Order of Precedence – United States Armed Forces

SFC Rich Carey — Thu, 29 May 2014 09:25:19 -0400

Can you name the order of precedence of the United States Armed Forces?

I have corrected the order of flags in car dealerships, events, and displays.
Have you made corrections, where?

Response by CSM Michael Evans made May 29 at 2014 9:46 AM

CSM Michael Evans — Thu, 29 May 2014 09:46:26 -0400

Army Birthday --14 June 1775
Marine Corps Birthday – 10 November 1775
Navy Birthday – 13 Oct 1775-Abolished Feb 1781-Reinstated 7 Sep 1781
Air Force Birthday – 18 September 1947
*Coast Guard Birthday – 4 August 1790

*According to the Institute of Heraldry, and in keeping with the order in which troops are listed in Department of Defense Directive 1005.8, during peacetime the Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Security. During wartime, if the Coast Guard comes under the control of the Department of Defense, then the Coast Guard flag would come before the Air Force flag in order of precedence.

Im made the same corrections countless times, as well as fixing finials on top of the staffs.

Response by CSM Michael Evans made May 29 at 2014 10:00 AM

CSM Michael Evans — Thu, 29 May 2014 10:00:26 -0400

Took me some digging in my files, but here it is:

Military organizational flags of the Services in order of precedence
1. Cadets, United States Military Academy
2. Midshipmen, United States Naval Academy
3. Cadets, United States Air Force Academy
4. Cadets, United States Coast Guard Academy
5. Midshipmen, United States Merchant Marine Academy
6. United States Army
7. United States Marine Corps
8. United States Navy
9. United States Air Force
10. United States Coast Guard
11. Army National Guard of the United States
12. Army Reserve
13. Marine Corps Reserve
14. Naval Reserve
15. Air National Guard of the United States
16. Air Force Reserve
17. Coast Guard Reserve
18. Other training organizations of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, in that order, respectively.

Response by SFC Rich Carey made May 29 at 2014 10:03 AM

SFC Rich Carey — Thu, 29 May 2014 10:03:11 -0400

Follow on question - If the Navy observes its official birthday on 13 October 1775 and the Marine Corps observes its official birthday on 10 November 1775, and the Marine Corps is officially recognized as part of the Department of the Navy, why does the Marine Corps have precedence over the Navy in official formations and when their respective flags, seals, emblems, insignia, etc. are displayed?

Response by MSG Nicholas Raben made Oct 18 at 2016 8:30 PM

MSG Nicholas Raben — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 20:30:12 -0400

How would you display a Department of Justice Agency seal with the seals of the Armed Forces on a building or wall?
This is for a veterans memorial at a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) institution. This institution placed 7 seals from left to right Air National Guard, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, BOP seal, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S.M.C.
I know the order of precedence for the Armed Forces. What I don't know is how the institution should place their BOP seal on the same building wall. Should the BOP seal be placed above the other seals and not in the same row. I do not think the placement of the BOP seal in the middle of the other seals is appropriate. There is no policy within the BOP that gives any guidance. When I called up to the Dept. of Justice, they forwarded me back to the BOP.

Any help would be appreciated.

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made Nov 29 at 2017 4:31 AM

SSgt Boyd Herrst — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 04:31:36 -0500

I do not not think the BOP would/ should have any place /order in the Military Service seals..

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Sep 17 at 2018 6:08 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 18:08:23 -0400

Many Highland Games, parades, funeral etc. USA, USMC, USN ( they were disbanded for several months by Congress) USAF and USCG ( wartime )

Response by LtCol William Bentley made Nov 13 at 2018 9:45 PM

LtCol William Bentley — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 21:45:07 -0500

There is no statutory lay down on the precise order of precedence of the armed services, or of the uniformed services when members of the PHS and NOAA are present, or even when members of other Executive Departments (US DoJ, DoS, DoL, etc.), States or subordinate political sub-entities, etc., are present at a ceremonial function where the order of precedence might matter.

