
How many guns do ships use to salute?
How many watches are there in the Navy?
When do ships salute on President's Day?
When are salutes fired in the Navy?
When were hails first used in the Navy?
When is the National Ensign salute?
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How many bells does the president get?
the watch blows his whistle). For example, the President of the United States (or a four-star general or admiral) would be greeted by eight side boys and eight gongs of the ship's bell upon arrival and departure.
What does eight bells mean in the Navy?
From this ringing of the bell as the glass was turned evolved the tradition of striking the bell once at the end of the first half hour of a four hour watch, twice after the first hour, etc., until eight bells marked the end of the four hour watch.
How many sideboys does the president get?
eight sideboysIt is traditional to post sideboys to honor superior officers. Anywhere from two to eight sideboys can be placed; this depends on the officer's rank or paygrade. The President rates the maximum number of sideboys (8), as does the Vice President and the Chief of Naval Operations.
Why does the Navy strike 8 bells at noon?
One stroke of the ship's bell indicates the first half hour of the watch. Then an additional bell is struck for each succeeding half hour. Thus eight bells indicates the end of a four-hour watch.
What time is 7 bells on a ship?
Number of bellsHour (a.m. and p.m.)Five bells2:306:30Six bells3:007:00Seven bells3:307:30Eight bells4:008:004 more rows
What does 7 bells mean?
At each funeral or memorial service for a veteran, the Bell Guard tolls the Honor Bell seven times. The bell is tolled seven times, with seven seconds between each toll. The seven tolls represent the many stages in a veteran's life.
How many bells does a Navy captain get?
As the person being announced approaches the ship, the word is passed over the 1MC, "[Title] arriving," and a bell is struck the number of times corresponding to the number of sideboys to which the person would be entitled: eight for a vice admiral or above, six for a rear admiral or rear admiral (lower half), four for ...
Do not salute an officer if doing so?
During the time of challenging, you don't salute an officer until the officer has advanced and has been duly recognized. You don't salute if to do so will interfere with the proper execution of your specific duties. 11.
Do you salute the Secretary of the Navy?
WHOM TO SALUTE: All individuals who are equal or senior to you in rank in any of the uniformed services of the United States or of foreign governments. President of the United States; Vice President of the United States; State Governors; Department Secretaries (including the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of HHS).
Why is Navy bathroom called head?
The Navy Department Library "Head" in a nautical sense referring to the bow or fore part of a ship dates to 1485. The ship's toilet was typically placed at the head of the ship near the base of the bowsprit, where splashing water served to naturally clean the toilet area.
Who rings the bell on a ship?
In 1798, Paul Revere cast a bell weighing 242 pounds for the frigate Constitution. The ship's bell can announce the presence of important persons. When the ship's captain, a flag officer, or other important person arrives or departs, watch standers make an announcement to the ship and ring the bell.
What is a Navy Stinger bell?
0:311:45Tour Guide Talk: Navy Bells - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipA bell on the ship is used for many purposes traditionally. It's rung during times of an alarm orMoreA bell on the ship is used for many purposes traditionally. It's rung during times of an alarm or emergency. It's also rung to welcome dignitaries like officers on board and to celebrate ceremonies.
What time is 8 bells in the Navy?
From 4:00 to 8:00 pm, the usual bells are struck except that at 6:30 pm only one bell is struck instead of five; two at 7:00 pm; three at 7:30 pm; and eight bells at 8:00 pm.
How many bells do Navy officers get?
The officer of the deck (that is, the senior officer on watch) seeks the captain's permission before striking eight bells at the end of the morning, forenoon, and second dog watches. Today bells are not struck between taps and reveille....Bells and Watches.Mid WatchMidnight-0400Evening Watch2000-Midnight5 more rows
What does default at 8 bells mean?
There were eight half-hour periods in a typical four-hour watch so "eight bells and all's well" meant that the sailors had uneventfully reached the end of their watch. 3. Eight bells can also be a nautical euphemism meaning a sailor has "finished his final watch" or died.
How many bells do ships have?
Unlike civil clock bells, the strikes of a ship's bell do not accord to the number of the hour. Instead, there are eight bells, one for each half-hour of a four-hour watch.
What type of ceremony uses bells?
There are actually two different types of Navy ceremonies that use bells - the change of command, as already mentioned, and the retirement ceremony.
