DEPARTMENTAL
REGULATION
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Number: 5160-005 |
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SUBJECT: Display and Use of the Flag |
DATE: April 28, 2008 |
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OPI: Office of Procurement and Property Management, Property Management Division |
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1. PURPOSE
This Departmental Regulation prescribes
USDA policies, procedures, and responsibilities for the display and use of the
flag of the
2. CANCELLATION
This regulation supersedes DR 5160-4, dated June 12, 1997.
3. AUTHORIZED FLAGS
There are three flags authorized for
display within the Department: the flag
of the
4. AUTHORITIES FOR HALF-STAFFING THE FLAGS
a. The President
of the United States, the Governor of a State, or the Mayor of the
District of Columbia may order the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff to honor
the death of a national state or District of Columbia figure, or in the event
of the death of a member of the Armed Forces who died while serving on active
duty (Title 4 U.S.C. as amended January 4, 2007).
b. The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to direct that
the U. S. flag be flown at half-staff on occasions other than those specified
in Proclamation No. 3044, March 1, 1954, as amended by Proclamation No. 3948,
December 12, 1969, at Agriculture-controlled facilities operated by Agriculture
under the building delegations program for which General Services
Administration (GSA) has delegated this authority.
c. The authority to fly the flags at half-staff is delegated to Agency
Heads from the Secretary of Agriculture, 7 CFR § 2.8. The guidelines and procedures, as outlined in
4 U.S.C. § 7 are to be followed. Agency
Heads may choose to fly the flags at half-staff on special occasions. Such
occasions are described in Appendix A, Section 3i.
5. OCCASIONS
a. Occasions for flying the flags at half-staff are described in
Appendix A, Sections 3i and j.
b. In addition to occasions described in Appendix A, requests to
half-staff the flags at specific sites for which Agriculture have
responsibility or such sites within certain geographic areas upon the death of
Federal, State, or local officials should be directed to Agency Heads or their
designee for approval. For USDA offices
and facilities located in space controlled by GSA, requests should be addressed
to the appropriate GSA Regional Administrator for approval and necessary
action.
6. RESPONSIBILITY
OPPM is responsible for disseminating
departmental policy through this issuance. The Office of Security Services,
Emergency Programs Operations Center (EOC) is responsible for notifying Agency Heads on occasions
other than those specified in this issuance when the flags are to be flown at
half-staff. Agencies are responsible for
compliance with the provisions of this issuance at all field installations and
for disseminating any further instructions or notifications received from OPPM
or EOC to those agency activities affected.
7. NOTIFICATION
a. The EOC will notify Agency Heads when this authority is exercised
other than on those occasions specified in Appendix A, Sections 3i and j, when
the flags are to be flown at half-staff.
b. Agencies will disseminate the information contained in this
issuance to all field activities which have facility management responsibility
and establish internal notification procedures for ensuring compliance with
half-staffing requirements. Agency
procedures will address both duty and non-duty hours. Internal procedures should involve either:
(1) Agencies having facility management responsibilities will refer to
Appendix A, Sections 3i and j, for designated occasions to fly the flags at
half-staff. If this policy is to be
implemented, procedures must be established for those activities to verify news
received through radio, television, or other news media of occasions requiring
half-staffing with pre-established contacts at Agency Headquarters; or
(2) Agencies will designate a central contact point to notify on each
half-staffing occasion, other than specified in Appendix A, Sections 3i and j.
8. PROCEDURES FOR NOTIFICATION ON LOWERING
FLAGS AT ALL FEDERAL FACILITIES
a. The EOC will receive an email message titled **Occasion to
Half-Staff the American Flag** (or similar) from Suitland.Megacenter@dhs.gov.
