Army Vision: By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.

HEADQUARTERS
th
605 (NOC) COMMUNITY DEFENSE CENTER
TH
6 REGIONAL COMMUNITY DEFENSE GROUP, ARESCOM
Panaad Park, Mansilingan, Bacolod City

MILITARY
SCIENCE 1
BASIC CITIZEN MILITARY TRAINING COURSE
1ST SEMESTER

NAME: COURSE:
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
AFP VISION, MISSION

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 Army Vision: By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.

ARMY VISSCHOOL: ION,

Honor. Patriotism. Duty.

RESERVE OFFICERS TRAINING COURSE

PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION (POI)

BASIC ROTC

PURPOSE:

To teach the students the values of citizenship, followership, personal

responsibility and sense of accomplishment while learning essential life skills
that will develop their self-esteem, character, team work and self-discipline.
This will prepare the students to be an Infantry Man, who has the appropriate
character, knowledge and skills that will later be enhanced as they further
progress in their personal life and later on with their careers.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

To prepare the ROTC Cadets as responsible, capable, knowledgeable,

skilled and with the right character as an Infantry Man.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

To inculcate to the students on the values of citizenship and personal

responsibility, which is essential in preparing them as responsible infantry
personnel.

To train the students on basic skills that is essential being an Infantry Man.

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 Army Vision: By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.

To prepare the students in developing their camaraderie and team work

attitude in preparing them to become future leaders of the Infantry Squad.

Honor. Patriotism. Duty.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUBJECTS page

MILITARY CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT MODULE

Code of Citizenship 2
Standards of Conduct of a Soldier 8
Military Customs and Traditions 14
Core Values 25
Rule of Law 33

GRADING SYSTEM:

Modular
Output/Performance 50 %
Activity
Assessment
Examination 50 %
Total 100 %

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REFERENCES:

ARTICLE III, 1987 CONSTITUTION

EO 217 (CODE OF CITIZENSHIP and ETHICS) of 1939
(Chapters 6-8) FC 1 -011 ARMY CORE
PHILOSOPHY
FC 1 -012 AFP CODE OF
ETHICS Army
FC 8 Vision:
-039ByARMY
2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.
NCO GUIDE

FC 8-043 PA DRILLS AND CEREMONIES PAM

3-01 PA Infantry Operations Manual
PAM 3-0105 Infantry Platoon and Squad
Operations SP 1-0042 Medical Aidman
SP 4-034 Explosives and
Demolitions SP 8-034 Survival
SP 8-0332 Marksmanship for 5.56 mm R4A3
Rifle Spcl Text “Cyber Security”
ST - 002 FOLLOWERSHIP
ST - Lecture on Values
Education ST - Philippine
Military History
Standard First Aid Presentation from DOH

Honor. Patriotism. Duty.

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 Army Vision: By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.

MILITARY
CHARACTER
DEVELOPMENT
MODULE

BASIC CITIZEN MILITARY TRAINING COURSE 1

Army Core Purpose: Serving the people, securing the land

 Army Vision: By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.

MILITARY SCIENCE 1
MILITARY CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
REFERENCE: FC 1-012 AFP CODE OF ETHICS; FC 8-039 ARMY NCO GUIDE
Lesson 3

Time Frame: 2 hours

Outcomes: At the end of this lesson, you are expected to define, discuss and
demonstrate Military customs and traditions and appreciate its importance.

READ
Definition of terms:
Customs - are accepted practices realized through continued usage that
take the force and effect of a Common Law.
Traditions - are inherited principles, standards and practices that serve as
the established guides for an individual or group. Traditions are accumulated
experiences and deeds passed on from generation to generation both in memory and
reality.

Military Customs
The following are some of the significant customs in the AFP:
1. Salute - Men of arms have used some form of military salute as an exchange of
greeting since the earliest times. It has been preserved and its use continued in all
modern armed forces, which inherited their military traditions from the Age of
Chivalry. The method of rendering the salute has varied through the ages, as it still
varies in form among the armed forces for today. Whatever the form it has taken it
has always pertained to military men, and its use definitely restricted to those in good
standing. In the Navy, saluting with the left hand is allowed when the right hand is
occupied with something or not available for the execution of the same.

Two friendly knights saluting each other to show respect.

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Today’s salute performed by The President and rest of the AFP.

2. Flag Raising Ceremony - The Philippine Flag symbolizes our country and
people. The Filipino Soldier honors the Flag by raising it with the troops singing the
National Anthem and to the accompaniment of the band before the start of the
official day’s work to pledge that all his efforts for the day is dedicated to his country
and people.