What would be replaced by the name of the command in the Navy?
The part of “Captain, U.S. Navy” would be replaced by the name of his or her command, if they had one. If they had no command, then you’d say rank and service as in the above example.
Why do we use whistles in the Navy?
I understand that bells/whistles are used to mark the departure of officers from a ship in the U.S. Navy and would like to ring our bell in accordance on his last day.
How many guns do ships use to salute?
The number of guns varied from situation to situation and country to country--for many years, ships would fire up to seven guns and shore fortifications (which could store more powder) would return salutes with up to three guns for each fired by the ship. The earliest record of an American warship exchanging salutes with a shore installation occurred in October 1776, when a Continental schooner was saluted by the Danish battery at St. Croix, Virgin Islands. It was not until 1818 that the U.S. Navy issued regulations on this subject, requiring that "an officer appointed to command in chief shall be saluted on hoisting his flag." Those regulations also prescribed a 21-gun salute for the President, conforming to the number of guns that had been established as the royal salute in the British service but also corresponding to the number of states in the Union at the time, 19 for the Vice President, and 17 for cabinet members and governors. The 1821 revision changed the President's 21 guns to one gun for each state (23 at the time) and added provisions for salutes of 15 guns for major generals, 13 for brigadier generals and commodores on separate service, nine for other commodores, and seven for captains. An 1823 order provided for a 15 gun salute to the Board of Naval Commissioners visiting a ship as a body. The 1833 Rules and Regulations for the Government of the Navy raised the Vice President's salute to 21 guns, cabinet members' to 19, and the Board of Navy Commissioners to 17. It also provided for salutes of 17 guns for full admirals, 15 for vice admirals, and 13 for rear admirals, notwithstanding that none of these ranks existed at the time in the U.S. Navy. Finally, in 1843, by which time the number of states had reached 26, a new set of regulations returned the President's entitlement to the internationally recognized 21 guns, dropped the Vice President back to 19 and cabinet officers back to 17.
How many watches are there in the Navy?
Most basically, a watch is the fundamental unit into which the shipboard day is divided," during which a segment of the crew takes turns on duty. There are seven watches in the day, five of four hours each and two, the "dog watches," of two hours each. The dog watches ensure that no one is on watch throughout the period for the evening meal as well as that no one has to stand the mid watch night after night. The seven watches, as laid down in OpNavInst 3120.32C, Standard Organization and Regulations of the United States Navy (SORN) are:
When do ships salute on President's Day?
In addition to full dressing ship and displaying holiday sized colors, all saluting ships not under way and all installations equipped with suitable artillery fire a 21-gun salute at noon on President's Day (the third Sunday in February). The tradition of firing such a salute in honor of George Washington's Birthday on February 22 arose in the early nineteenth century. This salute originally consisted of 17 guns in the 1818 regulations but was changed in 1821 to one gun for each state in the Union, to be fired by every vessel in port rated as a sloop-of-war or higher. By 1833, the time of the salute was fixed at noon. The 1843 regulations ended the practice of matching this salute to the number of states and instead provided for a 21-gun salute at noon, as it has remained ever since. The salute has since been shifted, along with the Federal observance of the holiday, to the third Monday in February instead of February 22.
When are salutes fired in the Navy?
Salutes in the naval services are fired at five second intervals, except in the case of minute guns fired for funerals or memorials. Gun salutes are not fired between sunset and 8:00 a.m., on Sundays, or in ports where they are prohibited by local law or regulations.
When were hails first used in the Navy?
Long a matter of custom, the specific boat hails used in the U.S. Navy were first codified in Navy Regulations in 1893.
When is the National Ensign salute?
The national ensign is flown at half mast aboard all ships and stations beginning at morning colors (or sunrise, in the case of ships under way) on Memorial Day, the last Monday in May. At 12:00 noon, saluting ships and stations with saluting batteries fire a salute of 21 minute-guns. At the conclusion of this salute, or at 12:20 p.m. if the salute is not fired, the ensign is hoisted briskly to the truck or peak and remains there until sunset. The first mention of this observance in Navy Regulations appeared in a change published circa 1903.

Bells and Watches
- (As a matter of curiosity, the Royal Navy uses different names for someof these watches. What the U.S. Navy calls the "evening watch" isthe "first watch" in the Royal Navy, "mid" is "middle," and "second dog"is "last dog.") For at least six centuries, time has been signalled aboard ship by thestriking of bells each half hour, one bell per half hour...
