THE NATIONAL ENSIGN

THE NATIONAL ENSIGN Our national ensign (fig. 4-16) must always be treated with the greatest respect. It should never touch the ground or the deck. It should always be folded, stowed, and displayed properly. Our flag represents freedom to the world today and forever. When not under way, commissioned ships display the ensign from the flagstaff at the stern and the union jack from the jack staff at the bow from 0800 to sunset. While under way, the ensign is normally flown from the gaff. In ships having more than one mast, the gaff is usually positioned on the aftermast. In ships equipped with two macks (combination masts and stacks), the location of the flag depends on which mast is configured to accept halyards or a gaff. When a U.S. naval ship enters a foreign port during darkness, at first light it briefly displays its colors on the gaff to make known its nationality. Other ships of war that are present customarily display their colors in return. Our national ensign, along with the union jack, is referred to as colors. At commands ashore and on U.S. naval ships not under way, the ceremonial hoisting and lowering of the national flag at 0800 and sunset is known as morning and evening colors. When the national ensign is hoisted and lowered or half-masted for any occasion, the motions of the senior officer present are followed. This is done by flying the PREPARATIVE pennant (called PREP) 5 minutes before morning and evening colors. Ceremonies for colors begin when PREP is hauled to the dip (the halfway point). The PREP pennant is shown in figure 4-17. If a band or recorded music is available for the colors ceremony, “Attention” is sounded, followed by the national anthem. At morning colors, the ensign is hoisted when the music begins. It is smartly hoisted to the top of the flagstaff. Remember, a furled (folded) ensign is never hoisted to the top of the flagstaff or gaff. At evening colors, lowering of the ensign also begins at the start of the music and is so regulated as to be completely lowered at the last note of the music. “Carry On” is sounded at the completion of the music. The national flag is always hoisted smartly and lowered ceremoniously. If a band or music is not available for colors, “To the Colors” is played on a bugle at morning colors, and “Retreat” is played at evening colors. For ships having no band, music, or bugler, “Attention” and “Carry On” are signals for rendering and terminating the hand salute. Sometimes the music for colors from another U.S. ship can be overheard aboard your ship. When this happens and no band, music, or bugler is aboard your ship, the command “Carry On” should not be given until the music being overheard is completed. If foreign warships are present, the national anthem of each country represented is played after morning colors. If your ship is visiting a foreign port, the national anthem of that country is played immediately following morning colors, followed by the national anthems of any other foreign nations represented. 4-21 Student Notes: BMRF0416 Figure 4-16.—The United States national ensign. PREPARATIVE BMRF0417 IN PORT : CLOSED UP - 5 MINUTES UNTIL COLORS AT THE DIP - COMMENCE COLORS (ATTENTION) HAULED DOWN - COLORS COMPLETED (CARRY ON) Figure 4-17.—Preparative pennant.