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. Dorothy G. Gatchell designed the flag itself, whereas the crest and shield that are featured on it were designed by Arthur E. Dubois. 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.

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.

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 Champagne Flanders Ile-de-France Lorraine PicardyTheater of OperationsNon-combat credit6 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 1945American TheaterNon-combat credit7 December 1941 – 2 March 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 7 December 1941 – 2 September 1945 Antisubmarine 1941–1945 7 December 1941 – 2 September 1945 Egypt-Libya 1942–1943 11 June 1942 – 12 February 1943 Algeria-French Morocco 1942 8 November 1942 – 11 November 1942 Tunisia 1942–1943 12 November 1942 – 13 May 1943 Sicily 1943 14 May 1943 – 17 August 1943 Naples-Foggia 1943–1944 18 August 1943 – 21 January 1944 Anzio 1944 22 January 1944 – 24 May 1944 Rome-Arno 1944 22 January 1944 – 9 September 1944 North Apennines 1944–1945 10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945 Po Valley 1945 5 April 1945 – 8 May 1945 Air Offensive, Europe 1942–1944 4 July 1942 – 5 June 1944 Normandy 1944 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 Northern France 1944 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 Southern France 1944 15 August 1944 – 14 September 1944 Rhineland 1944–1945 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 Ardennes-Alsace 1944–1945 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 Central Europe 1945 22 March 1945 – 11 May 1945European-African-Middle Eastern TheaterNon-combat credit7 December 1941 – 8 November 1945

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 1945Asiatic-Pacific TheaterNon-combat credit27 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 1953Korean TheaterNon-combat credit27 June 1950 – 27 July 1954

Vietnam War Vietnam Service Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates Vietnam Advisory 1961–1965 15 November 1961 – 1 March 1965 Vietnam Defensive 1965–1966 2 March 1965 – 30 January 1966 Vietnam Air 1966 31 January 1966 – 28 June 1966 Vietnam Air Offensive 1966–1967 29 June 1966 – 8 March 1967 Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II 1967–1968 9 March 1967 – 31 March 1968 Vietnam Air/Ground 1968 22 January 1968 – 7 July 1968 Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III 1968 1 April 1968 – 31 October 1968 Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV 1968–1969 1 November 1968 – 22 February 1969 TET 69/Counter-offensive 1969 23 February 1969 – 8 June 1969 Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 9 June 1969 – 31 October 1969 Vietnam Winter-Spring 1969–1970 1 November 1969 – 30 April 1970 Sanctuary Counter-offensive 1970 1 May 1970 – 30 June 1970 Southwest Monsoon 1970 1 July 1970 – 30 November 1970 Commando Hunt V 1970–1971 1 December 1970 – 14 May 1971 Commando Hunt VI 1971 15 May 1971 – 31 October 1971 Commando Hunt VII 1971–1972 1 November 1971 – 29 March 1972 Vietnam Ceasefire 1972–1973 30 March 1972 – 28 January 1973Vietnam TheaterNon-combat credit1 July 1958 – 28 March 1973

Persian Gulf War and Iraqi no-fly zone enforcement Southwest Asia Service Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates Defense of Saudi Arabia 1990–1991 2 August 1990 – 16 January 1991 Liberation and Defense of Kuwait 1991 17 January 1991 – 11 April 1991 Southwest Asia Ceasefire 1991–1995 12 April 1991 – 30 November 1995Southwest Asia TheaterNon-combat credit2 August 1990 – 20 November 1995

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

Global War on Terrorism Global War on Terrorism Service Campaign name embroidered on streamer Date embroidered on streamer Inclusive dates Global War on Terrorism September 2001 – present

See also Flags of the United States Armed Forces

Notes

References

Further reading 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