b. The EOC watchstander will review the email to ensure that the action
affects all federal facilities as opposed to a certain Federal entity
(for example, notices that only affect
flags at DHS facilities where USDA facilities take no action). If the email does not specify or if the EOC watchstander
is otherwise unsure, he or she will contact the White House Executive Office of
the Clerk at 202-456-2227 or the
c. Once it is determined that the email is indeed for all Federal
facilities, the EOC watchstander will forward the email to the “Flag
Notification Recipients” distribution
list in the
9. PROCEDURES FOR NOTIFICATION ON THE
LOWERING OF FLAGS AT USDA FACILITIES ONLY
a. If a request is received for information about the Secretary of
Agriculture authorizing the lowering to half-staff of the American flag, or
upon receiving information about the death of a USDA employee, the watchstander
will contact either the Chief of Staff or the Director of Scheduling for
further information.
b. Upon receiving authorization from the Office of the Secretary to
fly the American flag at half-staff at USDA facilities, the watchstander
will generate and send an email to the “Flag Notification Recipients”
distribution list in the
10. COMPUTATION OF PERIODS FOR HALF-STAFFINGS
a. When the number of days is specified.
(1) The day of death counts as the first day, even if the flags were
not placed at half-staff that day because death occurred after the normal time
to lower the flags for the day or notification was received too late to
half-staff on that day.
(2) The flags must be flown each day for the specified number of
calendar days, even if they would not normally be flown on some of the
days. This policy is applicable only if
operating personnel normally scheduled to work are available to perform this function.
b. On the day of death and on the following day.
(1) If notification of death is received before the normal time to
lower the flags for the day, the flags will be lowered to half-staff on that
day and flown at half-staff on the following day.
(2) If notification is received too late to half-staff the flags on the
day of death, the flags are flown at half-staff only on the day following
death.
(3) If notification of death is received on a day that the flags are
normally not flown, the flags must be flown at half-staff on that day and on
the following day. However, if
notification is received too late to half-staff the flags on the day of death,
the flags are flown at half-staff only on the following day.
c. From
the day of death until interment.
(1) If
notification of death is received before the time the
flags are normally lowered for the day, the flags must be lowered to half-staff
on that day. The flags will also be
flown at half-staff on each succeeding day, including the day of interment.
(2) If notification is received too late to half-staff the flags on the
day of death, the flags must be flown at half-staff beginning the following day
and on each succeeding day through the day of interment.
(3) If notification of death
is received on a day that the flags are normally not flown, the flags must be
flown at half-staff on that day and on each succeeding day, including the day
of interment. If notification is
received too late to half-staff the flags on the day of death, the flags are
flown at half-staff on the day following death and each succeeding day through
the day of interment.
d. Concurrent occasions to half-staff.
If during a period when the
flags are already at half-staff, and notification of another death is received,
the half-staff period will run concurrently, not consecutively.
11. DISPLAY OF FLAGS AT DEPARTMENT OWNED AND
OCCUPIED FACILITIES
a. The
b. The Flag of the Secretary of Agriculture. The
official flag of the Secretary of Agriculture is the symbol of the rank of the
cabinet office. It is to be displayed
only in the Secretary’s office or at Department functions attended by the
Secretary. When the Secretary is
transported via a vessel or automobile, a smaller version of the Secretary’s
flag may be displayed on such vessel or automobile. Refer to Appendix B for an illustration and
description of the Secretary’s flag.
c. The Departmental Flag. The
flag illustrated and described in Appendix C is the official flag of the Department
of Agriculture.
(1) Indoor Display. The official flag of the Department of
Agriculture may be used at functions attended by the Deputy Secretary, the
Under Secretaries, or Agency Heads, or at other locations with the approval of
the Chief, Property Management Division, OPPM.
Requests for an indoor flag shall be in writing and detail the specifics
for request. Also, the request must be
accompanied by a Form AD-14, Request for Supplies, Forms and/or Publications
signed by the Agency Head or his/her designee.
Approved requests for flags will be forwarded to the Central Supply
Stores located at the Beltsville Warehousing Complex for processing.
