POW-MIA Flag Display

We're about to begin the annual cycle of displaying the POW-MIA flag at postal facilities on six specific days. The flag and its display at our facilities honors the sacrifices made by members of the armed services held as prisoners of war or missing in action. This information, from the Administrative Support Manual, will help guide your display of the American and POW-MIA flags. We suggest that you copy this information so it is available for quick and easy reference.

Administrative Support Manual [ASM]

4 Relations with Other Organizations

47 Flags

471 Flags at Postal Facilities

471.1 Which May Be Displayed
Except as governed by host facilities as noted in 472.21, the only flags to be displayed at postal facilities are the flag of the United States of America, the Postal Service flag, the POW-MIA flag, and, when authorized by the vice president of Public Affairs and Communications, flags directly related to the programs, missions, and activities of the United States Postal Service. Flags of states, commonwealths, or local governments must not be displayed.

471.2 Relative Placement

471.21 When Displayed on Flagstaffs
Other flags are flown below the U.S. flag if displayed on the same flagstaff and at the same level or lower if displayed on a separate flagstaff. When the U.S. flag is flown at half-staff, all other flags are to be at half-staff also.

471.22 When Displayed on Flagstaffs
When the United States flag and the Postal Service flag are displayed on a speaker's platform in an auditorium, the United States flag must occupy the position of honor and be placed at the speaker's right as the speaker faces the audience, with the Postal Service flag at the speaker's left.

472 U.S. Flag Display

472.1 Regulations for Proper Display

472.11 Placement
If the flag of the United States is not flown from a vertical flagstaff, the following regulations apply:

a. When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag (blue field and stars) must be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff.

b. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a building to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag must be hoisted out, union first, from the building.

c. When the flag is displayed otherwise than by being flown from a staff, it must be displayed flat, whether indoors or out, or so suspended that its folds fall as free as though the flag were staffed whether indoors or out, or so suspended that its folds fall as free as though the flag were staffed.

476 POW-MIA Flag Display

476.1 Policy
The Defense Authorization Act, Public Law 105-85, section 1082, requires that postal facilities display the POW-MIA flag on six specified days each year:

Armed Forces Day . . . . Third Saturday in May
Memorial Day . . . . . . Last Monday in May
Flag Day -. . . . . . . . . . . June 14
Independence Day . . . July 4
National POW-MIA
Recognition Day . . . . . Third Friday in September.
Veterans Day . . . . . . . . November. 11

Note: If any of these days fall on a non-business day, postal facilities are required to display the POW-MIA flag on the last business day before the designated day.

476.2 Display

476.2l Descriptions
The POW-MIA flag that may be flown at postal facilities is the National League of Families POW-MIA flag that is recognized officially and designated by Public Law 101-355, section 2.

476.22 Regulations
The POW-MIA flag must be displayed in a manner designed to ensure visibility to the public.

476.23 Placement With the United States Flag
No other flag should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of United States flag.

476.3 Requisitioning New POW-MIA Flags
To order, use the FEDSTRIP Activity Address Code as for any normal supply requisition on PS Form 7380, MDC Supply Requisition, to the following address: