Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Protocol and Heraldry”
Initially, the issue of US Navy and Coast Guard flagstaff finials can be complicated, but we will go through this systematically. A finial is the ornament or topper that is on the top of a flagstaff or mast. A flagstaff is only for static indoor display and to be carried by a color guard and a flag mast (flagpole) is …
Apparently, the Flag Code and military manuals are not enough for Americans to understand that the flag is special and needs to be treated with honor at all times.
Not long ago I received a private message, one that I have received, in essence, a few times before over the years. However, this time it was from an O-10 (Colonel/Captain).
Marching band and drum corps directors, color guard instructors, and flag printing companies have a very big responsibility to not violate Title 4 of the US Code, the Flag Code.
Andy Simmons wrote an article entitled, 12 Flag Etiquette Mistakes You Didn’t Realize You Were Making. He does a good job of identifying 9 subjects but has no idea about three of them.
For international flag protocol, this is accepted. This image is from the International Olympic Committee when the organization announced the USA would have the 2034 Olympic games in Salt Lake City, UT. I am not a fan of this in the least. The Olympic flag is placed to the right of national flags as far as the IOC is concerned. …
There are proper ways to handle a flag. This article goes over several proper techniques and shows some that are less than desirable and even inappropriate.
The US Air Force has different images that officially represent the military service in formal and informal settings. The Seal, Emblem, and other symbols are all trademarked for official use only. Educational use is authorized as well. Flag making companies are using the USAF Emblem to sell unauthorized cheap flags and members of the American public are buying them.
PGR members line funeral processions and are usually holding flags on makeshift staffs. Nothing wrong with that at all. Specifically, some members want to give more and possibly feel that “just” standing in line with a flagstaff in the right hand isn’t enough. Many members will now hold the staff in the left hand and render some type of salute.
There are instances where we may want to “honor” someone by doing something that possibly violates the Flag Code due to ignorance. This article aims to eliminate that ignorance and inform on ways to truly honor the ones who served our country.