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.
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] [ 2] [ 3]
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
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. 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 .^ af.mil ^ af.mil Archived October 23, 2017, at the Wayback Machine ^ "AF Approves GWOT Streamers" . Military.com .^ "New AF streamers approved for Global War on Terrorism Operations" . Air Force . September 2015.
Further reading
Leadership Structure
Personnel and Uniforms and History and
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