under arms

{{short description|State of military readiness}}

Under arms describes a state of military readiness (actual or ceremonial). Typically, troops are considered "under arms" when they are in uniform, on duty, and carrying a weapon (rifle, side-arm, or sword), as opposed to being in uniform, on duty, but not carrying a weapon.

Soldiers not actually carrying a weapon but wearing a service belt or web gear associated with carrying weapons may be considered to be symbolically "under arms".{{cite web |url= http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/MCO%20P1020.34G%20W%20CH%201-5.pdf |title= Marine Corps Uniform Regulations |last= Byrd |first= Roy R. |date= 2003-03-31 |website= United States Marine Corps |pages= 7–10 |accessdate= 2013-08-02 |quote= The leather service belt is the standard sword belt for officers and may be issued to SNCOs and NCOs for ceremonies, parades, honor guards, and reviews when the sword is prescribed, and upon other occasions when an individual is actually or symbolically 'under arms.'}}

Soldiers normally remove headgear while indoors; however, soldiers who are under arms normally wear their headgear indoors,{{cite web |url= http://www.uscg.mil/HISTORY/docs/2009USCGUniformRegs.pdf |title= Uniform Regulations |last= Neptun |first= Daniel A. |date= February 2009 |website= United States Coast Guard |page= 2-1 |accessdate= 2013-08-02 |quote= [Headgear s]hould not be worn indoors or in no-cover areas unless under arms |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130616005319/http://www.uscg.mil/history/docs/2009USCGUniformRegs.pdf |archive-date= 2013-06-16 |url-status= dead }} with a few exceptions.{{cite web |url= https://rdl.train.army.mil/catalog/view/100.ATSC/36E2FF6E-6A92-4FCE-A25F-09B684EEAA3C-1327075372265/tc3_21x5.pdf |title= Drill and Ceremonies |date= 2012-01-20 |publisher= United States Department of the Army |page= A-3 |accessdate= 2013-08-02 |quote= Officers and enlisted men under arms uncover only when ... Seated as a member of (or in attendance on) a court or board [or] Entering places of divine worship [or] In attendance at an official reception.}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}