Ships flagged for lack thereof

Ships flagged for lack thereof

Navy custom not observed by some

By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer

Posted : Sunday Jul 8, 2007 10:23:48 EDT

NORFOLK, Va. — Eight ships of the 2nd Fleet caused a few internal fireworks July 4.

A message from 2nd Fleet command to units of 2nd Fleet reminded all that “on President’s Day and on Independence Day every ship of the Navy in commission, not underway, shall full-dress ship.”

It then tersely noted that the cruisers Cape St. George and Vella Gulf, destroyers Arleigh Burke, The Sullivans, Porter, James E. Williams, Forrest Sherman, and the dock landing ship Shreveport — all of which were in port for the holiday — were not dressed out for the occasion. An explanation for the lack of flags was required by July 5th at noon, according to the message.

A ship under “full-dress” flies the national ensign from the flagstaff, as well as from each masthead, and flies a “rainbow” of signal flags from bow to stern, according to The Bluejacket’s Manual. The treatment lasts from 8 a.m. until sunset.

Of the ships identified in the message, Arleigh Burke, James E. Williams and Forrest Sherman leave for deployment with the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group on July 9. Some of the ships were also either getting underway or in a repair period, according to Cmdr. Herman Phillips, public affairs officer for 2nd Fleet.

Despite the public — if internal — dressing down, Phillips said no one is going to “general quarters” over the message.

“It’s just a Navy custom to do that on holidays,” Phillips said. “Nobody is getting fired. Nobody is not going to make captain.”

Find Navy Times article here.