Display Of Flags And Pennants - Naval Service Protocol

DISPLAY OF FLAGS AND PENNANTS

1258. Authorized display of flags and pennants.

When the national ensign is displayed on occasions other than those prescribed in these regulations, the manner of display shall be as prescribed in Navy Department publications.
No flags or pennants, other than as prescribed by these regulations or as may be directed by the Secretary of the Navy, shall be displayed from a ship or craft of the Navy, or from a naval station, as an honor to a nation, state or an individual or to indicate the presence of any individual,
All flags and pennants displayed in accordance with these regulations shall conform to the pattern prescribed in Navy Department publication.
Flags or pennants of officers not eligible for command at sea shall not be displayed from ships of the United States Navy.

1259. Display of national ensign, union jack and distinctive mark from ships and craft.

The national ensign, union jack, personal flag or pennant, or commission pennant shall be displayed from ships and craft of the Navy as specified k Table 8.
The distinctive mark of a ship or craft of the Navy commission shall be a personal flag or command pennant of an officer of the Navy, or a commission pennant. The distinctive mark of a hospital ship of the Navy, in commission, shall be the Red Cross flag.
1. Not more than one distinctive mark shall be displayed by a ship or craft at anyone time, nor shall the commission pennant and the personal flag of a civil official be displayed at one time.
2. Except as prescribed by these regulations for certain occasions of ceremony and when civil officials are embarked, the distinctive mark shall be displayed day and night at the after masthead or, in a mastless ship, from the lofiiest and most conspicuous hoist.
When not underway, the national ensign and the union jack shall be displayed from 0800 until sunset from the flagstaff and the jack staff, respectively. A ship which enters port at night shall, when appropriate, display the national ensign from the gaff at daylight for a time sufficient to establish her nationality, it is customary for other ships of war to display their national ensigns in return.
The national ensign shall be displayed during daylight from the gaff (or from the triatic stay in the case of those ships with mast-mounted booms and stays which would interfere with the hoisting, lowering or flying of the ensign) of a ship underway under the following circumstances, unless or as otherwise directed by the senior officer present:
1. Getting underway and coming to anchor.
2. Falling in with other ships.
3. Cruising near land.
4. During battle.
The union jack displayed from the jack staff shall be the size of the union of the national ensign displayed from the flagstaff.
The union jack shall be displayed at a yardarm to denote that a general court-martial or court of inquiry is in session.

1260. National ensign at commands ashore. The national ensign shall be displayed from 0800 to sunset near the headquarters of every command ashore, or at the headquarters of the senior when the proximity of headquarters of two or more commands makes the display of separate ensigns inappropriate. When an outlying activity of the command is so located that its governmental character is not clearly indicated by the display of the national ensign as prescribed above, the national ensign shall also be displayed at the activity.

1261. Display of national ensign during gun salute.

A ship of the Navy shall display the national ensign at a masthead while firing a salute in honor of a United States national anniversary or officials, as follows:
1. At the main during the national salute prescribed for the third Monday in February and the Fourth of July.
2. At the main during a 21 -gun salute to a United States civil official, except by a ship displaying the personal flag of the official being saluted.
3. At the fore during a salute to any other United States civil official, except by a ship which is displaying the personal flag of the official being saluted.
During the gun salute, the national ensign shall remain displayed from the gaff or the flagstaff, in addition to the display of the national ensign prescribed in this article.

1262. Display of national ensign in boats.
The national ensign shall be displayed from waterborne boats of the naval service:

When underway during daylight in a foreign port.
When ships are required to be dressed or fill-dressed.
When going alongside a fore@n vessel.
When an officer or official is embarked on an official occasion.
When a flag or general officer, a unit commander, a commanding officer or a chief of staff, in uniform, is embarked in a boat of the command or in one assigned to the personal use of such an officer.
At such other times as may be prescribed by the senior officer present.

1263. Dipping the national ensign.

When any vessel, under United States registry or the registry of a nation formally recognized by the Government of the United States, salutes a ship of the Navy by dipping her ensign, it shall be answered dip for dip. If not already being displayed, the national ensign shall be hoisted for the purpose of answering the dip. An ens@ being displayed at half-mast shall be hoisted to the truck or peak before a dip is answered.
No ship of the Navy shall dip the national ensign unless in return for such compliment.
Of the colors carried by a naval force on shore, only the battalion or regimental colors shall be dipped in rendering or acknowledging a salute.
Submarines, or other ships of the line in which it would be considered hazardous for personnel to do so, shall not be required to dip the ensign.

