How to Wear the Service Flag Lapel Pin
The United States Congress established the service lapel pin in late 1967. The lapel pin is a 3/16-inch-by-3/8-inch white, rectangular pin with a blue star in the middle and a red border. According to the act, only members of "the immediate family of a person serving in the Armed Forces of the United States" may wear the pin for "the duration of such period of war or hostilities." Immediate family is defined as a spouse, a parent (including step-parents, foster parents and adoptive parents), children (including step-children and adopted children) and half siblings.
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Instructions
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Squeeze the two prongs on the back of the lapel pin to release the pin cover.
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Insert the needle part of the pin onto your suit lapel, baseball cap or dress collar. Replace the lapel pin cover by squeezing the two prongs and sliding the cover back on the needle until it presses against the back of your clothing.
The Pentagon does not regulate where you wear the lapel pin but outlines who should wear it. The blue star flag service lapel pin worn by members of the immediate family symbolizes "one or more members are serving in the Armed Forces," writes the Pentagon website. If you have more than one family member serving in the military, you still should wear only one lapel pin, the Pentagon writes. "Multiple blue stars are not authorized," according to the Pentagon fact sheet on service flag lapel pins.
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Place the blue star service lapel pin below a gold star lapel pin. If you have a gold star lapel pin, then you have an Armed Forces member who has died in service, according to the Blue Star Mothers of America website.
But, the Pentagon writes, you can wear the two in conjunction only if you also are entitled to wear the blue star service lapel pin. "A gold star is not authorized as part of the service lapel button," according to the Pentagon fact sheet on service lapel pins.
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