A Complete Guide to Army Hand Gestures & Military Signals

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Learn how soldiers silently communicate in the field

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Last Updated: October 28, 2025

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Patrol Signals

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Vehicle Signals

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Aircraft Signals

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Number Signals

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Pyrotechnic Signals

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Hand signals are used in the military to stealthily and easily give out commands. This silent form of communication can be the difference between life and death on the field—so what are these signals, and what do they mean? Keep reading for a complete guide on the most common hand-and-arm signals used in the military.

What are military hand signals?

Military hand signals are a non-verbal way for soldiers to communicate with each other and other units. Think of it as a silent, stealthy way to give commands and orders. A soldier might give their unit the signal to “freeze” or “fire” when on the field.

Section 1 of 6:

Hand-and-Arm Signals for Patrol

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1
Attention To get someone’s attention, extend the arm sideways at a slight horizontal angle. Then, with the palm forward, wave the arm from side to side several times.
2
Ready? To say “I am ready,” “Ready to move,” or “Are you ready?” extend the arm toward who you’re signaling. Then, raise the arm with the palm out at chest level.

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3
Disregard To disregard a previous command or say “as you were,” raise both arms above the head and cross the wrists with palms facing forward.
4
I Don’t Understand To show confusion or say “I don’t understand,” raise both arms and bend at the elbow, bringing the hands in toward the chest. Place both of hands across the face with palms facing out.
5
Halt To tell someone to stop, raise the hand upward with the palm face forward while fully extending the arm.
- At night, this signal can be done by moving a light horizontally back and forth.
6
Freeze Tell someone to stop or freeze by raising the fist to head level quickly.^{[1]
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7
Message Acknowledged To show that you understand a command or message, hold out a fist and give a thumbs up.
8
Fire To tell someone to fire a weapon, drop the arm sharply from a raised vertical position.
9
Cease Fire To tell someone to hold their fire, raise the hand in front of the forehead, palm out. Swing the hand and forearm up to down in front of the face several times.
10
Double Time Command someone to move faster or rush by raising the fist above the shoulder and pumping it upward. Do this several times rapidly.^{[2]
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Section 2 of 6:

Hand-and-Arm Signals for Vehicles

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1
Mount To command to mount a weapon or vehicle, keep the arm straight and raise it to the side with an open palm. Repeat these two to three times.
2
Start Engine To signal the command to start engines or say “prepare to move,” simulate the cranking of an engine by moving the fist in a circular motion at waist level.^{[3]
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- At night, this signal can be done by moving a flashlight in a figure-8 motion at waist level.
3
Increase Speed To tell someone to go faster, raise the fist to shoulder level and thrust upward. Repeat rapidly several times until the desired speed is achieved.
- At night, this signal can be done by moving a light vertically several times in front of the body.
4
Slow Down To tell someone to slow down or minimize their speed, extend the arm horizontally at your side and wave the arm downward several times.
- At night, do this command by holding a light at shoulder level and blinking it several times toward the vehicle.
5
Right or Left Turn To signal which way to turn, extend the arm horizontally in the desired direction (left or right).^{[4]
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- At night, perform this signal by circling a light in the desired direction.
6
Move Forward To tell someone to continue moving, move the hands and forearms up and down, bringing the palms up to the chest. Stop once the vehicle is in the correct position.
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Stop Engines To tell someone to turn off a vehicle, extend the arm parallel to the ground with the hand open. Move the arm across the body in a throat-cutting motion.
8
Dismount To tell someone to exit a vehicle, extend the arms and bring them up into a “V.” Bring the arms back down to shoulder level.^{[5]
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Section 3 of 6:

Hand-and-Arm Signals for Aircraft

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1
Cut Engines To tell a pilot to turn off the aircraft or stop rotors, place the arm level with the shoulder with the palm down. Draw the hand across the neck in a throat-cutting movement.^{[6]
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2
Negative Signal If there’s a bad signal coming from the aircraft, give a thumbs down to the pilot.
3
Hookup Complete To say that the hookup is complete, move the fist up and down while making contact with the other fist, like you’re climbing an imaginary rope.
4
Release Tell the aircraft to release by extending the left arm horizontally with the fist toward the load. Then, give a slicing motion with the right arm under the left arm.^{[7]
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5
Proceed Right or Left To tell the aircraft to proceed right or left, extend the corresponding directional arm across the body to signal which way to move.
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Depart To tell an aircraft to depart, make a circular motion with the right hand above the head, and throw the arm in the direction of takeoff.^{[8]
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Do Not Land Advise an aircraft not to land by crossing the arms repeatedly overhead.
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Land To tell an aircraft to land, cross the arms downward in front of the body.
9
Stop Tell an aircraft to stop by crossing the wrists above the head with the palms forward.

Section 4 of 6:

Numerical Hand Signals

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There are specific hand signals that signify numbers in the military. Every number must be able to be shown on one hand, in case a soldier is holding something. The army developed creative hand signals to solve this issue. Here’s how to count with one hand like a soldier:^{[9]
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- 1: Hold up one finger
- 2: Hold up two fingers
- 3: Hold up three fingers
- 4: Hold up four fingers
- 5: Hold up five fingers
- 6: Hold out one finger horizontally
- 7: Hold out two fingers horizontally
- 8: Hold out three fingers horizontally
- 9: Hold out four fingers horizontally
- 0: Closed fist

Section 5 of 6:

Signals for Pyrotechnics

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The 3 types of pyrotechnic signals are star clusters, star parachutes, and smoke parachutes. Pyrotechnics are prearranged signals used throughout an entire unit to signal a large group. These types of signals can be used for unit identification, target marking, and location reports. There are 3 types of handheld pyrotechnic signals used in the military:^{[10]
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- Star clusters: Used for signaling and illumination; produce a cluster of 5 free-falling stars.
- Star parachutes: Used for signaling and illumination; produce a single parachute-suspended star.
- Smoke parachutes: Used for signaling; produce smoke from a perforated canister that’s parachute-suspended.

Section 6 of 6:

What types of hand signals are in the army?

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The army uses arm-and-hand, flag, pyrotechnic, and ground-to-air signals. These signals are most commonly used to deliver quick messages and commands without speaking. While arm-and-hand, flag, pyrotechnic, and ground-to-air signals are the most widely used in the army, each level of command can use its own signals.^{[11]
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- Flashlights, chemical light sticks, and other items can be used to signal soldiers.
- There’s no limit to what a signal can be! As long as the receiving soldiers or units know what the signal means, it can be used.