(2) Outdoor Display. The official flag of the Department of
Agriculture will be displayed at the Department headquarters in
-END-
APPENDIX A
UNITED STATES FLAG
Laws
pertaining to the display of the flag of the
1. DISPLAY AND USE OF FLAG BY CIVILIANS;
CODIFICATION OR RULES AND CUSTOMS; DEFINITION (4 U.S.C. § 5)
The following codification of existing rules and customs
pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the
2. TIME AND OCCASIONS FOR DISPLAY; HOISTING
AND LOWERING (4 U.S.C. § 6)
a. It is the universal custom to display the flag
from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the
open. However, when patriotic effect is
desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly
illuminated during the hours of darkness.
b. The flag should be hoisted briskly and
lowered ceremoniously.
c. The flag should not be displayed on days
when weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.
d. The flag should be displayed on all days,
especially on New Year’s Day, January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday, third Monday in January; Lincoln’s Birthday,
February 12; Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February; Easter Sunday
(variable); Mother’s Day, second Sunday in May; Armed Forces Day, third Saturday
in May; Memorial Day
(half-staff until noon), last Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day,
first Monday in September; Constitution Day, September 17; Columbus Day, second
Monday in October; Navy Day, October 27; Veteran’s Day, November 11;
Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; Christmas Day, December 25; and
such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States; the
birthdays of States (date of admission); and on State holidays.
e. The flag should be displayed daily on or
near the main administration building of every public institution.
3. POSITION AND MANNER OF DISPLAY (4 U.S.C. § 7)
The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags,
should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag’s own right, or if
there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.
a. The flag of the
b. The flag of the
c. When flags of States, cities or localities,
or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the
d. When flags of two or more nations are
displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal
size. International usage forbids the display
of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.
e. When the flag of the
f. When displaying other flags horizontally
or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag’s
own right, that is, to the observer’s left.
g. When used on a speaker’s platform, the
flag, if displayed flat, should be displayed above and behind the speaker. When displayed from a staff in a church or
public auditorium, the flag of the United States of America should hold the
position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the
position of honor at the clergyman’s or speaker’s right as he/she faces the
audience. Any other flag so displayed
should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker or to the right of the
audience.
h. The flag should form a distinctive feature
in the ceremony of unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never be used
as the covering for the statue or monument.
i. An Agency Head may direct that the flag be
displayed at half-staff pursuant to the following conditions:
(1) The flag will fly at half-staff for a period not to exceed one
day, except upon the death of a Forest Service employee while fighting fire or
in a law enforcement action, the Chief of the Forest Service is delegated the
authority to fly the flags at half-staff for three days.
(2) Flying the flag at half-staff will symbolize respect to the memory
of a USDA individual(s) who died in the line of duty; the loss of life of a
local individual(s) through an act of heroism or to honor fallen soldiers of a current war.
(3) The lowering of the flag to half-staff will only be done in USDA
controlled-buildings or facilities.
(4) In a multi-tenant building complex or facility the lead agency
must agree to fly the flag at half-staff.
j. The flag, when flown at half-staff, should
be first hoisted to peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff
position. The flag should again be raised
to the peak before it is lowered for the day.
On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon
only, then raised to the top of the staff.
By order of the President, the flag
shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United
States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a
mark of respect to their memory. In the
event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be
displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in
accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In the event of the death of a present or
former official of the Government of any State, territory, or possession of the
The President may issue each year a
proclamation directing United States government officials to display the flag
of the United States at half-staff on the following days: Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15 unless
that day is also Armed Forces Day; Memorial Day (half-staff until noon only,
then raised to the top of the staff), last Monday in May; and National Pearl
Harbor Day, December 7.
As used in the subsection –
(1) the term “half-staff” means the position of the flag when it is
one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff;
(2) the term “executive or military department” means any agency
listed under sections 101 and 102 of Title 5, United States Code; and
(3) the term “Member of Congress” means a Senator, a Representative, a
Delegate, or a Resident Commissioner from
k. When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a
building with only one main entrance, it should be suspended vertically with
the union of the flag to the observer’s left upon entering. If the building has more that one main
entrance, the flag should be suspended vertically near the center of the
corridor or lobby with the union to the north, when entrances are to the east
and west or to the east when entrances are to the north and south. If there are entrances in more than two
directions, the union should be to the east.
