The Old Guard firing party is comprised of one firing party commander and seven Old Guard Infantryman who hold the sacred duty of rendering final honors to military veterans through the precision of a 21-gun salute. On the command of “ready” each member of the firing party removes his weapon from the safe position. On the command of “aim” the butt of the weapon is brought up to the pocket of the shoulder meticulously so that the handgrip rests in the palm of the left hand, and the right hand grasps the small of the stock with the finger on the trigger. The firers then simultaneously turn their heads, keeping them vertical, to look over the barrel of the weapons. On the command of “fire” all weapons are fired in unison; each firer then return his weapon to the port arms position to await further orders. On the command of “ready” the firing party charges and releases the charging handle, in unison, seating the second round. The seven members of the firing party continue to take commands from the firing party commander and execute as one element until the 21-gun salute to the honored military veteran is complete.