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In short, in peacetime, wardroom etiquette
follows the old, established customs; but during
a war, common sense and necessity dictate
expedient conduct.
BOAT ETIQUETTE
Officers observe the following rules of boat
etiquette:
• Unless otherwise directed by the senior
officer present, officers enter boats in
inverse order of rank (juniors first) and
leave them in order of rank (juniors last).
• Juniors may stand and salute when a
senior enters or leaves a boat, unless an
officer or petty officer is in charge to
render the honors. However, common
sense and safety always prevail.
• When a senior officer is present, do not
sit in the stern seats unless asked to do so.
• Leave the most desirable seats for seniors.
• Always offer a seat to a senior.
• When leaving a ship, get in the boat a
minute before the boat gong or when the
OOD says the boat is ready; don’t make
a last-second dash down the gangway.
• If the boat is crowded, juniors embark in
the next boat.
• Juniors in boats take care to give seniors
room to move about.
• Don’t use the thwarts, gunwales, and
decking of another boat as a walkway
without permission. Don’t request per-
mission to use another boat as a walkway
if another route is available.
SOCIAL CALLS
Except during wartime, when the practice
is almost universally canceled, officers first
reporting to a command make a visit of courtesy
to the commanding officer within 48 hours. That
is done even though they may have met the
captain when they reported for duty. The
executive officer usually arranges a time for the
visit. Aboard ship, the social call is made in the
captain’s cabin, although in small ships the
captain may dispense with the formality of
courtesy visits.
At an activity ashore, the commanding officer
may designate “at home” hours during which
juniors make their social calls. At other stations,
the commanding officer may hold periodic “hail
and farewell” cocktail parties during which
juniors make and return calls. Newly reported
juniors should also call at the homes of their
department head and executive officer within the
first 2 weeks after they report aboard. If married,
the spouse should accompany the officer.
Officers making courtesy visits to the
commanding officer’s cabin or office should never
settle back for a long conversation; they should
remain for approximately 10 minutes, unless
requested to remain longer. They should be
attentive and polite but not servile or wooden.
Although they should allow their host to direct
the conversation, they should try to add more to
it than simply affirmatives and negatives. Officers
should refrain from asking leading questions
about their new duty, about military problems
facing their host, or about intimate details
concerning the commanding officer’s private life.
Officers invited to dinner should take
particular pains to be punctual and to leave before
their welcome has worn out. They shouldn’t stay
all afternoon or evening. A visit of 45 minutes
to an hour after a meal is all that courtesy
demands; they should ask to be excused within
this time unless urged to remain. If a guest of
honor who is not a houseguest is present, other
guests should await that individual’s departure,
if possible.
CONDUCT IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
When ashore in uniform in foreign countries,
remember that your conduct will represent the
conduct of all members of the United States naval
service. Scrupulously respect the laws and customs
of any foreign country. Infractions of a seemingly
unimportant nature, even though committed
unwittingly, arouse resentment and may result in
serious complications. Under no circumstances
should you enter into an altercation or argument
with anyone abroad. In case of trouble of any
nature, refer the matter to the appropriate U.S.
naval authority ashore or afloat. If senior naval
guidance is not available, consult the consular
officer or diplomatic representatives of the United
States.
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