# Inauguration protocol Qs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2021, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauguration-protocol-qs/931026 "2021-01-20T22:09:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MustangSal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mustangsal/32/6327_2.png) [@MustangSal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MustangSal)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauguration-protocol-qs/931026/1 "2021-01-20T22:09:11Z")
First, I noticed VP Harris held her hand over her heart during certain military portions of today’s events, as did other civilians. While President Biden saluted. Is the President, as Commander in Chief, a military person in this situation, but the VP is not Vice CIC? Also I was curious about the “red coats” in the parade. I’m sure there’s an easy explanation for that one, just seemed odd to me. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauguration-protocol-qs/931026/2 "2021-01-20T22:14:36Z")
> [@MustangSal](#): > > Also I was curious about the “red coats” in the parade. I’m sure there’s an easy explanation for that one, just seemed odd to me. They’re the [Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Guard_Fife_and_Drum_Corps) and their uniforms are patterned after those worn by George Washington’s musicians. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauguration-protocol-qs/931026/3 "2021-01-20T22:25:12Z")
> [@MustangSal](#): > > First, I noticed VP Harris held her hand over her heart during certain military portions of today’s events, as did other civilians. While President Biden saluted. Is the President, as Commander in Chief, a military person in this situation, but the VP is not Vice CIC? The President is a civilian. Traditionally, they did not render military-style salutes. They would have used civilian-style hand-over-the-heart salutes for the Pledge, national anthem, and similar ceremonial moments, and would not return the salutes of military personnel. Ronald Reagan apparently wanted to return the salutes of military personnel who saluted him as Commander-in-Chief, was informed that protocol didn’t require it, but it also didn’t forbid it, so he started doing so, creating a new tradition. Since then, U.S. Presidents have typically returned salutes of military personnel. They have usually still used the civilian hand-over-the-heart salute in other situations. There’s really no specific protocol for the exact hand gesture they should use to salute for the Pledge or anthem or similar situation. Either form of salute is appropriate. BTW, military personnel in uniform are required to render the military-style hand salute in those situations. In civilian dress, either form of salute is appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauguration-protocol-qs/931026/4 "2021-01-20T22:54:22Z")
Exactly. The President giving a pseudo-military style salute is an affectation developed over the Reagan days. Under actual regulation and tradition, a civilian official _does not have to return salutes_ from the military members in his environment. He can walk past a guard, or the parade formation can march past him, and he does not have to make any hand gesture, they’ll drop the salute once he’s out of their field of vision _and it is not an offense to them_. If he directly approaches a member or group thereof any sort of verbal greeting/acknowledgement should suffice. Saluting the colors as they pass should be done by civilians with the hand-on-heart gesture, and if we are wearing a hat or cap, putting it over the heart ( or I suppose raising it depending on what is practical). IIRC civilian _veterans_ are authorized to do the military salute while keeping the hat on. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauguration-protocol-qs/931026/5 "2021-01-20T23:38:04Z")
I don’t know for sure about other services, but in the U.S. Army, no superior actually has to return a salute from a subordinate, outside of certain ceremonial situations. It’s common courtesy to do so, and it is a bit offensive to ignore a subordinate’s salute, but strictly speaking, it’s not a violation of military protocol. Veterans and service members in civilian dress can render honors to the flag with either a military salute with their hat on _or_ doff their hat and place their hand over their heart, civilian-style. Either is appropriate, and just a matter of personal preference. The U.S. President, as a civilian official, should really render the civilian-style salute, but since Reagan it’s become increasingly common for them to use military salutes, and both render honor to the flag. It’s really the symbolism of a civilian official using military-style honors that makes it at all questionable - it’s a question of civil-military relations and perceptions of creeping militarism, not a question of respect for the flag. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauguration-protocol-qs/931026/6 "2021-01-20T23:56:36Z")
I think what it comes down to is, the protocol for what the President does is whatever the President says the protocol is. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauguration-protocol-qs/931026/7 "2021-01-23T18:02:19Z")
Closed on January 23, 2021, 6:02pm UTC ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauguration-protocol-qs/931026/8 "2021-01-23T18:02:26Z")
Topic closed as started by a Troll/Sock