Flag of the United States Navy

Not to be confused with First Navy Jack.

United States Navy
UseOther
Proportion16:13
AdoptedApril 24, 1959
DesignAnchor, USS Constitution, Bald Eagle
Infantry Battalion Flag
Former, unofficial flag of the United States Navy
UseOther
Proportion156:133
AdoptedDecember 1864[1]
DesignDark blue foul anchor on a white diamond, with a dark blue background

The flag of the United States Navy consists of the seal of the U.S. Department of the Navy in the center, above a yellow scroll inscribed "United States Navy" in dark blue letters, against a dark blue background.

The flag was officially authorized by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on April 24, 1959 and was formally introduced to the public on April 30, 1959 at a ceremony at Naval Support Facility Carderock in Maryland.[2] It replaced the infantry battalion flag which had been used as the U.S. Navy's unofficial flag for many years beforehand.

It is used on land, displayed inside naval offices, in parades, and for other ceremonial occasions, and often on a staff at the quarterdeck of ships in port.[3] It is not flown by ships at sea, nor on outdoor flagpoles on naval land installations, and is not used as an identifying mark of U.S. Navy ships and facilities, as the U.S. Coast Guard ensign is.

Executive order

The following is details from the Naval Telecommunications Procedures, Flags, Pennants & Customs, NTP 13(B)

1710. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY By Executive Order 10812 of 24 April 1959, the President, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Navy with the approval of the Secretary of Defense, established and prescribed an official flag for the United States Navy. This flag is to be 4 feet 4 inches hoist (width) by 5 feet 6 inches fly (length), of dark blue material, with yellow fringe, 2½ inches wide. In the center of the flag is a device 3 feet 1 inch overall, consisting of the inner pictorial portion of the seal of the Department of the Navy (with the exception that a continuation of the sea has been substituted for the land area), in its proper colors within a circular yellow rope edging, all 2 feet 6 inches in diameter above a yellow scroll inscribed "UNITED STATES NAVY" in dark blue letters.

  1. The U.S. Navy flag shall be used to represent the Navy as follows:
    1. At official ceremonies
    2. In parades
    3. During official Navy display occasions
    4. At public gatherings when the Navy is an official participant
    5. On such occasions as may be specifically authorized by the Secretary of the Navy.
  2. When used for the purposes listed above, the U.S. Navy flag will accompany, and take the place of honor next after the national ensign except when other branches of the armed forces are participating, in which case the service flags will take the precedence of the services which they represent, (see Article 1724 for the service precedences).
  3. The U.S. Navy flag shall not be used for outdoor fixed (permanent) display purposes.
  4. There are no cord and tassels authorized for use with the flag of the United States Navy.
  5. Battle streamers displayed on the U.S. Navy flag represent both war and non-war actions involving combat. The silver and bronze star embroidered thereon signify selected actions and campaigns in which the Navy has been engaged. Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation and Meritorious Unit Commendation streamers bear numerals rather than stars, indicating the total number of each award earned. Streamers are long, narrow, swallow-tailed ribbons, 3 to 4 feet long, of the same design and width as the service ribbons or unit decoration, and are displayed attached to the staff below the ornament by a brass ring.
  6. To determine eligibility and entitlement refer to SECNAVINST 1650.1 (current) (Navy and Marine Corps Award Manual) and SECNAVINST 10520.2 (current).
  7. The U.S. Navy flag is for official Navy use only, and shall not be made available to civilian groups, organizations or individuals.

Streamers

The following streamers are authorized, in order of precedence:[5]

Streamers
Order Name Image Device(s)
1 Presidential Unit Citation (Navy) "red numerals"
2 Navy Unit Commendation "red numerals"
3 Meritorious Unit Commendation (Navy) "red numerals"
4 Revolutionary War
5 Quasi-War with France
6 the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War
7 War of 1812
8 African Slave Trade
9 Operations Against West Indian Pirates
10 Indian Wars
11 Mexican War
12 Civil War
13 Spanish Campaign
14 Philippine Campaign
15 China Relief Expedition
16 World War I Victory
17 World War II Victory
18 Second Nicaraguan Campaign
19 Yangtze Service
20 China Service
21 American Defense Service
22 American Campaign
23 Asiatic-Pacific Campaign x 2
24 European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign
25 Korean Service
26 National Defense Service
27 Armed Forces Expeditionary
28 Vietnam Service
29 Southwest Asia Service
30 Kosovo Campaign
31 Afghanistan Campaign
32 Iraq Campaign
33 Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary
34 Global War on Terrorism Service
  • Note that a "x #" designation denotes the number of streamers used to carry devices (maximum of 6), not the number of awards. For streamers there the device column lists "red numerals", the total number of the award earned by ships and units of the Navy are totalled and embroidered in red. Because these numbers are constantly changing, they are not listed here.
Main article: Jack of the United States

Jacks are additional national flags flown by warships (and certain other ships) on a jackstaff at the bow of the ship. These are usually flown only when not underway and when the ship is dressed on special occasions.

  • Union Jack, the current jack of the United States Navy
  • First Navy Jack, flown by all commissioned warships from September 11, 2002 to June 3, 2019[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ United States Department of the Navy (1903). "South Atlantic Blockading Squadron". Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. p. 88. Retrieved June 26, 2014. December 9, 1864. SIR: I send you three distinguishing pennants for the battalions of the fleet brigade–red for the howitzers, blue for the skirmishers, and white-blue for the marines, marked with an anchor. It will be well not to let our sailors and marines forget the habits to which they have been accustomed, for they may lose this without acquiring those of the soldiers, and I must confess to a preference for the more exact and respectful training of the Navy. It is by no means necessary to cause them discomfort, but they should never be allowed to omit the usual acknowledgements of the presence of their officers. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J.A. Dahlgren.
  2. ^ First Sailor To Carry The Navy Flag Returns To Visit Ceremonial Guard, Navy.mil, May 13, 2009.
  3. ^ US Navy flag
  4. ^ "Lot - RARE AMERICAN NAVAL FLAG - USNV "Remember the Maine" (United States Naval Veterans), Spanish-American War era, circa 1900, a machine stitched wool flag with Continental ring of thirteen stars in the field, the USNV an..." live.thomastonauction.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  5. ^ ""Victory at Sea", BATTLE STREAMERS FOR THE UNITED STATES NAVY FLAG".
  6. ^ Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs (February 21, 2019). "Navy Returns to Flying Union Jack". United States Navy. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
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