What does it mean to be an ensign in the navy?

Answer 1

In the United States Navy, the rank of "ensign" superseded passed midshipman in 1862. It is the junior most commissioned officer in the navy, the coast guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The rank is also used in the United States Maritime Service and the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps. It ranks below lieutenant junior grade and is also equivalent to a second lieutenant in the Army, Marine Corps, and the Air Force.

Depending upon the warfare community, an ensign may go directly to a ship after commissioning to serve as a division officer or receive one to two years of specialty training prior to reporting to an operational unit. Ensigns who become division officers are responsible for leading a group of petty officers and enlisted personnel in one of the ship's divisions (for example, engineering or navigation) while at the same time receiving on-the-job training in leadership, naval systems, programs and policies from enlisted sailors and other officers.

Navy and Coast Guard ensigns wear collar insignia of a single gold bar and because of this share the nickname "butterbars" with Army, Air Force, and Marine Second Lieutenants, who wear similar insignia.

Within the US Public Health Service, those wearing the rank of ensign are part of a commissioned officer student training and extern program (COSTEP), either junior, for those with more than a year remaining of education in a commissionable degree (JRCOSTEP), or senior, for those within one year of graduating with a commissionable degree (SRCOSTEP).[5] Some commissioned officers may hold a permanent rank of ensign based on their experience and education, but hold a temporary rank of lieutenant, junior grade.

Answer 2

The ensign of a ship refers the the flag flown by commissioned vessels. The US uses the national flag. Some navies, such as the British Navy, have a special ensign for their vessels.

It flies from the stern when in port and from the mast of the ship when at sea. "Shifting colors" takes place when a ship gets underway, the flag is lowered at the stern and raised on the mast.