1264. Half-masting the national ensign and union jack.

In half-masting the national ensign, it shall, if not previously hoisted, first be hoisted to the truck or peak and then lowered to half-mast. Before lowering from half-mast, the ensign shall be hoisted to the truck or peak and then lowered.
When the national ensign is half-masted, the union jack, if displayed from the jack staff, shall likewise be half-masted.
Personal flags, command pennants and commission pennants shall not be displayed at half mast except as prescribed in these regulations for a deceased official or officer.
When directed by the President, the national ensign shall be flown at half-mast at military facilities and naval vessels and stations abroad whether or not the national ensign of another nation is flown full-mast alongside that of the United States.

1265. Following motions of senior officer present in hoisting and lowering the national ensign.

On board ship or a command ashore, upon all occasions of hoisting, lowering or half-masting the national ensign, the motions of the senior officer present shall be followed, except as prescribed for answering a dip or firing a gun salute.
A ship displaying the flag of the President, Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, Under Secretary of Defense, an Assistant Secretary of Defense, Under Secretary of the Navy, or an Assistant Secretary of the Navy shall be regarded as the ship of the senior officer within the meaning of this article.

1266. Personal flags and pennants afloat.

Except as otherwise prescribed in these regulations, a flag officer or unit commander afloat shall display his or her personal flag or command pennant from his or her flagship. At no time shall he .or she display the personal flag or command pennant fi-om more than one ship.
When a flag officer eligible for command at sea is embarked for passage in a ship of the Navy, his or her personal flag shall be displayed from such ship, unless there is already displayed from such ship the flag of an officer senior to such officer,
When a civil official, in whose honor the display of a personal flag is prescribed during an official visit, is embarked for passage in a ship of the Navy, his or her personal flag shall be displayed from such ship.
A personal flag or command pennant maybe hauled down during battle or at any time when the officer concerned, or the senior officer present, considers it advisable thus to render a flagship less distinguishable. When hauled down, h shall be replaced with a commission pennant.
An officer of the Navy commanding a ship engaged otherwise than in the service of the Untied States shall not display a personal flag, command pennant or commission pennant from such ship, or in the bow of a boat.
A ship underway shall not display a personal flag or command pennant unless a flag officer or unit commander is aboard. Should a flagship get underway during the absence of a flag officer or unit commander, the personal flag or command pennant shall be hauled down and replaced with a commission pennant.

1267. Broad or burgee command pennant.

The broad or burgee command pennant shall be the personal command pennant of an officer of the Navy, not a flag officer, commanding a unit of ships or aircraft.
The broad command pennant shall indicate command of
1. a force, group or squadron of ships of any type; or
2. an aircraft wing or carrier air wing.
The Burgee command pennant shall indicate command of
1. A division of ships or craft.
2. A major subdivision of an aircraft wing.

1268. Display of more than one personal flag or pennant aboard ship.

When the personal flag of a civil official is displayed aboard a ship of the Navy, a personal flag or command pennant of an officer of the Navy shall be displayed, if required, as follows:
1. Aboard a single-masted ship, at the starboard yardarm.
2. Aboard a two-masted ship, at the fore truck.
3. Aboard a ship with more than two masts, at the after truck.
When, in accordance with these regulations, the personal flag of a civil official and the personal flag or command pennant of an officer of the Navy are displayed at the starboard yardarm, the personal flag of the civil official shall be displayed outboard.
When two or more civil officials, for each of whom the display of a personal flag is
prescribed, are embarked in the same ship of the Navy, the flag of the senior only shall be
displayed.

1269. Display of a personal flag or command pennant when a national ensign is at masthead.

The President’s flag, if displayed at a masthead where a national ensign is required to be displayed during an official visit, or during periods of dressing an official visit, or during periods of dressing or full-dressing ship, shall remain at that masthead to port of the United States national ensign and to starboard of a foreign national ensign.
Except as provided above, a personal flag or command pennant shall not be displayed at the
same masthead with a national ensign, but shall:
1. During a gun salute, be lowered clear of the ensign.
2. During an official visit, be shifted to the starboard yardarm in a single-masted ship and to the fore truck in a two-masted ship.
3. During periods of dressing or fill-dressing ship:
  1. If displayed from the fore truck or horn the masthead of a single-masted ship, be shifted to the starboard yardarm.
  2. If displayed from the main truck, be shifted to the fore truck in lieu of the national ensign at the mast.
  3. If displayed from the after truck of a ship with more than two masts, remain at the after truck in lieu of the national ensign at that mast.