Honors and Salutes
- Tending the Side
Well before the visiting dignitary arrives, the boatswain's mate ofthe watch sounds the call "Pass the word"over the shipboard loudspeaker system, known as the 1MC, and passes theword "Lay to the quarterdeck the sideboys." The sideboys line up facingeach other in two rows, with the boats… - Musical Honors
The modern practice is to play the number of ruffles and flourishesequal to the number of stars of the official's or officer's rank. (Mostsenior civilian officials who are entitled to honors are four-star equivalents.)Ruffles (on the drums) and flourishes (by bugle or band) are played simultaneously.…
Boat Gongs
- The use of the short form of title makes for some interesting announcements,especially with foreign VIPs; hearing the announcement, "Russian Navy arriving"undoubtedly caused some double takes until those within hearing registeredthat a U.S. ship was being visited by the Russian Navy Commander in Chief. Return to top of page
Mourning and Funerals
- Half-Masting the Ensign and Other Ceremonies of Mourning
Naval Funerals Ashore The basic elements of a naval funeral ashore consist of the followingelements: 1. The casket is draped with the national ensign, arranged so that the blueunion is positioned over the left shoulder of the deceased. The casketis moved feet first, ex… - Burial at Sea
Procedures for the conduct of naval funerals are found in Navy Regulations,Chapter 12, Section 10; NAVPERS 15555C, Naval Military Funerals;and NAVPERS 15956D, Naval Funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. Return to top of page
Ceremonies in The Life of A Ship
- Launching and Christening
1. The playing of the national anthem. 2. A welcome by an official of the shipyard. 3. A speech by a suitable dignitary. 4. An invocation by a chaplain. 5. The introduction of the sponsor, invariably a woman, normally one withsome connection to the ship's namesake. For instance, a ship nameda… - Commissioning
1. The officers and crew, a guard, and music are assembled on the quarterdeckor some other suitable part of the ship (or, if circumstances require,on the pier alongside). 2. As members of the official party for the commissioning arrive, they arerendered musical honors but not gun salutes…
Change of Command
- The crew is musteredat the ceremonial area where crew members canhave an unobstructed view of the ceremony. This is important, becausethe entire event is about the visible transfer of authority....
- Guests rise and the crew is called to attention as the official party movesinto place
- The national anthem is played, the official party facing the national ensignand all persons in …
- The crew is musteredat the ceremonial area where crew members canhave an unobstructed view of the ceremony. This is important, becausethe entire event is about the visible transfer of authority....
- Guests rise and the crew is called to attention as the official party movesinto place
- The national anthem is played, the official party facing the national ensignand all persons in uniform saluting.
- The chaplain gives the invocation.
Dining-In
- Although all the U.S. services have dinings-in, there are several elementsof the institution as practiced in the Navy that make it different fromthe customs in the Army and Air Force and even in the Marines. Inmany cases these stem from the messing arrangements typically found aboardship, where the officers except for the captain dine in the wardroom butthe captain has hi…
The "Customary Phraseology of The Service"
- Announcements over the shipboard public address system, the "1MC," arereferred to as "passing the word," and for many messages adhere to stricttraditional formulas. 1. At the beginning of the day, the boatswain pipes "All Hands" and passesthe word, "Reveille, reveille! All hands heave out and trice up! The smoking lamp is lighted in all authorized spaces." 2. At the close of day, he pas…
Other Ceremonies and Customs
- Boat Hails
Long a matter of custom, the specific boat hails used in the U.S. Navywere first codified in Navy Regulations in 1893. Return to top of page
Ceremonies and Customs of The Marine Corps
- Birthday Cake Cutting
The event opens with a bugler sounding "Attention," upon which the Marinesand their guests, except for those participating directly in the ceremony,move into position in the ballroom. The adjutant orders the buglerto "Sound 'Adjutant's Call!'" whereupon the doors of the ballroom are th… - Marine Corps Funerals
1. The Marine Corps provides a blue dress B uniform for the body if the deceasedMarine did not have one and the family so desires. 2. The Marine Corps provides a floral wreath for the funeral of a Marine whodies on active duty, with a scarlet and gold ribbon reading "United StatesMarine Co…