Page 48 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2017

SEABEES salute
Customs & Courtesies
integral part of Seabee base
story by Lynn Lofton photos by Teddy Lewis
The formality and precision of military traditions are impressive to civilians, assuring that order reigns. These traditions are called customs and courtesies and they’re an integral part of the Naval Construction Battalion Center’s mission.
NCBC Gulfport is a naval installation and follows naval terminology. Visitors to the administration building’s lobby — called the quarterdeck — are greeted with ‘Welcome Aboard.’ The kitchen is the galley and the wash room is the scullery. The flag pole is also different from other branches of the military, having a cross arm in addition to the usual straight pole. It is designed to look like the mast of naval vessels from the era of sail such as the USS Constitution which is still considered an active duty warship in the United States Navy.
As an Army and Navy custom, the flag is lowered daily at the last note of retreat. Special care should be taken that no part of the flag touches the ground. The Flag is then carefully folded into the shape of a tri-cornered hat, emblematic of the hats worn by colonial Soldiers during the war for Independence. In the folding, the red and white stripes are finally wrapped into the blue, as the light of day vanishes into the darkness of night.
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