Flag of the United States Air Force

United States Air Force
Flag of the United States Air Force
Other namesCeremonial Departmental Flag, United States Air Force Departmental Flag, HQ USAF flag
UseOther Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
Proportion33:26
AdoptedMarch 26, 1951
DesignThe U.S. Air Force's crest surrounded by thirteen white five-pointed stars on a blue field.
Designed byDorothy G. Gatchell
UseOther Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
Proportion4:3
AdoptedMarch 1951
DesignThe U.S. Air Force's crest surrounded by thirteen white five-pointed stars on a blue field.
Designed byDorothy G. Gatchell

The flag of the United States Air Force was introduced in 1951 and consists of the U.S. Air Force's crest and shield, which itself comprises 13 white stars and the Department of the Air Force's coat of arms on a field of blue. The 13 stars represent the 13 original British American colonies, the three star grouping at the top portray the three Departments of the Department of Defense (Army, Navy, and Air Force). The crest includes the North American bald eagle (the national bird of the US), the cloud formation depicts the creation of a new firmament, and the wreath, composed of six alternate folds of silver and blue, incorporates the colors of the basic shield design.

History

The flag was officially adopted by President Harry S. Truman on March 26, 1951. Elements of the flag's design are used on the Department of the Air Force seal as well as the U.S. Air Force's service mark.[1] Dorothy G. Gatchell designed the flag itself,[2] whereas the crest and shield that are featured on it were designed by Arthur E. Dubois.[3] The flag's design has remained unchanged since its introduction in 1951.

Design

The flag flying alongside the flag of the United States, Travis Air Force Base, June 2017.

There are two differently-sized variants of the flag that are used officially. A large one with an aspect ratio of 33:26, which also serves as the flag of the U.S. Air Force's headquarters element, and a smaller-sized variant with an aspect ratio of 4:3. The larger variant, known officially as the "Ceremonial Departmental Flag" and also referred to as being "Ceremonial"-sized, can be adorned with a 2-inch-wide fringe and campaign streamers, whereas the smaller variant may not be adorned with campaign streamers.

The flag itself consists of the "crest and shield" of the U.S. Air Force, defacing a field of blue. The exact shade of blue that is used for the field is Ultramarine Blue on the Pantone Matching System color scale.[4]

Streamers

Verified combat credit entitles an organization to the appropriate campaign streamers representing the named campaign in which it participated. The campaign streamer will be embroidered with the name and years of the campaign. Non-combat service is represented by an organizational service streamer, which is not embroidered.[5]

Mexican Revolution

Mexican Service
Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates
Mexico 1916–1917 1916–1917

World War I

World War I Victory
Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates
Somme Defensive 1918 March 21, 1918 – April 6, 1918
Lys 1918 April 9, 1918 – April 27, 1918
Champagne-Marne 1918 July 15, 1918 – July 18, 1918
Aisne-Marne 1918 July 18, 1918 – August 6, 1918
Somme Offensive 1918 August 8, 1918 – November 11, 1918
Oisne-Aisne 1918 August 19, 1918 – November 11, 1918
St. Mihiel 1918 September 12, 1918 – September 16, 1918
Meuse-Argonne 1918 September 26, 1918 – November 11, 1918
Alsace[a]
Champagne[a]
Flanders[a]
Ile-de-France[a]
Lorraine[a]
Picardy[a]
Theater of Operations Non-combat credit April 6, 1917 – November 11, 1918

World War II

American Theater

American Campaign
Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates
Antisubmarine 1941–1945 December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
American Theater Non-combat credit December 7, 1941 – March 2, 1946

European African Middle Eastern Theater

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign
Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates
Air Combat 1941–1945 December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
Antisubmarine 1941–1945 December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
Egypt-Libya 1942–1943 June 11, 1942 – February 12, 1943
Algeria-French Morocco 1942 November 8, 1942 – November 11, 1942
Tunisia 1942–1943 November 12, 1942 – May 13, 1943
Sicily 1943 May 14, 1943 – August 17, 1943
Naples-Foggia 1943–1944 August 18, 1943 – January 21, 1944
Anzio 1944 January 22, 1944 – May 24, 1944
Rome-Arno 1944 January 22, 1944 – September 9, 1944
North Apennines 1944–1945 September 10, 1944 – April 4, 1945
Po Valley 1945 April 5, 1945 – May 8, 1945
Air Offensive, Europe 1942–1944 July 4, 1942 – June 5, 1944
Normandy 1944 June 6, 1944 – July 24, 1944
Northern France 1944 July 25, 1944 – September 14, 1944
Southern France 1944 August 15, 1944 – September 14, 1944
Rhineland 1944–1945 September 15, 1944 – March 21, 1945
Ardennes-Alsace 1944–1945 December 16, 1944 – January 25, 1945
Central Europe 1945 March 22, 1945 – May 11, 1945
European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Non-combat credit December 7, 1941 – November 8, 1945

