How to Decommission the U.S. Flag
- 1). Choose a date and place for the decommissioning. June 14, Flag Day, is a commonly-used date, as is Memorial Day. Since flags are usually burned at the end of the decommissioning ceremony, choose a place with a fire pit, a steel drum or another safe place to burn the flag. Invite whomever you like or make it open to the community. Attendees should be dressed respectfully, with armed forces representatives in uniform.
- 2). Bring the flag out and present it to a couple of people who can inspect it and announce that it is no longer in condition for continued service and needs to be retired. Handle the flag with respect, not allowing it to touch the ground. You can use a color guard to do this.
- 3). Hoist the flag to the top of a flagpole.
- 4). Have someone, perhaps a local clergyman or a military chaplain, say a brief prayer. However, this step is optional.
- 5). Give one or more brief speeches about the importance of the flag. Flag Keepers.org, an organization dedicated to retiring American flags, has some examples.
- 6). Have the participants in the ceremoney salute the flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance.
- 7). Slowly lower the flag and fold it in a rectangular shape.
- 8). Burn the flag or dispose of it in another appropriate manner.
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