On Wednesday, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs signed a memorandum that outlines his policy for the public display or depiction of flags at VA facilities.
The new policy limits which flags can be flown, in addition to the American flag, on its facilities.
“This policy will bring consistency and simplicity to the display of flags throughout the department, which now has a singular focus: serving the needs of Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins.
In addition to the American flag, the other flags authorized are:
-
Flags of U.S. states and territories, or the District of Columbia
-
Official, branded flag of a U.S. agency
-
Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag
-
Presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed flags
-
Senior Executive Services (SES) and Military Department-specific SES flags
-
Ceremonial, command, unit, or branch flags or guidons
-
Burial flags to honor veterans or reservists
This also affects where employees can display, including:
-
The building’s common areas, bathrooms, storage rooms, kitchens and medical centers
-
Public areas, cubicles or workspaces, government vehicles
-
All spaces or items in public or plain view outside of a VA facility (i.e., parking lot).
The policy will not extend to museum exhibits, state-issued license plates, gravesites, memorial markers, monuments, educational displays, historical displays, or works of art where the display or depiction cannot reasonably be viewed as an endorsement of the flag by the VA.
The memorandum rescinds the secretary’s Flying the Flag During Pride Month memorandum from 2024.
The policy is effective immediately.
Read the full article here
