The Presidential Salute Battery (Guns Platoon) is an element of the
3rd United States Infantry Regiment
The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is ' ...
. The battery, which is staffed by soldiers qualified as
MOS
MOS or Mos may refer to:
Technology
* MOSFET (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor), also known as the MOS transistor
* Mathematical Optimization Society
* Model output statistics, a weather-forecasting technique
* MOS (filmm ...
11C (Mortarman), is chiefly responsible for firing ceremonial gun-salute honors in general officer funerals and retirements, on state occasions, and in a tactical capacity, is tasked with providing the regiment's
indirect fire support.
History
Activated in 1953, the Presidential Salute Battery is equipped with ten
3-inch Gun M5s which have been mounted on
M6 howitzer carriages. The M5 is a World War II-era anti-tank weapon.
The battery renders gun salutes according to a customary order of arms which is 21 rounds for heads of state (including the president of the United States and former presidents); 19 for the
vice-president of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice pr ...
, foreign
chiefs of government, and members of the
cabinet of the United States
The Cabinet of the United States is a body consisting of the vice president of the United States and the heads of the executive branch's departments in the federal government of the United States. It is the principal official advisory body to t ...
; and 17, 15, 13, and 11 for
flag officers
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command.
The term is used differently in different countries:
*In many countries ...
of the rank of
O-10, O-9, O-8, and O-7, respectively. of only the Army, Marines, and Navy.
Under an 1890 regulation issued by the
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...
, the "Salute to the Union" consists of one round for every
state of the United States, or 50 rounds since 1959; it is fired by the battery annually at noon on U.S. Independence Day. The Presidential Salute Battery fires blank artillery rounds packed with a 1.5 pound powder charge.
Mission
Funerals
The battery is assigned to
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
for full honor burials
of sitting and former presidents of the United States, sitting cabinet secretaries, and military
flag officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command.
The term is used differently in different countries:
*In many countr ...
s, as well as wreath-laying ceremonies at the
Tomb of the Unknowns
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a historic monument dedicated to deceased U.S. service members whose remains have not been identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, United States. The World War I "Unknown" is a re ...
. For funerals at Arlington it uses one of four firing positions, either from Sections 3, 4, and 28 of the cemetery on Miles, Dewey and Mitchell Drives respectively, or at Red Springs on McClellan Drive.
Public and military observances
The battery fires ceremonial gun salutes at events including the U.S. Army's weekly
Twilight Tattoo, observances for
Flag Day and Independence Day, and at the inauguration of a new president of the United States.
Military operations
In support of the 3rd Infantry Regiment's tactical responsibilities, platoon members operate the 81mm
M252 mortar system, per the 11C MOS job assignment, as battalion weapons platoon for the regiment.
State and official visits
During the
White House arrival ceremony at state and official visits, the battery fires gun salutes from a firing position in
President's Park during the performance of the visiting state's
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...
.
See also
*
21-gun salute
A 21-gun salute is the most commonly recognized of the customary gun salutes that are performed by the firing of cannons or artillery as a military honor. As naval customs evolved, 21 guns came to be fired for heads of state, or in exceptiona ...
References
External links
{{US Army navbox, state=collapsed
Ceremonial units of the United States military
Military units and formations established in 1953
1953 establishments in the United States