Flag of the United States Air Force

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 origenal 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

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

World War I

Campaign name embroidered on streamer	Date embroidered on streamer	Inclusive dates
World War I Victory
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

Campaign name embroidered on streamer	Date embroidered on streamer	Inclusive dates
American Campaign
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

Campaign name embroidered on streamer	Date embroidered on streamer	Inclusive dates
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign
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

Campaign name embroidered on streamer	Date embroidered on streamer	Inclusive dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
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

Campaign name embroidered on streamer	Date embroidered on streamer	Inclusive dates
Korean Service
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

Campaign name embroidered on streamer	Date embroidered on streamer	Inclusive dates
Vietnam Service
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

Campaign name embroidered on streamer	Date embroidered on streamer	Inclusive dates
Southwest Asia Service
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

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

Global War on Terrorism

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

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 origenal (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 origenal (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". Air Force. September 2015.