Flag Precedence
Here is the accepted order of precedence for displaying flags during both official and unofficial military and civilian ceremonies. As you sit in an audience and face the flags, they're arranged as follows, left to right:
THE UNITED STATES FLAG
FOREIGN COUNTRY FLAGS (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
STATE FLAGS (By admission to the union)
SERVICE FLAGS (By order of Service (DOD Dir 1005.8))
| ARMY FLAG | 11 July 1775 | |
| MARINE FLAG | 10 November 1775 | |
| NAVY FLAG | 13 October 1775* | |
| AIR FORCE FLAG | 18 September 1947 | |
| COAST GUARD FLAG | 4 August 1790 | |
| * Navy officially changed to this date. Prior to that they were a younger service than the Marine Corps. |
||
NORTH AMERICAN AEROSPACE DEFENSE FLAG
UNITED STATES SPACE COMMAND FLAG
MAJCOM COMMAND FLAGS (In alphabetical order—all on the same level)
Air Combat Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Force Materiel Command
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Mobility Command
Pacific Air Forces
United States Air Forces in Europe
FIELD OPERATING AGENCIES
AIR NATIONAL GUARD
AIR FORCE RESERVE
DIRECT REPORTING UNITS
NUMBERED AIR FORCE & WINGS (Descending order)
PERSONAL OR GENERAL OFFICER FLAGS
(4-, 3-, 2-, and 1-star; one flag per service regardless of how many general officers of that grade are in attendance. If two Air Force brigadier generals are present, display only one 1-star flag. If an Army and an Air Force brigadier general are present, display both an Army and Air Force 1-star flag with date of rank of the generals determining whose flag takes precedence).