3. The Retreat Ceremony - In our service, it is known to have been in use during
the early days of the American occupation. The sounds of the evening gun during a
combined ceremonial parade and retreat ceremony constitute one of the most
inspiring custom of the service. Military personnel in camps of garrisons pause for a
moment either to salute to the Nation’s Flag or sing the National Anthem.

4. The Three Volleys Over Graves - This is a sign of respect and gesture of
farewell tendered to a departed comrade-in-arms. In the older days, they did it by
throwing or casting earth three (3) times upon the grave, calling the name of the
dead and saying ―Farewell‖ three times.

5. The White Flag of Truce - A worldwide custom used to signal the temporary

cessation of hostilities between warring parties.

Soldiers have been using white flags to signify capitulation for thousands of
years. The ancient Roman chronicler Livy described a Carthaginian ship being
decorated with ―white wool and branches of olive‖ as a symbol of parley during the
Second Punic War, and Tacitus later wrote of white flags being displayed as part of
the surrender of Vitellian forces at 69 A.D.’s Second Battle of Cremona. Most
historians believe blank banners first caught on because they were easy to
distinguish in the heat of battle. Since white cloth was common in the ancient world,
it may have also been a case of troops improvising with the materials they had on
hand. The white flag later became well established in Western warfare, but evidence
shows it also arose independently in China during the Eastern Han dynasty in the

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first three centuries A.D. The color white has long been associated with death and
mourning in China, so its soldiers may have adopted white surrender flags to show
their sorrow in defeat.
In more recent history, the white flag has become an internationally recognized
symbol not only for surrender but also for the wish to initiate ceasefires and conduct
battlefield negotiations. Medieval heralds carried white wands and standards to
distinguish themselves from combatants, and Civil War soldiers waved white flags of
truce before collecting their wounded. The various meanings of the flag were later
codified in the Hague and Geneva Conventions of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Those same treaties also forbid armies from using the white flag to fake a surrender
and ambush enemy troops.

6. The Wearing of Decoration - Military personnel who honorably earned

decorations in the performance of duty, displays them as part of the uniform during
appropriate occasions.

Military award and decorations are distinctions as a mark of honor for

military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A
decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion.

The Medal of Valor (Filipino: Medalya ng Kagitingan) is the

Armed of Forces of the Philippines’ highest military honor
awarded for a conspicuous deed of personal bravery of self-
sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty that distinguishes the
recipient from his comrades.

7. The Raising of the Right Hand in Taking Oath - From the earliest days, the
taking of an oath for truth of statement or testimony has been a solemn and serious
matter accompanied by ceremony. In essence, the taker of the oath calls upon his
God to bear witness that the truth would be told.

Raising one’s hand while taking an oath originates from the courts of
17th London… Thus, if they had to return to court, they would be forced
to raise their right hand, so the court could know if they have previously
been granted leniency (which would not be granted a second time).
What does it mean to take an oath?

A solemn appeal to a deity, or to some revered person or thing, to witness one's

determination to speak the truth, to keep a promise, etc.: to testify upon oath a
formally affirmed statement or promise accepted as an equivalent of an appeal to a
deity or to a revered person or thing; affirmation.

8. Courtesy of the Post - An officer of any of the armed services visiting at a

military post or one who resides in its vicinity is often extended the ―Courtesy of the
Post‖ by the commanding officer after the prescribed official call has been made.
This may include the privilege of accommodation at the Officer’s Club and
Officer’s Mess if the visit is of short duration and the privilege of membership, if the
stay in the vicinity is extended.

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9. Presentation of Recruit to Colors - In most units, it is a ceremony in which

recruits are presented to the color for the purpose of signifying acceptance and
welcome into the organization.
10. Farewell Tendered to a Departing Officer - Prior to the Departure of an officer
from his station on a change of assignment, a reception, or other suitable unit
function, is usually given by the unit’s officers and ladies in honor of the departing
officer and his family. When pressure of work prohibits this nicety, a ―Happy Hour‖
or a simple get - together takes its place.

11. Ceremony Tendered to a Retiree - This is tendered to a military retiree in

recognition of his long, faithful and honorable service to the AFP.

