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United States Air Force Other names Ceremonial Departmental Flag, United States Air Force Departmental Flag, HQ USAF flag Use Other Proportion 33:26 Adopted March 26, 1951 Design The U.S. Air Force's crest surrounded by thirteen white five-pointed stars on a blue field. Designed by Dorothy G. Gatchell
Use Other Proportion 4:3 Adopted March 1951 Design The U.S. Air Force's crest surrounded by thirteen white five-pointed stars on a blue field. Designed by Dorothy 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.
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.
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]
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 Service
Campaign name embroidered on streamer
Date embroidered on streamer
Inclusive dates
Mexico
1916–1917
1916–1917
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
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 [ edit ]
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 [ edit ]
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 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 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 [ edit ]
Global War on Terrorism [ edit ]
^ 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.
^ "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 .
^ "Dorothy Gatchell. 71. Dies; Designed Air Force Flag" . The New York Times . January 28, 1976.
^ "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 .
^ 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 October 23, 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.
Leadership Structure
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