ASHORE DISPLAY OF PERSONAL
FLAGS AND COMMAND
PENNANTS
Personal flags and command pennants are flown
day and night at a suitable and conspicuous place at
naval shore installations. 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 is displayed.
When two officials entitled to display personal flags
Flagstaff height
Personal Flag
Broad/Burgee
are at the same command, only the senior officer
Less than 35 feet
#7 1'10" by 2'8"
#8 1'2" by 1' 6"
displays his/her flag.
Greater than
#6 3'7" by 5' 1 1/2"
#6 2' by 2' 7"
Official Visits
35 feet
During an official visit by a foreign president or
sovereign, the national ensign of that nation is flown
during the visit. A visit by any other foreign officials
requires the display of the foreign national ensign or
personal flag during the gun salute only, as follows:
If the foreign visitor is a military official or
officer, his/her personal flag, if provided, is flown
during the salute and from automobiles. If no flag is
provided, the foreign ensign of such nation is flown
during the salute, and an equivalent personal flag of a
U.S. naval officer may be flown from automobiles, and
a comparable plate shown on a military plane
transporting the dignitary.
U.S. personal flags for specific positions (CNO,
VCNO) are not used for foreign visitors. In these cases,
either the military rank equivalent flag or foreign
national ensign is used for colors.
During all first official visits for foreign service
chiefs, the rank of the visitor is equal to that of his/her
U.S. counterpart. Therefore, a U.S. Navy line officer
four-star flag is flown for foreign navy Chiefs (instead
of the CNO personal flag), regardless of the foreign
service chiefs’ rank.
Flagpole Configurations and
Size of Flags Flown
The following information is provided in selecting
the proper halyard for displaying a personal flag or
command pennant with the U.S. flag:
Polemast—Personal flag/command pennant not
flown
Polemast with Crosstree—Outermost halyard,
right-hand crosstree
Polemast with Gaff—Peak of pole
Polemast with Crosstree and Gaff—Peak of pole
Now that you know the proper halyards for the
display of the personal flag and command pennant,
you now must know what size to use. The following
information indicates the appropriate size of personal
flag or command pennant to be flown at shore
activities from flagstaffs of various height.
PERSONAL FLAGS ON VEHICLES
An officer entitled to display a personal flag or
command pennant may, when riding in a government
vehicle on official occasions, display such flag or
pennant forward on the vehicle. The staff used for
vehicle flags is topped by an acorn, regardless of the
rank of the official or officer in the vehicle.
All flag officers are authorized to show stars of
their rank on their assigned vehicle. The method of
showing such stars should be plates resembling
civilian license plates in shape and size. Coloring will
correspond to that of the personal flag. Personal flags
must not be painted on the vehicle.
PERSONNEL FLAGS ON AIRCRAFT
Civil and military official aircraft plates are
facsimiles, less fringe, of individual personal flags of
the official concerned, reduced in scale and
reproduced on a metal plate, 11 by 14 inches.
Normally, the civil or military official's aide will be
responsible for ensuring that the individual's aircraft
plate is available for display.
Personal flags may also be printed on aircraft
assigned to flag officers acting in flag billets. Sheet
metal replicas inserted in metal slots are also
authorized. The flag should be located on each side of
the forward fuselage and must conform in size.
NTP 13 contains a list of personnel authorized to
display a personal flag from an aircraft.
COMMISSION PENNANT
With exceptions already noted, the commission
pennant is the distinctive mark of a Navy ship in
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