12. Trumpet or Bugle Calls - Trumpet and Bugle Calls add more distinction and
excitement to the regimented life of military personnel. As the day-to-day activities
bore, the sounds of these calls rejuvenate every system of his body to continue
performing the things as signaled by each call.
1st call - Sound to prepare for personal necessity.
Sound for Reveille - to get out from the blanket and prepare for the activities of the day.
Assembly Sound to Form Ranks.
Guard Mounting this is a 9am sound to change guard details.
Drill call
Recall - sounded to cease the Drill.
Mail Call Signal the Personnel to assemble for the distribution of mails.
Officers Call Signal the officers to assemble in the designated place.
1st Sergeant Call Signal that the 1st sergeant was about to form a company.
Retreat Signal the End of the official day.
Taps Signal to send them to bed and all lights out.

WATCH A VIDEO ON BUGLE CALLS

Go to https://youtu.be/42QGf3W2BZw or
SCAN QR CODE

13. Courtesy Calls - The following are some of the significant courtesy calls in the
military:
a. An officer who has been detailed outside of an organization and
rejoining his major service or has been reassigned to unit outside his Major
Service customarily calls on his Major Service Commander.
b. Upon arrival or prior to departure, officers from overseas missions or
foreign schooling pay a call to their respective Major Service Commanders. It is
also appropriate for officers assuming foreign posts or coming back from such
assignments to call on the Chief of Staff and the Secretary of National Defense.
c. Officers assuming command positions or similar key positions call on
their immediate commanders, including Major Service Commanders. They do
the same prior to a transfer or relief from duty.
d. Newly promoted officers customarily call on their Major Service
Commanders. This is usually done in groups of the same rank.

In some cases, senior officers who are the subject of all these calls may be
extremely busy to attend or receive callers. It is always a sign of courtesy and
goodwill to have manifested an intention to pay such a call.

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14. Call of Newly Promoted Generals/Flag Officers - Officers promoted to star

ranks call on the Major Service Commander, Chief of Staff, AFP and the Secretary of
National Defense after taking their oath of office before the Commander-in-Chief.
15. Calls on the Major Service Commanders are usually accompanied by some
form of arrival and departure honors.

16. New Year’s Call on the Commanding Officer - It has been an invariable
custom throughout the AFP that officers make a formal call upon their Commander
during New Year’s Day.

17. Happy Hour - This is a special form of unit officer comradeship which had been
developing and spreading in recent years. When this is directed, officers gather at
their local club for a beer and conversation. Usually held on Fridays, the growing
customs calls for a light-hearted jesting about the events of the week, or airing a
minor gripe, and blowing off a little steam, it may also be a time to slip in a judicious
request for a pass or event to inquire about taking a leave. Behavior and activities
conform strictly to the moral and ethical standards set forth in this Code.

One possible origin of the term "Happy Hour," in the sense of a scheduled
period of entertainment, is from the United States Navy. In early 1913, a group of
"home makers" called the "Happy Hour Social" organized "semi-weekly smokers"
onboard USS Arkansas.
[1] The name "Happy Hour Club," "Happy Hour Social Club," and similar
variants, had been in use as the names of social clubs, primarily by women's social
clubs, since at least the early 1880s. By June 1913, the crew of Arkansas had
started referring to their regularly scheduled smokers as "Happy Hours."
[2] The "Happy Hours" included a variety of entertainment, including boxing
and wrestling matches, music, dancing, and movies.
[3] By the end of World War I, the practice of holding "Happy Hours" had
spread throughout the entire Navy.

18. Military Weddings - These customs are generally the same for all faiths. They
vary only as chaplains of the different churches incorporate other procedures to add
to their color and tone.

Military weddings are an honor reserved for any man or woman — whether
enlisted, officer or cadet —who is serving or has served in any branch of the United
States military. And each branch has its own traditions. ... They can wear dress
uniforms, or they can opt out while still having elements of a military wedding.

The active duty bride or groom can

choose whether to wear their Mess
Dress, Class A Service Dress, traditional
gown or formal tuxedo. While it is more
common to brides to choose a traditional
wedding dress, it is quite a popular
choice for the groom to choose military
attire.

19. Patronage of the Officer’s Club and EP’s Club Houses - This custom enable
officers and EP to spend their off-duty social and recreational life in said centers.

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20. Ceremonies at Holiday Dinners - this is the practice on Christmas and New
Year’s Day, in which Commanding Officers visit troops during meal time or prior to
the serving of the meal. The method varies rather widely.
21. Christmas Holiday Entertainment - This is another practice on Christmas in
which children of the organization are given gifts and entertained. The Chaplain,
Special Service Officer or Ladies Club with the band present jointly organizes this.

