Defense Military Military Protocol 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When an officer enters a room where enlisted personnel are working, who is responsible for calling 'At ease'?
- The senior enlisted person present (Correct answer)
- The officer themselves
- The first person to notice the officer
- Any NCO in the room
Correct answer: The senior enlisted person present
The senior enlisted person in the room calls 'At ease' so personnel can continue working without full attention.
Question 2: What is the correct protocol when passing a senior officer while driving a military vehicle?
- Come to a complete stop and salute
- Slow down and acknowledge verbally
- Salutes are not required from vehicle operators (Correct answer)
- Flash headlights as acknowledgment
Correct answer: Salutes are not required from vehicle operators
Salutes are not rendered when operating a vehicle; the driver keeps both hands on the wheel for safety.
Question 3: During a formal military dining-in, what happens when the President of the Mess calls 'Mr./Ms. Vice'?
- All personnel rise and stand at attention
- The Vice President of the Mess responds and facilitates the next activity (Correct answer)
- The band begins playing
- Personnel are dismissed for a break
Correct answer: The Vice President of the Mess responds and facilitates the next activity
Mr./Ms. Vice is the junior officer who assists the President of the Mess and responds to facilitate dining-in traditions.
Question 4: What is the proper way to address a Warrant Officer W-1 through W-4 verbally?
- Sir or Ma'am
- Warrant Officer
- Chief (Correct answer)
- Mister or Miss followed by last name
Correct answer: Chief
Warrant Officers are typically addressed as 'Chief' regardless of their specific warrant officer grade.
Question 5: How should military correspondence address a Colonel?
- Dear General
- Dear Colonel [Last Name] (Correct answer)
- Dear Sir/Ma'am
- To the Commanding Officer
Correct answer: Dear Colonel [Last Name]
Formal military correspondence addresses a Colonel by their rank and last name in the salutation.
Question 6: What is the protocol for a junior officer who encounters a senior officer in a narrow passageway?
- The junior officer stops and faces the bulkhead to allow passage
- Both officers pass without acknowledgment
- The junior officer steps aside and renders a greeting (Correct answer)
- The junior officer continues at the same pace
Correct answer: The junior officer steps aside and renders a greeting
The junior officer yields the right of way and renders an appropriate greeting when encountering a senior in a confined space.
Question 7: Which flag receives the position of honor when multiple national flags are displayed together at a military ceremony?
- The flag of the hosting nation always goes to the far left
- The U.S. flag is placed to its own right, which is the marching left (Correct answer)
- All flags are displayed at equal height with no position of honor
- The flag of the highest-ranking attending nation's representative
Correct answer: The U.S. flag is placed to its own right, which is the marching left
Per U.S. flag code and military protocol, the U.S. flag occupies the position of honor to its own right (the observer's left).
Defense Military Military Protocol 2
When an officer enters a room where enlisted personnel are working, who is responsible for calling 'At ease'?