JLBC: Leadership

JLBC: Leadership

(1) The flag of the United States is always displayed when foreign national flags, State flags, positional flags, individual flags, the United States Army flag, or other organizational flags are displayed or carried.

(2) The order of precedence of flags is as follows:

(a) The flag of the United States.

(b) Foreign national flags. Usually, these are displayed in alphabetical order (English alphabet).

(c) Flag of the President of the United States of America.

(d) Normally, the State flags are displayed in order of admittance to the Union. The territorial flags are displayed

after the State flags enter the Union (see app B). (e) Military organizational flags in order of precedence or echelon. (f) Positional flags in order of precedence.

(g) Personal flags in order of rank.

(3) The order of precedence of Service Flags is as follows: (a) United States Army.

(b) the United States Marine Corps.

(c) United States Navy.

(d) United States Air Force.

(e) United States Coast Guard.

(f) Army National Guard.

(g) Army Reserve.

(h) Marine Corps Reserve.

(i) Naval Reserve.

(j) Air National Guard of the United States.

(k) Air Force Reserve.

(l) Coast Guard Reserve.

c. General officer flags.

(1) For each general officer present at the head table of a reception or dinner, only one general officer "star" flag for

each grade may be displayed, regardless of the number present for each grade.

(2) If two or more service general officers participate in an event, star flags for each Service are displayed.

The star flag of the senior officer precedes the others.

(3) Positional flags take precedence over personal flags. It is incorrect to display a four-star unique flag for the

Chief of Staff or Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. When these individuals visit an installation or agency, someone in the official party typically carries a positional flag for this purpose. Keep in mind that the host's flags are always displayed/flown.

(4) While AR 840–10 does not address the issue of the display of positional or personal flags of guests attending military functions, the HQDA procedure is to display the positional or unique banners of individuals participating in the process. Positional or personal flags of guests in attendance but not participating are not displayed.

(5) Personal colors for retired general officers are not authorized for public display (AR 840–10, para 3–32), except when the officer is honored at an official military ceremony. Also, if the officer is in attendance on the reviewing stand in an official ceremony and the flag displaying their rank is not already on display.

d. Flags of other nations. When flags of two or more countries are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another country in time of peace (4 USCS 7 (2000)). The exception is when the President directs that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff. In this instance, the flag of the United States will be flown at half-staff whether or not the flag of another nation is flown at entire staff alongside the United States flag.

3–4. Seating arrangements

There are different plans for seating guests at dinners, luncheons, and banquets. The social occasion determines the best method to use.

a. Usually mixed dinner. The plan in figure 3–1 is the traditional arrangement, with the host and hostess sitting at the head and foot of the table.

(1) Spouses are seated at dinners according to the ranks of their sponsors unless they hold official positions. For example, The wife of the man at the hostess's right usually would sit at the host's request. Remember: The ranking female sits to the host's right and the ranking man to the hostess's right.

(2) All guests are seated by rank since female ambassadors, Cabinet members, and Congresswomen are on precedence lists within their right and could outrank their husbands, or the senior man could sometimes be a bachelor or a widower. Situations like these would break the typical pattern of seating the husband next to the hostess and the wife next to the host.

References:

The US Flag; Position and Manner of Display. http://www.usflag.us/us_flag_code/position_and_manner_of_display.aspx