# Backwards flag on US uniforms

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backwards-flag-on-us-uniforms/167220>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 8, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backwards-flag-on-us-uniforms/167220 "2003-04-08T02:35:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backwards-flag-on-us-uniforms/167220/1 "2003-04-08T02:35:37Z")

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I’m watching the news, and they show US soldiers with a US flag on the shoulder of their uniform, and it’s backwards. Why is this?  
(It was the right arm, and I didn’t see the left. Perhaps the other arm had a normal facing flag?)

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backwards-flag-on-us-uniforms/167220/2 "2003-04-08T03:10:38Z")

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Think about a soldier carrying a flag into combat. It always flies with the stars at the front.

If the flag were the ‘right way’ forward, it would actually symbolically look like the person is retreating. So, flags are always oriented on soldiers with the ‘mast’ forward.

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backwards-flag-on-us-uniforms/167220/3 "2003-04-08T03:40:42Z")

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You can find a bit more information by reviewing the threads  
[American flag direction on military uniforms](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=174576)  
and  
[American flag patches on soldiers’ uniforms](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=175143)  
and  
[Back to front US flags on US soldiers jackets](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=174423)  
from the last couple of weeks.

(Maybe we need to pin one of these until the campaign is over.)

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**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backwards-flag-on-us-uniforms/167220/4 "2003-04-10T23:10:30Z")

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I searched on “flag” and “backward” but didn’t find these. Thanks.