THE KV DISPATCH

Permission to salute

Thanks to changes in the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act, veterans and active-duty military personnel not in uniform can perform the military-style hand salute during the playing of the National Anthem.

Last year, the National Defense Authorization Act authorized veterans and military members not in uniform to perform the military-style salute during the raising, lowering and passing of the American Flag.

With the support of veterans and the Veterans Affairs Administration, federal officials added the new provision so the authorization could be applied to all events that honored our nation’s flag, including the National Anthem.

Prior to the 2008 and 2009 Acts, members of veteran service organizations traditionally rendered the military hand salute during the National Anthem or when honoring the flag, only while wearing their organization’s official uniform or headgear.