In order to show respect and acknowledge the authority of their superior commanders, Marines bow. Military personnel have long removed their headgear as a show of respect for a superior, and this practice is the foundation of the custom of saluting. The right hand is lifted to the forehead with the fingers extended and joined in the contemporary military salute, which is thought to have started in the British Navy in the 18th century. Later, the US Marine Corps and other military divisions adopted the gesture.