The flag of the United States Navy consists of the seal of the U.S. Department of the Navy in the center, above a yellow scroll inscribed "United States Navy" in dark blue letters, against a dark blue background.
The flag was officially authorized by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 24 April 1959 and was formally introduced to the public on 30 April 1959 at a ceremony at Naval Support Facility Carderock in Maryland.First Sailor To Carry The Navy Flag Returns To Visit Ceremonial Guard, Navy.mil, 13 May 2009. It replaced the infantry battalion flag which had been used as the U.S. Navy's unofficial flag for many years beforehand.
It is used on land, displayed inside naval offices, in parades, and for other ceremonial occasions, and often on a staff at the quarterdeck of ships in port.US Navy flag It is not flown by ships at sea, nor on outdoor flagpoles on naval land installations, and is not used as an identifying mark of U.S. Navy ships and facilities, as the U.S. Coast Guard ensign is.
Executive order
The following is details from the Naval Telecommunications Procedures, Flags, Pennants & Customs, NTP 13(B)
1710. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY By Executive Order 10812 of 24 April 1959, the President, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Navy with the approval of the Secretary of Defense, established and prescribed an official flag for the United States Navy. This flag is to be 4 feet 4 inches hoist (width) by 5 feet 6 inches fly (length), of dark blue material, with yellow fringe, 2½ inches wide. In the center of the flag is a device 3 feet 1 inch overall, consisting of the inner pictorial portion of the seal of the Department of the Navy (with the exception that a continuation of the sea has been substituted for the land area), in its proper colors within a circular yellow rope edging, all 2 feet 6 inches in diameter above a yellow scroll inscribed "UNITED STATES NAVY" in dark blue letters.
Streamers The following streamers are authorized, in order of precedence: + Streamers Order Name Image Device(s) 1Presidential Unit Citation (Navy)"red numerals" 2Navy Unit Commendation"red numerals" 3Meritorious Unit Commendation (Navy)"red numerals" 4Revolutionary War 5Quasi-War with France 6the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War 7War of 1812 8African Slave Trade 9Operations Against West Indian Pirates 10Indian Wars 11Mexican War 12Civil War 13Spanish Campaign 14Philippine Campaign 15China Relief Expedition 16World War I Victory 17World War II Victory 18Second Nicaraguan Campaign 19Yangtze Service 20China Service 21American Defense Service 22American Campaign 23Asiatic-Pacific Campaign x 2 24European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign 25Korean Service 26National Defense Service 27Armed Forces Expeditionary 28Vietnam Service 29Southwest Asia Service 30Kosovo Campaign 31Afghanistan Campaign 32Iraq Campaign 33Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary 34Global War on Terrorism Service Note that a "x #" designation denotes the number of streamers used to carry devices (maximum of 6), not the number of awards. For streamers there the device column lists "red numerals", the total number of the award earned by ships and units of the Navy are totalled and embroidered in red. Because these numbers are constantly changing, they are not listed here.
Navy jack
Jacks are additional national flags flown by warships (and certain other ships) on a jackstaff at the bow of the ship. These are usually flown only when not underway and when the ship is dressed on special occasions.
See also Flags of the United States Armed Forces
References
External links
The U.S. Navy's First Jack
First Sailor to Carry Flag Returns