What is "flag officer"

Flag \Flag\, n. [Cf. LG. & G. flagge, Sw. flagg, Dan. flag, D. vlag. See Flag to hang loose.]

1. That which flags or hangs down loosely.

2. A cloth usually bearing a device or devices and used to indicate nationality, party, etc., or to give or ask information; -- commonly attached to a staff to be waved by the wind; a standard; a banner; an ensign; the colors; as, the national flag; a military or a naval flag.

3. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. A group of feathers on the lower part of the legs of certain hawks, owls, etc.

   2. A group of elongated wing feathers in certain hawks.

   3. The bushy tail of a dog, as of a setter.

4. (Zo["o]l.) One of the wing feathers next the body of a bird; -- called also flag feather.

   Black flag. See under Black.

   Flag captain, Flag leutenant, etc., special officers attached to the flagship, as aids to the flag officer.

   Flag officer, the commander of a fleet or squadron; an admiral, or commodore.

   Flag of truse, a white flag carried or displayed to an enemy, as an invitation to conference, or for the purpose of making some communication not hostile.

   Flag share, the flag officer's share of prize money.

   Flag station (Railroad), a station at which trains do not stop unless signaled to do so, by a flag hung out or waved.

   National flag, a flag of a particular country, on which some national emblem or device, is emblazoned.

   Red flag, a flag of a red color, displayed as a signal of danger or token of defiance; the emblem of anarchists.

   To dip, the flag, to mlower it and quickly restore it to its place; -- done as a mark of respect.

   To hang out the white flag, to ask truce or quarter, or, in some cases, to manifest a friendly design by exhibiting a white flag.

   To hang the flag half-mast high or To hang the flag half-staff or To hang the flag at half-staff, to raise it only half way to the mast or staff, as a token or sign of mourning.

   To strike the flag or To lower the flag, to haul it down, in token of respect, submission, or, in an engagement, of surrender.

   Yellow flag, the quarantine flag of all nations; also carried at a vessel's fore, to denote that an infectious disease is on board.

n. 1 A naval officer with the rank of rear admiral or above, such officers are entitled to fly a personal flag, especially on the flagship. 2 (''US military'', informal) In addition to naval officers of Navy and the Coast Guard, a general officer in the Army, Marines, or Air Force with the rank of brigadier general or higher.

n. a senior naval officer above the rank of captain

A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command.

The term is used differently in different countries:

• In many countries, a flag officer is a senior officer of the navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; the term may or may not include the rank of commodore.
• In some countries, such as Bangladesh, the United States, Pakistan and India, it may apply to all armed forces, not just the navy. This means generals can also be considered flag officers.
• In most Arab armies, liwa (Arabic: لواء), which can be translated as flag officer, is a specific rank, equivalent to a major general. However, " ensign" is debatably a more exact translation of the word. In principle, a flag officer commands several units called "flags" (or "ensigns") (i.e. brigades).