United States Air Force |
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Other names | Ceremonial Departmental Flag, United States Air Force Departmental Flag, HQ USAF flag |
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Use | Other |
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Proportion | 33:26 |
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Adopted | 26 March 1951 |
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Design | The U.S. Air Force's crest surrounded by thirteen white five-pointed stars on a blue field. |
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Designed by | Dorothy G. Gatchell |
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Use | Other |
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Proportion | 4:3 |
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Adopted | March 1951 |
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Design | The U.S. Air Force's crest surrounded by thirteen white five-pointed stars on a blue field. |
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Designed by | Dorothy G. Gatchell |
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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 26 March 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
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 | 21 March 1918 – 6 April 1918 |
Lys | 1918 | 9 April 1918 – 27 April 1918 |
Champagne-Marne | 1918 | 15 July 1918 – 18 July 1918 |
Aisne-Marne | 1918 | 18 July 1918 – 6 August 1918 |
Somme Offensive | 1918 | 8 August 1918 – 11 November 1918 |
Oisne-Aisne | 1918 | 19 August 1918 – 11 November 1918 |
St. Mihiel | 1918 | 12 September 1918 – 16 September 1918 |
Meuse-Argonne | 1918 | 26 September 1918 – 11 November 1918 |
Alsace[a] |
Champagne[a] |
Flanders[a] |
Ile-de-France[a] |
Lorraine[a] |
Picardy[a] |
Theater of Operations | Non-combat credit | 6 April 1917 – 11 November 1918 |
World War II
American Theater
American Campaign | |
Campaign name embroidered on streamer | Date embroidered on streamer | Inclusive dates |
Antisubmarine | 1941–1945 | 7 December 1941 – 2 September 1945 |
American Theater | Non-combat credit | 7 December 1941 – 2 March 1946 |
European African Middle Eastern Theater
Asiatic-Pacific Theater
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign | |
Campaign name embroidered on streamer | Date embroidered on streamer | Inclusive dates |
Air Combat | 1941–1945 | 7 December 1941 – 2 September 1945 |
Antisubmarine | 1941–1945 | 7 December 1941 – 2 September 1945 |
Central Pacific | 1941–1943 | 7 December 1941 – 6 December 1943 |
Philippine Islands | 1941–1942 | 7 December 1941 – 10 May 1942 |
East Indies | 1942 | 1 January 1942 – 22 July 1942 |
Papua | 1942–1943 | 23 July 1942 – 23 January 1943 |
Aleutian Islands | 1942–1943 | 3 June 1942 – 24 August 1943 |
Guadalcanal | 1942–1943 | 7 August 1942 – 21 February 1943 |
Northern Solomons | 1943–1944 | 22 February 1943 – 21 November 1944 |
Bismarck Archipelago | 1943–1944 | 15 December 1943 – 27 November 1944 |
Eastern Mandates | 1943–1944 | 7 December 1943 – 16 April 1944 |
Western Pacific | 1944–1945 | 17 April 1944 – 2 September 1945 |
New Guinea | 1943–1944 | 24 January 1943 – 31 December 1944 |
Leyte | 1944–1945 | 17 October 1944 – 1 July 1945 |
Luzon | 1944–1945 | 15 December 1944 – 4 July 1945 |
Southern Philippines | 1945 | 27 February 1945 – 4 July 1945 |
Burma | 1941–1942 | 7 December 1941 – 26 May 1942 |
India-Burma | 1942–1945 | 2 April 1942 – 28 January 1945 |
Central Burma | 1945 | 29 January 1945 – 15 July 1945 |
China Defensive | 1942–1945 | 4 July 1942 – 4 May 1945 |
China Offensive | 1945 | 5 May 1945 – 2 September 1945 |
Ryukyus | 1945 | 26 March 1945 – 2 July 1945 |
Air Offensive, Japan | 1942–1945 | 17 April 1942 – 2 September 1945 |
Asiatic-Pacific Theater | Non-combat credit | 27 June 1950 – 27 July 1954 |
Korean War
Korean Service | |
Campaign name embroidered on streamer | Date embroidered on streamer | Inclusive dates |
UN Defensive | 1950 | 27 July 1950 – 15 September 1950 |
UN Offensive | 1950 | 16 September 1950 – 2 November 1950 |
CCF Intervention | 1950–1951 | 3 November 1950 – 24 January 1951 |
First UN Counter-offensive | 1951 | 25 January 1951 – 21 April 1951 |
CCF Spring Offensive | 1951 | 22 April 1951 – 8 July 1951 |
UN Summer-Fall Offensive | 1951 | 9 July 1951 – 27 November 1951 |
Second Korean Winter | 1951–1952 | 28 November 1951 – 30 April 1952 |
Korea, Summer-Fall | 1952 | 1 May 1952 – 30 November 1952 |
Third Korean Winter | 1952–1953 | 1 December 1952 – 30 April 1953 |
Korea, Summer | 1953 | 1 May 1953 – 27 July 1953 |
Korean Theater | Non-combat credit | 27 June 1950 – 27 July 1954 |
Vietnam War
Persian Gulf War and Iraqi no-fly zones
Kosovo War
Global War on Terrorism
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Campaign considered a "Defensive Sector," so there are no dates embroidered on the streamer.
- ^ U.S. Air Force organizations to receive credit for this campaign have not yet been identified.
References
- ^ "Important Information and Guidelines About the Use of Department of Defense Seals, Logos, Insignia, and Service Medals" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. 16 October 2015. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
- ^ "Dorothy Gatchell. 71. Dies; Designed Air Force Flag". The New York Times. 28 January 1976.
- ^ "The Air Force Flag" (PDF). Air Force Historical Research Agency. United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ https://www.mortuary.af.mil/Portals/31/AFI%2034-1201%2C%20Protocol.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi34-1201/afi34-1201.pdf Archived 23 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "AF Approves GWOT Streamers". Military.com.
- ^ "New AF streamers approved for Global War on Terrorism Operations". September 2015.
Further reading
Leadership | | |
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Structure | |
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Personnel and training | |
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Uniforms and equipment | |
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History and traditions | |
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