B757-200 CREW HIT A TOW BAR AFTER THEY MOVED THE ACFT BEFORE THE SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE SIGNAL.

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ENGS; CHKLIST; NORMAL. DURING PUSHBACK AND CLRNC TO START ENGS; THE CAPT REPEATED A COUPLE OF CALLS TO THE PUSH CREW. WE ACCOMPLISHED ENG START DURING PUSHBACK AND I BEGAN THE TAXI CHKLIST AFTER BOTH ENGS WERE STARTED. AFTER THE CAPT CALLED PARKING BRAKES PARKED; CLRED TO DISCONNECT; I CONTACTED GND CTL FOR TAXI CLRNC. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND CHKED THE HOLD SHORT INTXN ON THE AIRFIELD DIAGRAM AND CONTINUED HEADS DOWN IN THE COCKPIT ON THE TAXI CHKLIST. I XCHKED OUTSIDE AND SAW NO PERSONNEL OR EQUIP IN MY FIELD OF VIEW AND CALLED 'CLR R.' THE CAPT BEGAN TO TAXI AND AS I LOOKED FORWARD; I SAW A GND CREW MAN STEP INTO MY FIELD OF VIEW FROM UNDER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. I FORCEFULLY SAID 'STOP THE ACFT;' AND FELT A BUMP FROM THE NOSE GEAR AREA. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT; RE-ESTABLISHED INTERCOM WITH THE GND CREW AND ASSESSED THE SIT. NOBODY HURT; BUT DAMAGED TIRE SIDEWALLS FROM THE TOWBAR NECESSITATED A DOUBLE TIRE CHANGE. I COULD HAVE SUPPORTED THE CAPT BETTER IN AT LEAST 2 WAYS: 1) WHILE TRYING TO STAY AHEAD OF THE SCENARIO BY CALLING FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AS THE GND CREW DISCONNECTED; I DIVERTED ATTN FROM THE TASK OF GETTING THE GND CREW SAFELY AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE. 2) MY CLR R TECHNIQUE FOCUSED ON LOOKING DOWN THE WING LINE WITHOUT ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON CLRING OVER THE NOSE.