Which flag event indicates the absence of the Commanding Officer?

• A. Third substitute flown
• B. First substitute flown
• C. No substitute flown
• D. Executive Officer absent flag flown

Answer: (C)

In this signaling system, who is in command is shown by flying the appropriate flag or by not flying a substitute flag at all. When the Commanding Officer is not aboard, a substitute flag would normally be flown to designate who is acting as CO. The absence of a substitute flag—no substitute is flown—signals that there is no one designated to substitute for the CO. In that specific case, the flag event points to the CO being absent without a designated stand-in.

If a substitute flag were flown, that would indicate someone is in command in the CO’s absence. A first substitute would mean the Executive Officer is in command, a second substitute would indicate a higher-level substitute is filling in, and so on. An Executive Officer absent flag would only tell you the XO is not present, not that the CO is absent. A third substitute flown would show a deeper level of substitution in the chain.

So, the flag event with no substitute flown best signals that there isn’t a designated substitute officer in command, i.e., the Commanding Officer’s absence.