A decommission is the term used for the removal of a ship from the service of her governing body. This event usually involves a decommissioning ceremony. Once decommissioned, a ship remains in mothballs, either awaiting dismantle or a recommission into service. The decommissioning ceremony can be a somber occasion. It has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition. Decommissioning ceremonies vary from fleet to fleet.