It’s piggy move-up...next highest rank gets it.
I can understand that, if there is somebody who can move into a temporary senior command position. But what in the case of where everybody left is a private?
In the British military, when there is more than one person who is equally ranked, then they go by birthdate.
I’m just wondering about the American military, what steps do they go through to determine who is the senior officer if everybody is at the same rank?
I thought maybe with no upper command, the troops could just flip a coin & go home. I had been in a situation in the military where ranking commanders were available, but the better choice may have been just to flip a coin & then head home.