The US Office of Protocol publishes a manual (The "Order of Precedence of the United States of America") use in ceremonial events...based on long traditions, and the bits and pieces of precedence that DO exist scattered throughout the US Code, but it is not wholly based on statute; much of it is based on long-standing customs:

"The methodology used in ordering officials for this list includes the United States Code; statutory
prescription on precedence, including Executive Orders; well-established and widely-accepted
principles, procedures and traditions throughout the history of the order of precedence; the current
structure of the federal government and the Executive Departments; and finally, recommendations by
the Chief of Protocol based on practical treatment of a particular position or positions." See: https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/286595.pdf

Within the DoD, there ONCE WAS a very authoritative instruction, DoD Directive 1005.8, which DID lay down the entire order of precedence, at least within the DoD. Other Answers here have described the DoD order of precedence as prescribed by DoDD 1005.8, but to briefly recap:

- Cadets and Midshipmen of the Federal Military Academies (in order: US Military, Naval, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine Academies)
- US Army
- USMC
- US Navy
- USAF
- USCG
- The 7 Reserve Components of the Armed Forces, in the same order as above, but the Army and Air Force National Guard take precedence over the Army Reserve, and Air Force Reserve, respectively...
- "Other Military Personnel" (very vaguely defined...since everybody else would already be a member of either the Active Component, or the Reserve Component, of one of the above Armed Services...perhaps this includes formally organized and DoD-sponsored Senior and Junior ROTC organizations, and/or a purely Public Health Service or NOAA organization, as one of the Uniformed Services (but not an Armed Force))
- etc.

The problem is: DOD DIRECTIVE 1005.8 WAS CANCELLED, AND NOT REPLACED, AT LEAST NOT BY ANOTHER DOD DIRECTIVE LIKE IT!

So just what did replace it? How do we still figure out who goes in what order, if the governing DoD Directive ceased to exist, and there is no US law that explicitly defines it for us?

Here is the tricky part: DoD Directive 5410.18, Public Affairs Community Relations Policy, was issued by DoD on November 20, 2001, and recertified "current" as recently as 30 May 2007, and it appeared to be the directive that cancelled DoD 1005.8.

DoDD 5410.8 very clearly states that the order of precedence contained in Army Regulation 600-25, “Salutes, Honors, and Visits of Courtesy” dated October 24, 2004, WAS THE SUCCESSOR DIRECTIVE FOR ESTABLISHING ORDER OF PRECEDENCE WITHIN THE DOD AND CEREMONIAL SUPPORT FOR VARIOUS ENTITIES AND EVENTS. Indeed, if you carefully compared the original wording and requirements of DoD 1005.8 with AR 600-25, it is virtually identical in the parts that matter here, the order of precedence of the various DoD organizations. See AR 600-25, par. 3-2, at https://www.usarmyband.com/pdf/AR_600_25.pdf:

See DoD Directive 5410.18, Public Affairs Community Relations Policy, found at:
http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodd/541018p.pdf

Specifically, paragraphs:

"4.8.12. When a Joint Armed Forces Color Guard, as specified in subparagraph 4.8.11., above, cannot be formed, the senior member of the senior Military Service in the Color Guard shall carry the National Colors. The DoD Components shall be guided by [DoD Directive 1005.8, as struck through in the Original] AR 600-25 (reference (l))."

and

"4.14.23. DoD policy on the order of precedence of members of the Armed Forces of
the United States in formation is in [DoD Directive 1005.8, as struck through in the original] AR 600-25 (reference (l))."

and

Enclosure (1), page 36:
["(l) DoD Directive 1005.8, "Order of Precedence of Members of Armed Forces of the
United States When in Formations," October 31, 1977][AS STRUCK THROUGH FOR DELETION FROM THE ORIGINAL]
(l) Army Regulation 600-25, “Salutes, Honors, and Visits of Courtesy” October 24,
2004" [AS ADDED IN RED INK TO THE ORIGINAL]

and

Enclosure (1), E.2.1.12:
"... The color guard shall include representatives from as many Military Services as possible and be
conducted in accordance with [DoD Directive 1005.8, as struck through in the Original], AR 600-25 (reference (l))... "

286595.pdf

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Response by COL Raul Villaronga made Dec 14 at 2019 12:19 PM

COL Raul Villaronga — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 12:19:16 -0500

How do I APPLY FOR DEPENDENTS

Response by SFC Kevin Childers made Jan 1 at 2024 12:42 AM

SFC Kevin Childers — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:42:57 -0500

And now Space Force