1270. Personal flags and pennants ashore.

A flag or general officer ashore shall display his or her personal flag day and night at a suitable and conspicuous place within his or her command. When such an officer makes an official inspection at an outlying activity of the command, his or her flag shall, if practicable and appropriate, be shifted to such outlying activity.
A flag or general officer or unit commander of the operating forces whose headquarters are ashore shall display his or her personal flag or pennant day and night at a suitable and conspicuous place at his or her headquarters, unless it is displayed from a ship of the officer’s command.
When the points for display of two or more personal flags ashore are in such close proximity as to make their separate display inappropriate, that of the senior officer present only shall be displayed.
When a personal flag or a foreign ensign is required to be displayed ashore during the official visit of, or a gun salute to, a civil official or foreign officer, it shall be displayed from the normal point of display of a personal flag or pennant of the officer in command, and the latter’s flag or pennant shall be displayed at some other point within the command.
During the official inspection by a flag or general officer of a unit of his or her command ashore, such officer’s personal flag shall displace a personal flag or pennant of the officer in command.
If two or more civil officials, for each of whom the display of a personal flag is prescribed, are present officially at a command ashore at the same time, the flag of the senior only shall be displayed.

1271. Personal flag or command pennant, when officer temporarily succeeded in command.

When a flag or general officer or unit commander has been succeeded temporarily in command, as prescribed in these regulations, his or her personal flag or command pennant shall be hauled down. The officer who has succeeded temporarily to the command shall display the personal flag or command pennant to which he or she is entitled by these regulations.
In a foreign port upon the occasion of the absence of a flag officer from the command for a period exceeding 72 hours, the command, subject to any directions from the flag officer, shall devolve on the senior officer present of the unit who is eligible for the exercise of command at sea, but as standard procedure, the absent flag officer’s flag shall continue to be flown in his or her regular flagship until that ship is underway, at which time the personal flag shall be hauled down and not again hoisted until the absent flag officer returns to his or her flagship. Commanders in chief and fleet commanders have authority to modify the procedure with respect to their personal flags as the exigencies of the services require.

1272. Absence indicators. In ships, the absence of an official or officer whose personal flag or pennant is displayed, a chief of staff or a commanding officer shall be indicated from sunrise to sunset by the display of an absence indicator as prescribed in current instructions.

1273. Personal flags and pennants of officers in boats, automobiles and aircraft.

An officer in command, or a chief of staff when acting for him or her, when embarked in a boat of the naval service on official occasions, shall display from the bow the appropriate personal flag or command pennant or, if he or she is not entitled to either, a commission pennant.
An officer entitled to the display of a personal flag, command pennant or commission pennant may display a miniature of such flag or pennant in the vicinity of the coxswain’s station within embarked on other than official occasions in a boat of the naval service.
An officer entitled to the display of a personal flag or command pennant may, when riding in an automobile on an official occasion, display such flag or pennant forward on such vehicle.
An officer entitled to the display of a personal flag or command pennant may, when embarked in an aircraft on an official occasion, display such flag or pennant on both sides just forward of and below the cockpit of such aircraft at rest.

1274. Flags of civil officials in boats, automobiles and aircraft. A flag shall be displayed in the bow of a boat in the naval service whenever a United States civil official is embarked on an official occasion, as follows:

A union jack for:
1. A diplomatic representative of or above the rank of chargé d’affaires, within the waters of the country to which accredited.
2. A governor general or governor commissioned as such by the President, within the area of his or her jurisdiction.
The consular flag for a consular representative.
The prescribed personal flag for other civil officials when they are entitled to the display of a personal flag during an official visit.
A civil official entitled to the display of a personal flag may, when riding in an automobile on an official occasion, display such flag forward on such vehicle.
A civil official entitled to the display of a personal flag may, when embarked in an aircraft, display a miniature of such flag on both sides just forward of and below the cockpit of such aircraft at rest.

1275. Bow insignia and flagstaff insignia for boats.

Boats regularly assigned to officers for their personal use shall carry insignia on each bow as follows:
1. For a flag or general officer, the stars as arranged in his or her flag.
2. For a unit commander not a flag officer, a replica of his or her command pennant.
3. For a commanding officer, or a chief of staff not a flag officer, an arrow.
Staffs for the ensign, and for the personal flag or pennant in a boat assigned to the personal use of a flag or general officer, unit commander, chief of staff or commanding officer, or in which a civil official is embarked, shall be fitted at the peak with devices as follows:
1. A spread eagle for an official or officer whose official salute is 19 or more guns.
2. A halberd:
  1. For a flag or general officer whose official salute is less than 19 guns.
  2. For a civil official whose official salute is 11 or more guns but less than 19 guns.
3. A ball:
  1. For an officer of the grade, or relative grade, of captain in the Navy
  2. For a career minister, a counselor or first secretary of embassy or legation, or a consul.
4. A star: For an officer of the grade, or relative grade, of commander in the Navy.
5. A flat truck:
  1. For an officer below the grade, or relative grade, of commander in the Navy.
  2. For a civil official not listed above, and. for whom honors are prescribed for
    an official visit.

