all persons in view on deck and not in ranks must be
executed by that ship.
Honors to officers or officials embarked in boats
are acknowledged by the officer or official through a
hand salute or other mark of respect.
When a boat bearing a senior passes, passing
honors are rendered. If a junior but a commanding
officer, unit commander, or flag officer on an official
occasion passes, personnel on the quarterdeck only
will salute. This is a mark of respect to a person who
holds command at sea.
Dispensing with Passing Honors
Passing honors are not rendered after sunset or
before 0800 except when international courtesy
requires such action. They are not exchanged between
ships of the Navy engaged in tactical evolutions
outside port.
The senior officer present may direct that passing
honors be omitted in whole or in part.
Passing honors are not rendered by or required of
ships with small bridge areas, such as submarines,
particularly when in restricted waters.
Passing Honors to Foreign Dignitaries
and Warships
Honors prescribed for the President of the United
States are rendered by a ship of the Navy being passed
close aboard by a ship or boat displaying the flag or
standard of a foreign president, sovereign, or member
of a reigning family except that the foreign national
anthem is played instead of the national anthem of the
United States.
SIDE HONORS
Side honors are rendered to foreign officers, civil
officials, and all U.S. officers boarding and departing
the ship, when directed by the senior officer present;
the side is piped and the appropriate number of side
boys paraded. Officers appropriate to the occasion
attend the side on the arrival and departure of officials
and officers.
Side honors are not rendered between sunset and
0800, during meal hours, or on Sundays. Side boys are
not paraded on Sundays; on other days between sunset
and 0800; or during meal hours of the crew, general
drills and evolutions, and periods of regular overhaul
except in honor of civil officials or foreign officers,
when they may be paraded at anytime during daylight.
Side boys are paraded only on scheduled visits.
Except for official visits and other formal
occasions, side boys are not paraded in honor of
officers of the armed services of the United States
unless otherwise directed by the senior officer present.
Side boys are not paraded in honor of an officer of
the armed services in civilian clothes unless such
officer is acting in an official civil capacity.
The side shall be piped when side boys are
paraded, but not at other times.
Side honors also may be rendered as a part of naval
courtesy to officers and officials on occasion other
than official visit. Once the honors are rendered, it
becomes an official visit, modified by the senior
officer present.
HONORS FOR OFFICIAL VISITS
Articles in U.S. Navy Regulations detail honors
for official visits by military and civil officials arriving
and departing.
Arriving
Honors prescribed for an official visit are rendered
on arrival as follows:
1. When the rail is manned, men/women shall be
uniformly spaced at the rail on each weather deck,
facing outboard.
2. “Attention” is sounded as the visitor's boat or
vehicle approaches the ship.
3. If an arrival gun salute is prescribed, it is fired
as the visitor approaches and still is clear of the side.
The proper flag or pennant is broken on the first gun,
and hauled down on the last gun except when it is to be
flown for the duration of the visit. Other ships firing a
concurrent salute, on the last gun should haul down the
flag or pennant displayed in the honor of the visitor. If
the ship visited is moored in such a position that it is not
practicable to render the gun salute before the visitor
arrives on board, the salute is rendered (provided local
regulations do not forbid gun salutes) after the official
and party have arrived on board and are in a position
well clear of the saluting battery.
4. The boat or vehicle is piped as it comes
alongside.
5. The visitor is piped over the side; all persons on
the quarterdeck salute and the guard presents arms until
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