11. The next day, the visiting head of state is greeted at the White House by the American President and an entourage in a formal display of pageantry
The following morning, allowing the traveled head of state an opportunity to recover from their journey and freshen up, their state visit begins in earnest with the Arrival Ceremony. Introduced to the pageantry of American traditions as recently as the 1940s, the President of the United States hosts an event on the South Lawn of the White House and greets his distinguished guests. Of note, for an official working visit, in contrast to a state visit, the guest dignitary is not received on the South Lawn but instead the arrival ceremony is held at the Pentagon’s parade ground; equally, instead of being greeted by the President, the Secretary of Defense serves as the presiding officer over the event.
After an exchange of formal greetings and pleasantries, the President introduces his guests to the remainder of the welcoming committee. Although varying in membership, the committee is obliged to include the Vice-President, the United States Cabinet, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but might also include senior members of Congress and other relevant figures from American political life. Following these introductions, the visiting nation’s anthem is performed by a military band, in the course of which a 21-gun-howitzer salute is fired by the Presidential Salute Battery, followed by the American national anthem in a show of deference and respect to their guests.