Happy Birthday, U.S. Army

100% American-Made United States Army flags from LIBERTY FLAGS, The American Wave®
100% American-Made United States Army flags from LIBERTY FLAGS, The American Wave®

The United States Army is the oldest and most senior branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Its history is rooted in the same Continental Army that was commanded by General George Washington — it was renamed the United States Army in the year following the victory of Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War.

On June 14, 1775, the U.S. Continental Congress first authorized the enlistment of expert riflemen to serve the U.S. Colonies, naming it the “American Continental Army”.

Today, with troops serving and protecting over land, sea, and air, the United States Army is not only America’s largest branch of our Armed Forces, but an instrumental force all around the globe.

On June 14 each year, we celebrate the founding of the United States Army.

Flying the Army Flag Outdoors

The Department of Defense Directive 1005.8 asserts the order of precedence of military personnel, which we can safely assume mirrors that of military flags on an Outdoor Flagpole. That order is as follows: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. However, the Coast Guard Flag moves up right behind Navy when the Coast Guard operates as a service of the Department of the Navy during a time of war. As of this writing, the D.O.D. Directive has not been updated to include the Space Force flag (current as of 2003.

The recent addition of the Space Force flag has, therefore, generated some confusion. Most visible examples show the Space Force flag placed between the Air Force and Coast Guard flags. However, though it meets with historic precedent and follows the same guiding reasoning, this precedence has not been documented in writing that we have found.

In a mandatory directive from the Secretary of The Air Force (downloadable here) in August of 2020, the Space Force flag is ordered to be flown in the sixth position, after the Coast Guard flag (as pictured throughout our website).

When the flags are being flown on multiple Outdoor Flagpoles, the American Flag should always be flown first in line. If you are flying the Army Flag on the same pole as your American Flag, it should be of equal size or smaller and flown below the American Flag.

Displaying the Army Flag Indoors

When displaying Military Ceremonial Flags, the order of precedence remains the same as when they are displayed outdoors. The American Ceremonial Flag is always displayed first in the order. It’s also important to remember that when a Military Ceremonial flag is presented by a color guard, either indoors, during a parade, or on the playing field, a Parade Carry Belt must be worn.

Military Desk Flags and sets are another way to show your support for U.S. Armed Forces. Desk flags are small and versatile; they can be displayed on a podium, a desk, or even a window sill. These small flags can also be waved during a parade or celebration for the U.S. Army Birthday.

Do You Celebrate America's Army?

Send us your pictures of Army flags, American flags, flagpoles, ropes, or other accessories! We would be honored to feature your photography in our blog or on Facebook. Remember, photos of damaged flags and accessories are valuable, too.

Do you have suggestions for information you'd like to see here? If so, please send them our way!

Please send all of your suggestions or questions to service@LibertyFlags.com. We want to hear from you!

Have a great day, from your friends at LIBERTY FLAGS, The American Wave®.

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