1276. Display of foreign national ensign during gun salute.

While firing a salute to the nation upon entering a foreign port, returning such salute fired by a foreign warship, or firing a salute on the occasion of a foreign national anniversary, celebration or solemnity, a ship shall display the ensign of the foreign nation on the main truck.
While firing a salute to a foreign dignitary or official entitled to 21 guns, a ship shall display the national ensign of such dignitary or official at the main truck. While firing a salute to a foreign official entitled to less than 21 guns, or to a foreign officer, or when returning a salute fired by a foreign officer, the national ensign of the foreign official or officer shall be displayed at the fore truck.
At a naval station, under the circumstances set forth in the preceding paragraphs of this article, the appropriate foreign ensign shall be displayed from the normal point of display of the personal flag or pennant of the officer in command, and the latter’s flag or pennant shall be displayed at some other point within the command.

1277. Display of national ensigns of two or more nations.

When the national ensigns of two or more nations are required to be displayed from the same masthead, the Untied States national ensign, if required, shall be displayed to starboard of all others. The national ensigns of other nations shall be displayed, starboard to port, in the alphabetical order of the names of the nations in the English language; except that the ensign of a foreign nation within whose waters the ship is located, if displayed, shall be to starboard of other foreign ensigns.
While a salute is being fired under the foregoing conditions, the ensign of the nation being honored, or whose dignitary is being honored, shall be displayed alone.
In rendering honors, the national ensign of one nation s!hall not be displayed above that of another nation at the same masthead.

1278. Choice of foreign flag or ensign in rendering honors. In rendering honors requiring the display of a foreign flag or ensign:

In the case of a government having both a national flag and a national ensign (man-of war flag), the national ensign shall be displayed except under the conditions set forth in this article.
In the case of a commonwealth, dominion or similar government recognized as independent by the Government of the United States, which has a national flag of its own but which also employs the national ensign (man-of-war flag) of the empire or federation to which it belongs, the national flag of the commonwealth or dominion shall be displayed except when rendering honors to naval officers; in which latter case the national ensign (man-of-war flag) shall be displayed.
In the case of a government not recognized as independent by the Government of the United States, such as a protectorate or colony, the flag of the government exercising protective or colonial power shall be displayed except when otherwise directed by the Secretary of the Navy.
In the case of a government carried on by a joint mandate or trusteeship and having no distinct national flag of its own, the flags of the several countries comprising the mandate shall be displayed when rendering honors.

1279. Dressing and full-dressing ships.

On occasions of dressing ship the largest national ensign with which the ship is flourished shall be displayed from the flagstaff and, except as prescribed for a ship displaying a personal flag or command pennant, a national ensign shall be displayed from each masthead. The national ensigns displayed at the masthead shall be of uniform size, except when, due to a substantial difference in heights of masthead, a difference in the size of national ensigns is appropriate.
On occasion of fill-dressing ship, in addition to the dressing of the mastheads, a rainbow of signal flags, arranged in the order prescribed in Navy Department publications, shall be displayed, reaching from the foot of the jack staff to the mastheads and thence to the foot of the flagstaff. Peculiarly masted or mastless ships shall make a display as little modified from the rainbow effect as it practicable.
When dressing or full-dressing ship in honor of a foreign nation, the national ensign of that national shall replace the United States national ensign at the main, or at the masthead in the case of a single-masted ship; provided that when a ship is full-dressed or dressed in honor of more than one nation, the ensign of each such nation shall be displayed at the main, or at the masthead in a single-masted ship.
Should half-masting of the national ensign be required on occasions of dressing or full-dressing ship, only the national ensign at the flagstaff shall be half-masted.
When full-dressing is prescribed, the senior officer present may direct that dressing be substituted if, in his or her opinion, the state of the weather makes such action advisable. The senior officer present may, also, under such circumstances:, direct that the ensigns be hauled down from the mastheads after being hoisted.
Ships not underway shall be dressed or full-dressed from 0800 until sunset. Ships underway shall not be dressed or full-dressed.

1280. Senior officer afloat pennant. If two or more ships of the Navy are together in port, the senior officer present afloat pennant shall be displayed from the ship in which the senior officer present afloat is embarked, except when his or her personal flag clearly indicates his or her seniority. The pennant shall be displayed from the inboard halyard of the starboard main yardarm.

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