# Flag of the United States Air Force

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. 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 | 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 |
| Champagne |
| Flanders |
| Ile-de-France |
| Lorraine |
| Picardy |
| 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

| 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 | 1991–1995 | April 12, 1991 – November 30, 1995 |
| Southwest Asia Theater | Non-combat credit | August 2, 1990 – November 20, 1995 |

### Kosovo War

| 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

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