Which of the following is true about color passes and hand salutes?

• A. The hand salute is rendered only after the colors pass.
• B. The hand salute is rendered 6 paces before and 6 paces after the colors pass.
• C. The hand salute is never performed during color passes.
• D. The hand salute is rendered at the exact moment the colors begin to pass.

Answer: (B)

During color ceremonies, the salute is timed so it accompanies the colors as they pass. Begin the hand salute six paces before the colors reach the front, and keep it until six paces after they pass. This ensures the salute is in place for the entire pass and ends cleanly as the colors have moved by. The lead time before the pass gives a visible, orderly gesture as the colors come into view, and the six paces after allows the salute to complete as the colors move past. Starting after the pass or exactly at the moment the colors begin to pass would disrupt the orderly ceremonial timing, and a salute that never occurs during the pass would fail to honor the moment the colors are nearby.