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 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Mexican Service |

|

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

### World War I

[edit]

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

[edit]

#### American Theater

[edit]

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 War

[edit]

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

[edit]

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]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

* Flags of the United States Armed Forces

## Notes

[edit]

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

[edit]

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. ^ af.mil [bare URL PDF]
5. ^ af.mil 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

[edit]

* A Guide to United States Air Force Lineage and Honors, United States: Air Force Historical Research Agency
* A.T. Warnock, Combat Medals, Streamers, and Campaigns

* v
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United States Air Force

Leadership|

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|

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Legend
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|

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|

Uniforms|

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Equipment|

* A (Designations)
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| Land|

* Individual weapons
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|

Sea|

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Air|

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Other|

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* Category
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