A respectful multi-flag display starts with one clear decision: identify the United States flag and give it the position of honor before placing any military service, state, organizational, or remembrance flag.
The short answer
In a joint Armed Forces color guard, the national colors lead. Current Department of Defense guidance places the service colors after them in this order: United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Space Force, and United States Coast Guard. A unit or ceremony may have more specific governing instructions, so its protocol authority remains the final source for the event.
Common display arrangements
Flags on separate staffs
When the United States flag is displayed with other flags from staffs, the Flag Code gives it the position of honor. In a grouped indoor display, that normally means the flag's own right—the observer's left—or the center and highest point when several staffs form a cluster. No other flag in the group should be placed above it.
Crossed staffs
When the United States flag is crossed with another flag against a wall, its staff should be in front and the United States flag should be on its own right, which is the observer's left.
On a wall
When displayed horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union—the blue field of stars—belongs uppermost and to the flag's own right. To a person facing the display, that is the upper-left corner.
On one halyard
When the United States flag is flown with state, local, society, or organizational flags on the same halyard, it belongs at the peak. It is raised first and lowered last. Flags of other nations use separate staffs and are displayed at the same height and at approximately equal size in peacetime.
Rules that do not change
- Do not dip the United States flag to any person or thing. State, regimental, and organizational flags may be dipped as a mark of honor.
- Keep the flag from touching the ground, floor, water, or merchandise.
- Display it from sunrise to sunset unless it is properly illuminated during darkness.
- Hoist it briskly and lower it ceremoniously.
- Do not add lettering, logos, marks, or insignia to the United States flag.
- Do not use the flag itself as advertising, drapery, or ordinary decoration.
A simple pre-ceremony check
- Confirm which flag is the United States flag and where its position of honor will be.
- Confirm the applicable order for service, state, organizational, and remembrance flags.
- Inspect each flag, staff, finial, harness, base, halyard, and attachment.
- Check clearance from the ground, walls, trees, vehicles, lighting, and the audience path.
- Assign who will raise, carry, post, retrieve, fold, and store each flag.
- Rehearse the sequence at a deliberate pace before the audience arrives.
Product boundary
The Eder reinforced-fly United States flag is a released product. The military service and POW/MIA pages in the Gameday catalog are public licensing proofs until their rights and commercial release are complete. A retail product page does not make a flag government-issued, an authorized unit color, a VA burial flag, or certified ceremonial equipment.
Official references
- 4 U.S.C. §7 — Position and manner of display
- 4 U.S.C. §8 — Respect for the flag
- Department of Veterans Affairs — Guidelines for Display of the Flag
- DoDI 5410.19, Volume 4 — Armed Forces Color Guard
