Old Guard battery provides presidential, ceremonial salutes with a bang

Founded in 1953, the Presidential Salute Battery from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) honors United States presidents, visiting foreign dignitaries and official guests of the United States by firing cannon salutes.

In addition, the battery honors service members being interred in Arlington National Cemetery, as well as military retirees at their official ceremonies and during special public outreach events throughout the National Capital Region.

One such event takes place every July 4 at noon, when the battery performs a 50-gun salute to the Union on Whipple Field on the Fort Myer portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.

"That is the only mission, outside of the cemetery, that we do five-second intervals. They go in sequential order by when the states joined the Union," explained Sgt. Cody L. Grunwald, an assistant watchman with the battery, aptly known as the PSB.

During each five-second pause, each honored state's name and nickname is announced, according to Grunwald.

PSB is a one-of-a-kind unit in the Army, and carries out its mission at more than 300 ceremonies annually.

Cannons have been fired at presidential inaugurations and state funerals since the Reagan Administration, according to Grunwald.

Retirement ceremonies will vary the amount of rounds fired in a salute depending on the retiree's rank, he said.

"We fire 11 rounds for a one-star general in the Army, and the equivalent in the other branches as well," said Grunwald. "A two-star [general] would get 13, a three star would get 15."

Four-star generals are saluted with 17 rounds, while the Chief of Staff of the Army receives 19 rounds. Presidents receive a full 21-gun salute, Grunwald said.

The only positions that receive 21 rounds are presidents, vice presidents and former presidents, said Grunwald.

The guns the battery fires are 10, 105-mm M5 Antitank Cannons. Each cannon is mounted on an M6 Howitzer Carriage.

These are the last 10 operable cannons of their kind, said Grunwald.

"They cannot fire live rounds," he said. "They have a sleeve inside the breach that limits them to firing only a 75mm blank round."

At 5,775 pounds each, these M5 Cannons last saw service starting in 1943. The cannons were utilized in northern Africa, Italy and northwestern Europe until the end of World War II.

PSB fires 3,000 to 4,000 75mm blank ceremonial shells with 1.5 pounds of powder every fiscal year, according to Old Guard records.

From start to finish, it takes four Soldiers approximately five to seven days to bring a gun fully up to ceremonial standards, said Grunwald. That process includes removing any dust and dirt, polishing components and ensuring lug nuts and chains are painted to standard.

Painting more than a minor chip is performed by The Old Guard's Motor Pool staff.

When the number two gun was recently taken in for a paint job, it took a full two weeks, said Grunwald.

"The guns are covered in layers upon layers of paint," said Grunwald.

After multiple layers of paint are added, the paint has to be sanded and repainted a final time, he said.

Moreover, there are some major changes on the horizon for the battery, according to Grunwald.

Until recently, PSB was made up entirely of Soldiers with a designated military occupational specialty of 11C -- indirect fire infantryman. That could change soon, said Grunwald.

"We're starting to progress," he said. "We are turning more into a specialty platoon."

Soon, PSB slots will be opened up to Soldiers in other MOSs within the regiment, he said.

"Let them try out so they can be a part of this platoon, too, so it's not strictly an 11C platoon anymore," he said. "We're trying to make it so it's an actual specialty platoon like caisson, the drill team, [and the] tomb sentinels."

Operationally, the platoon of Soldiers who operate the cannons serve as 1st Battalion's mortar platoon. During tactical training exercises at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, the battery's Soldiers fire the 81mm M252 mortar, which is used in combat to provide indirect fire support to ground troops.

A five-man staff and a two-man team, normally all wearing dress blues, man each gun for ceremonies.

The staff is composed of: a battery commander, who ensures the proper number of rounds is fired and initiates fire commands; the sergeant of the watch, who marches the battery to their marks, monitors the watchman and his assistant and controls the firing of the backup gun; the watchman, who gives the command to fire and controls the timing between rounds; the more experienced assistant watchman, who ensures the watchman stays in time; and the counter, who counts the rounds and signals the last round to the battery.

The two-man gun teams consist of a gunner who fires the cannon and a loader. The loader must fit a 75mm shell into the block at a particular angle by feel. A loader can take up to six weeks to master their skill before participating in an actual ceremony.