BDSM 101 History - MILITARY

by Lady Hugs

Entire contents are hereby Copyrighted © 2004

Etiquette in the military is necessarily more formal than civilian life, for the military, they most closely approximate a caste system. Those protocols include their dress, personal appearance and interaction within and between ranks. Dress is a foundational means, which each level of the military is set apart from the other. The military dress is the true sense of "attention to detail."

Military etiquette is more stringent, as the subjects under their rules are narrower in military etiquette than civilian. The military as a whole is best when it is uniformed, disciplined and obedient.

In studying the military salute, the most common salute is the raising of the right hand and placing the hand to the head. The US salute is held flat and against the right eyebrow. In the United Kingdom, the salute is palm out, at the right eyebrow. This gesture and purposeful salute, has roots as far back as Rome, which is the oldest known military salute. With the right hand extended from the soldier’s shoulder at a forty-five degree angle. This salute was used up until World War II. This was called the Bellamy Salute. Hitler, Mussolini adopting this Roman salute, caused the US Congress to abolish this salute, due to the association to Nazism. It was replaced with hand over the heart.

The military salute is rooted in other ways, as a gesture of showing there was no weapons in the right hand. During the European Crusades and their cultural descendents used a two-step gesture. The sword is first raised, in the right hand, to the level of and close to the front of the neck. The blade is inclined forward and up 30 degrees from the vertical; the true edge is to the left. Then the sword is slashed downward to a position with the point close to the ground in front of the right foot. The blade is inclined down and forward with the true edge to the left. This gesture originated in the Crusades. The hilt of a broadsword formed a cross, so if an actual Crucifix was not available, a Crusader could kiss the hilt of his sword when praying, before entering battle, for oaths and vows, and so on. The lowering of the point to the ground is a traditional act of submission.

Understanding the root military principles offers the foundation of the spirit and execution of persons wearing the military uniform. These principles are as follows:

• Bearing
• Courage
• Decisiveness
• Dependability
• Endurance
• Enthusiasm
• Initiative
• Integrity
• Judgment
• Justice
• Knowledge
• Loyalty
• Tact
• Unselfishness

In addition to the basics of military principles, the leadership principles of the military are also important. These are as follows:

1. Take responsibility for your actions and the actions of your charges.
2. Know yourself and seek self-improvement.
3. Set the example.
4. Develop your subordinates.
5. Ensure that the job is understood, supervised, and accomplished.
6. Know your men and women, and look after their welfare.
7. Keep everyone informed.
8. Set goals you can reach.
9. Make sound and timely decisions.
10. Know your job.
11. Teamwork.

As far as silent services, the opportunity by a slave or submissive type to serve under a dominant, which practices the military or "uniform" lifestyle, there is much to learn if such persons have had no military training themselves. Thus, it is important to be patient and give them the understanding as to why it is so important to be exacting as far as handling, maintaining and cleaning the military uniform as a whole.

Those who have had military training understand what the "Battalion Inspection Score Sheet." The areas of inspections were as follows:

1. The Uniform.
2. Maintenance of the cover (hat), such as neglect, smudges on a combined cover.
3. Insignia on the cover, which has to be proper for cover, garrison cover and caps. Even down to the inside of the cover.
4. Haircut.
5. Shave.
6. Fit of shirt.
7. Press of shirt. The lack of military creases.
8. Maintenance of the shirt.
9. Insignias on shirt. To include campaign ribbons, metals and name tag.
10. Neckties.
11. Belt and buckle.
12. Hands and fingernail length.
13. Fit of trousers or skirt.
14. Press of trousers or skirt.
15. Shoes. The importance of no smudges, scratches, a proper shine, lacking edge dressing as well as the proper tying of the laces. Although the Battalion Inspection Check List makes no mention of shoelaces being crossed a certain way, I have been told that the laces are right over left.
16. Bearing. How one carries themselves is important.
17. Knowledge. Although the importance of knowing rank of officers, this area may include your knowledge of the meaning to the parts of the uniform, the ritual of wearing the uniform, proper wearing the uniform.

The important underlying factors in the present military and the rank system of superiors and soldiers, it has it’s own elements of domination and submission. I think the basic reason for any military regulations, protocols, rules and etiquette, was to bring for the best behavior out of all ranks.

No matter what rank a person was within the military, the regulations to the behavior of the officers as well as through the ranks, to the inferior position, was seeing to the care, the appearances and the respect necessary, to be an efficient and effective uniformed military. One of the military regulations in the Civil War, circa 1860, was what domination and submission’s ideology.

"Authority is to be exercised with firmness, but with kindness and justice to inferiors. Punishments shall be strictly conformable to the Articles of War." Another was, "Superiors of every grade are forbidden to injure those under them by tyrannical or capricious conduct, or by abusive language." Again, another listed regulation of the period, speaks well for the current military as well as the BDSM uniform culture, "Courtesy among soldiers is indispensable to discipline. Respect to superiors will not be confined to obedience on duty, but will be extended to all occasions. It is always the duty of the inferior to accost or to offer first the customary salutation and of the superiors to return such complimentary notice. The customary salutation is to salute." So, as one can see, military or not, the appreciation of courtesy, discipline, respect, obedience and duty.

Another area I wish to address is the wearing of the sash. Although it has a very old history through European times and followed to the United States, I do wish to bring forth to light the purpose of these sashes and stable belts.

Much of the seventeenth century military, especially in Europe, wore sashes as a means to identify rank. By wearing it over the left shoulder, it identified that person above the rank of an officer; the sash on the right shoulder identified the individual as non commissioned officers. The wearing of the sash around the waist was reserved for higher ranked officers, such as those who wore the sash on their left shoulder, across the chest to the right. The sash color also identified which regiment the person was assigned to at a glance. Each sash color was different however; the most worn color was red. These sashes not only identified the regiment but it also was a fast way to identify what rank you were. There is a myth, that these sashes could be used to sling under another’s body as to drag him off the field if wounded. This is not supported by documentation through history from the seventeenth century to the present. However, it is indeed possible to use such to help drag a wounded individual or use it as an emergency sling. Another myth is why it was the color red. Myth is that it was to help blend with the red blood. In actuality, it was more colorful as to stand out in a gunpowder-hazed battlefield. Another myth is about the sash’s cords or tassels. Myth has it, these cords or tassels were to help count the losses on the battlefield. In fact, it was just "dressing up" the sash.

The "Regimental Stable Belt," is probably less known. The basic idea harks back to the days when horses were the only form of transport. Today its use is strictly ceremonial. The colors used and the way those colors are arranged indicate the Corps, Regiment or Battalion. The colors held special significance which is rooted to the Regimental colors, the color of the "lace" and "facings" on the original "units."

Here is an example of a current "Stable Belt."

Stable belt of
1st Battalion
Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment
(Berkshire and Wiltshire)
(49th,62nd, 66th and 99th)
Circa 2002

Here is a Stable belt with the buckle
Australian Military

5th Wellington West Coast Battalion
Australian Military

Although the military now wears a standard stable belt, the old foundation purpose of "colors" to identify important information about the wearer, is reflected by the BDSM culture by the colors they wear, especially when it is applied to the "Hanky Code."

In borrowing from the military from all the countries we are acquainted with, there are ancient roots that are common threads that continue into today’s military and the military influences within BDSM.