4. RESPECT FOR THE FLAG (4 U.S.C. § 8)
No disrespect should be shown to the
flag of the
5. CONDUCT DURING HOISTING, LOWERING OR
PASSING OF THE FLAG (4 U.S.C. § 9)
During the ceremony of hoisting of or
lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in a review, all
persons present except those in uniform should face the flag and stand at
attention with the right hand over the heart.
Those present in uniform should render
the military salute. When not in
uniform, men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at
left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.
Aliens should stand at attention.
The salute to the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the
moment the flag passes.
6. DESTRUCTION OF WORN FLAGS (4 U.S.C. § 8)
The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer
a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way,
preferably by burning. A local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
may be able to assist in properly disposing of the flag.
7. MODIFICATION OF RULES AND CUSTOMS BY
PRESIDENT (4 U.S.C. § 10)
Any rule or custom pertaining to the
display of the flag of the United States of America, set forth in 4 U.S.C. § 1
et seq., may be altered, modified, or repealed, or additional rules with
respect thereto may be prescribed, by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed
Forces of the United States, whenever he deems it to be appropriate or
desirable and any such alteration or additional rule shall be set forth in a
proclamation.
APPENDIX B
OFFICAL FLAG OF THE SECRETARY
OF AGRICULTURE
The flag
pictured above is the flag of the Secretary of Agriculture. It was authorized by Secretary Claude
R.Wickard on June 9, 1941. The official
description is as follows:
The
color of the flag of the Secretary of Agriculture will be of blue silk, four
feet four inches on the pike by five feet six inches fly. In each of the four corners will be a white
5-pointed star, 6-1/2 inches in diameter, with one pointed upward. The centers of the stars will be 8-1/2 inches
from the long edges and 12 inches from the short edges of the colors. In the center of the color will be the
Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture, adopted June 21, 1895, 31
inches in diameter, in proper colors, which consist of a shield azure with a
shock of corn upon a base vert, in back of an American plough proper, within an
annulet argent, outer edges roped, inner edges beaded, charged with the
inscription “United States Department of Agriculture,” and in base a scroll
bearing the legend “1862 Agriculture is the Foundation of Manufacture and
Commerce 1889” or; the area between the shield and annulet to be azure, diapered
with 44 mullets argent; the device and stars embroidered. The color will be trimmed on three edges with
a knotted fringe of silk 2-1/2 inches wide.
Attached below the spear head of the flag will be a cord 8 feet 6 inches
in length, with a tassel at each end.
Cord and tassels will be of blue and white silk strands.
The flag of the
Secretary of Agriculture was designed by Paul P. Moller of the Exhibits Service
of the Office of Information and approved by the Heraldic Division of the
Quartermaster General’s Office, War Department, on June 9, 1941.
Dimensions of
Vessel or Auto Flags. A smaller flag is
authorized for use on vessels or automobiles transporting the Secretary of
Agriculture. The recommended size for a
vessel flag is approximately 36 inches in width and 46 inches in length. An automobile flag should be about 16 inches
in width and 20 inches in length. The
seal and stars are to be reduced proportionately when these smaller flags are
manufactured.
APPENDIX C
OFFICIAL FLAG OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE
The Official
flag of the Department of Agriculture, pictured above, is described as follows:
The
color of the flag of the Department of Agriculture will be blue. In the center will be the Official Seal of
the Department of Agriculture, adopted June 21, 1895, in proper colors, which
consists of a shield azure with a shock of corn upon a base vert, in back of an
American plough proper, within an annulet argent, outer edges roped, inner
edges beaded, charged with the inscription “United States Department of
Agriculture,” and in base a scroll bearing the legend “1862 Agriculture is the
Foundation of Manufacture and Commerce 1889” or; the area between the shield
and annulet to be azure diapered with 44 mullets argent.
The dimensions
of the flag shall be as follows:
For outdoor display, five feet on
the pike by nine feet fly (5’0” x 9’0”).
For
indoor display, four feet four inches on the pike by five feet six inches fly
(4’4” x 5’6”). For indoor display, a
fringe may be used.