22. Rank Has Its Privileges - Whenever a choice is to be made, such selection of
billets or quarters or electing means of transportation, the option of section follow
rank, with senior given the privilege to select first.

23. Visiting the Sick - A military personnel who is sick in the hospital is visited by
available officers and enlisted personnel of the unit in such number as may be
permitted by the doctor or surgeon in charge. An officer or soldier of his unit visits
him in order that his needs are attended to.

24. Survivor Assistance to Bereaved Family - When any member of a unit dies,
an officer is immediately designated by the commanding officer to render every
possible assistance to the bereaved family. A similar courtesy may be tendered, if
desired, in the case of a death of a member of any personnel’s family.

25. “I Wish” and “I Desire” Statement - When the commanding officer states,
―I wish,‖ or ―I desire‖ rather than ―I order that you do such and such, this wish or
desire has all the force of a direct order. Place of Honor - The place of honor is on
the right. Accordingly, when a junior walks, rides, or sits with a senior he takes
position abreast and to the left of the senior, this is akin to the deference, which a
young man pays his elders.

26. Use of the Word “Sir” - The word ―Sir‖ is used in military conversation by
the junior officer in addressing a senior, and by all solders in addressing officers. It
precedes a report, a query, and follows the answer of a question.
Originally Answered: Is the full form of sir really 'Slave I Remain'? Facts-
Term Sir is derived from French word 'sire'. used as a polite or respectful way of
addressing a man, especially one in a position of authority. used as a title before the
forename of a knight or baronet.
Words for sir, like: sire, Your Reverence, lord, knight, baron, governor,
yourmajesty, my dear sir, chief, Your Excellency and big brother.

Military Traditions

1. Traditions of Valor - The Filipino soldier has epitomized valor during his
gallant defense at Bataan and Corregidor against the Japanese Forces. The late
General Douglas Macarthur paid tribute to Filipino Soldiery when he proclaimed.
―Give me 10,000 Filipino soldiers and I’ll conquer the world‖.
A tribute by Gen, Douglas MacArthur when he proclaimed: Give me 20,000
Filipino Soldiers and I Will Conquer the World.
Valor - A great courage in the face of danger especially in battle.
Valor in tagalog - MATAPANG, LAKAS NG LOOB

2. Tradition of Duty - The Filipino soldier has exemplified himself throughout

history as a dedicated public servant who performed his tasks with a deep sense of

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responsibility and self-sacrifice. He has made himself a distinct professional by

devoting 24 hours a day to his job whenever the situation demanded.
- A dedicated soldier/ public servant
- Have a deep sense of responsibility
- SELF SACRIFICE

3. Tradition of Honor - The founding fathers of the AFP as well the nation have
courageously demonstrated even in most difficult times the value of honor by leading
a life in peace or war with personal dignity and self-worth. In history, they were
known for having treasured honor more than life itself when they consistently offered
the supreme sacrifice to win their freedom and keep it by refusing to yield to the
glitter of gold offered by their former colonizers.
- Personal Dignity
- Self-Worth
- Supreme Sacrifice to Win Freedom

4. Tradition of Solidarity - Unity is the strongest, most enduring and powerful

military tradition. Its distinction is enjoyed by every member of the AFP, who through
thick and thin worked together, and in the process, nourished pride and feeling of
belonging to the organization. It is the hidden ingredient that bounds him in oneness
to the people he serves. In every endeavor that the Filipino soldier had undertaken,
he always worked as part of the team, an ally in the accomplishment of the mission,
and an indispensable partner of the people whose support he treasured as vital in
the attainment of national objectives.
Solidarity- Unity/ Work together through thick in thin.

5. Tradition of Loyalty - The Filipino soldier has traditionally held the respect of
the nation by shedding much blood and offering the supreme sacrifice in defense of
the country. He has consistently given his loyalty to the nation, the Constitution, and
also to his seniors, his peers and his juniors.

Loyalty Shown to:

- To the Nation
- The constitution
- The Commander in Chief
- To Your Seniors
- To your Peers
- To your Juniors

SUMMARY

The purpose of military customs and traditions is to develop pride in

the military service, and to establish strong bonds of professional and personal
friendships — patterns of behavior that enhance the military way of life.

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Army Core Purpose: Serving the people, securing the land

Army Vision: By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.

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Army Core Purpose: Serving the people, securing the land

Army Vision: By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.

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Army Core Purpose: Serving the people, securing the land