Flags in the Army

Flags help give an identity to nations and organizations.

Flags can indicate the presence of a person or group and are assigned to entities such as countries, clubs and military forces. Flags are used to fly on various occasions. The U.S. Army has a number of flags that designate the organization as a whole, and various entities within the organization have their own flag.

U.S. Army Flag

The U.S. Army flag was unveiled in 1956 in Philadelphia on the 181st anniversary of the establishment of the American Army. It is embroidered with a central design of the original war office seal. "United States Army" is inscribed below in white letters on a scarlet scroll. Beneath the letters, "1775" is written in blue numerals. The Army flag is authorized for the Army's headquarters and other agencies by the secretary of the Army.

Secretary of the Army Flag

Flown to designate the presence of the secretary of the Army, this flag has a scarlet background. In the center there is an eagle holding a laurel branch in one claw and arrows in the other. A blue, red and white shield in an imitation of Old Glory sits on the eagle's chest. A white wreath containing 13 stars on a blue background is situated above the eagle. Four white stars are positioned equidistant to each of the corners of the flag. A scroll comes from the eagle's beak with "E Pluribus Unum" -- "Out of many, one" -- inscribed on it.

Undersecretary of the Army Flag

Authorized to be used by the undersecretary of the U.S. Army, the flag is the same design as that of the flag of the secretary of the Army. Differences are in color, with the flag having a white background and four red stars.

Chief of Staffs Flag

The flag of the chief of staffs of the Army contains the same eagle design as the flag of the secretary of the Army. The central eagle design sits on a dividing line between the bottom-left corner and the upper-right corner of the flag. The top half of this divide is scarlet; the lower half is white. A white, five-point star design surrounds the eagle, with the shape of the star in the white half of the flag, indicated by a red line. Two white stars sit to the left of the eagle in the red half of the flag; two red stars sit to the right of the eagle in the white half.

Vice Chief of Staff's Flag

The flag of the vice chief of staffs of the Army is similar to the flag of the chief of staff's. The major difference is an extra diagonal line from the top-left corner to the lower right-hand corner, dividing the flag into quarters behind the eagle crest. The left and right quarters are scarlet, while the top and bottom quarters are white. The stars to the left and right of the eagle crest are white.

References

• Army: Symbols and Insignia of the United States Army