Present arms (command)

Present arms is a two-part drill command used by many militaries in the world as a sign of respect. It comes from the old British command "Arms to the present!" This was used especially between 1700 and about the late nineteenth century in Great Britain and later the United Kingdom.

Within the Australian Defence Force, the command "Present Arms" is executed using the following procedures.

The current standard weapon of the French Military is the FAMAS, a short, bullpup assault rifle worn slung in diagonal over the chest; consequently, at the command "Présentez... armes !", French military personnel will put the right hand flat over the handle of the weapon, and take hold of the received handguard with the left. The rifle itself does not move.

Officers and non-commissioned officers holding a sword or sabre present it vertically, with the guard in front of the face. Absent a weapon, the standard military salute is rendered, hand above the right eye, palm facing forward.

A sailor of the Ballistic Submarine Squadron presenting arms with his FAMAS-G2

A Captain of Brest Naval Base presenting arms with his sabre

In Indonesia, present arms is given the command in Indonesian: Hormat Senjata, Gerak! for personnel carrying arms. The command Hormat, Gerak! is the command for personnel not carrying arms and is to execute a hand salute. For commands only to officers carrying swords (sabres), the command would be: Hormat Pedang, Gerak!, but when officers who parade with men carrying rifles, the Hormat Senjata, Gerak! command is used.

In some occasions usually during parades, personnel who are carrying rifles with the position of "Slinged-port Arms" (slinged rifle is brought to the front of the body in "port arms" position), the present arms would be different, the execution is to place the right hand flat over the folded of the rifle and the left hand is to hold the handguard. (See Present Arms-2 image below)

Officers execute present arms with a Sabre in two steps, first is to bring the grip of the sabre to the front of the mouth facing the guard to the left, and then bringing the sabre down to the right lower side of the body next to the right leg facing the blade to the ground in a 30 degree angle to the right.

...
Wikipedia