Asiatic-Pacific Theater

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates
Air Combat 1941–1945 December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
Antisubmarine 1941–1945 December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
Central Pacific 1941–1943 December 7, 1941 – December 6, 1943
Philippine Islands 1941–1942 December 7, 1941 – May 10, 1942
East Indies 1942 January 1, 1942 – July 22, 1942
Papua 1942–1943 July 23, 1942 – January 23, 1943
Aleutian Islands 1942–1943 June 3, 1942 – August 24, 1943
Guadalcanal 1942–1943 August 7, 1942 – February 21, 1943
Northern Solomons 1943–1944 February 22, 1943 – November 21, 1944
Bismarck Archipelago 1943–1944 December 15, 1943 – November 27, 1944
Eastern Mandates 1943–1944 December 7, 1943 – April 16, 1944
Western Pacific 1944–1945 April 17, 1944 – September 2, 1945
New Guinea 1943–1944 January 24, 1943 – December 31, 1944
Leyte 1944–1945 October 17, 1944 – July 1, 1945
Luzon 1944–1945 December 15, 1944 – July 4, 1945
Southern Philippines 1945 February 27, 1945 – July 4, 1945
Burma 1941–1942 December 7, 1941 – May 26, 1942
India-Burma 1942–1945 April 2, 1942 – January 28, 1945
Central Burma 1945 January 29, 1945 – July 15, 1945
China Defensive 1942–1945 July 4, 1942 – May 4, 1945
China Offensive 1945 May 5, 1945 – September 2, 1945
Ryukyus 1945 March 26, 1945 – July 2, 1945
Air Offensive, Japan 1942–1945 April 17, 1942 – September 2, 1945
Asiatic-Pacific Theater Non-combat credit June 27, 1950 – July 27, 1954

Korean War

Korean Service
Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates
UN Defensive 1950 July 27, 1950 – September 15, 1950
UN Offensive 1950 September 16, 1950 – November 2, 1950
CCF Intervention 1950–1951 November 3, 1950 – January 24, 1951
First UN Counter-offensive 1951 January 25, 1951 – April 21, 1951
CCF Spring Offensive 1951 April 22, 1951 – July 8, 1951
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 1951 July 9, 1951 – November 27, 1951
Second Korean Winter 1951–1952 November 28, 1951 – April 30, 1952
Korea, Summer-Fall 1952 May 1, 1952 – November 30, 1952
Third Korean Winter 1952–1953 December 1, 1952 – April 30, 1953
Korea, Summer 1953 May 1, 1953 – July 27, 1953
Korean Theater Non-combat credit June 27, 1950 – July 27, 1954

Vietnam War

Vietnam Service
Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates
Vietnam Advisory 1961–1965 November 15, 1961 – March 1, 1965
Vietnam Defensive 1965–1966 March 2, 1965 – January 30, 1966
Vietnam Air 1966 January 31, 1966 – June 28, 1966
Vietnam Air Offensive 1966–1967 June 29, 1966 – March 8, 1967
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II 1967–1968 March 9, 1967 – March 31, 1968
Vietnam Air/Ground 1968 January 22, 1968 – July 7, 1968
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III 1968 April 1, 1968 – October 31, 1968
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV 1968–1969 November 1, 1968 – February 22, 1969
TET 69/Counter-offensive 1969 February 23, 1969 – June 8, 1969
Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 June 9, 1969 – October 31, 1969
Vietnam Winter-Spring 1969–1970 November 1, 1969 – April 30, 1970
Sanctuary Counter-offensive 1970 May 1, 1970 – June 30, 1970
Southwest Monsoon 1970 July 1, 1970 – November 30, 1970
Commando Hunt V 1970–1971 December 1, 1970 – May 14, 1971
Commando Hunt VI 1971 May 15, 1971 – October 31, 1971
Commando Hunt VII 1971–1972 November 1, 1971 – March 29, 1972
Vietnam Ceasefire 1972–1973 March 30, 1972 – January 28, 1973
Vietnam Theater Non-combat credit July 1, 1958 – March 28, 1973

Persian Gulf War and Iraqi no-fly zone enforcement

Southwest Asia Service
Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates
Defense of Saudi Arabia 1990–1991 August 2, 1990 – January 16, 1991
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait 1991 January 17, 1991 – April 11, 1991
Southwest Asia Ceasefire[b] 1991–1995 April 12, 1991 – November 30, 1995
Southwest Asia Theater Non-combat credit August 2, 1990 – November 20, 1995

Kosovo War

Kosovo Campaign
Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates
Kosovo Air Campaign 1999 March 24, 1999 – June 10, 1999

Global War on Terrorism

Global War on Terrorism Service[6][7]
Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates
Global War on Terrorism September 2001 – present

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Campaign considered a "Defensive Sector," so there are no dates embroidered on the streamer.
  2. ^ U.S. Air Force organizations to receive credit for this campaign have not yet been identified.

References

  1. ^ "Important Information and Guidelines About the Use of Department of Defense Seals, Logos, Insignia, and Service Medals" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. October 16, 2015. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  2. ^ "Dorothy Gatchell. 71. Dies; Designed Air Force Flag". The New York Times. January 28, 1976.
  3. ^ "The Air Force Flag" (PDF). Air Force Historical Research Agency. United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  4. ^ https://www.mortuary.af.mil/Portals/31/AFI%2034-1201%2C%20Protocol.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi34-1201/afi34-1201.pdf Archived October 23, 2017, at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
  6. ^ "AF Approves GWOT Streamers". Military.com.
  7. ^ "New AF streamers approved for Global War on Terrorism Operations". Air Force. September 2015.

Further reading