vehicle and
salute.
 Courtesy Calls
 Reporting to a new unit
 make a courtesy call to your
immediate commander
 do not wait until you are called to
make a call

 Special rules on calls

 calls must be brief
 coordinate with the S1 or adjutant
or the aide-de-camp
 arrive on or before the scheduled
time of call
 Purpose
 To know and be known by the
seniors
 Forms of Address
 Addressing Seniors
 juniors address their seniors as “sir”
 when a marked disparity in rank exists,
juniors address their seniors in the third
person
 Addressing Juniors
 by their names:
• you may call juniors and contemporaries
by first name
• avoid calling your subordinates by their
last names only
by their proper titles:
A Sergeant Major is addressed as “Sergeant Major”
A First Sergeant is addressed as “First Sergeant”
Sergeants are addressed as “Sergeants”
Corporals are addressed as “Corporals”
Private First Class and Privates are addressed as
“Privates”
 Other Forms of Courtesy

 avoid undue familiarity with your seniors

 never invite an EP to an officer’s club
 walk on the left of the senior - keep in step with him
 give your seniors priority in entering any conveyance
 to pass a senior while walking, salute and ask
permission to go ahead
 “I desire” or “I wish” statements of your commander
should be carried out with all authority and power of an
order.
 RECAPITULATION

 Military Discipline  Military Courtesy

 Definition of Military Discipline  Definition of Military Courtesy
 Importance of Discipline
 The Salute
 Creating a Climate for
 General Rules in Rendering Salute
Discipline  Honors to the National Colors/Anthem
 How Discipline is Measured
 Courtesy Calls
 Other forms / application of
 Form of Address
discipline
 Other forms of courtesy
-----Washington, George (1732-1799), commander in chief of
the Continental army during the American War of Independence, and
later the first President of the United States.

“A soldier, an army, which loses its sense of

discipline, ceases to be an army.”
---- Juan Carlos I, Spanish Monarch