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Flag reminders for three May holidays

Postmaster Shari Lux raises the U.S. flag
Postmaster Shari Lux raises the U.S. flag at the Boston, NY, Post Office this week.

The Postal Service is reminding managers and employees about flag requirements for three holidays this month:

Peace Officers Memorial Day, which honors police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, is Monday, May 15.

USPS facilities are required to fly the flag at half-staff this day.

To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it to the half-staff position. The flag should be raised to the peak again before it’s lowered for the day.

Armed Forces Day, which honors men and women who served in the U.S. military, is Saturday, May 20.

Postal facilities that are open this day are required to fly the POW-MIA flag, which honors the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces held as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action.

The POW-MIA flag must fly below the U.S. flag.

Memorial Day, a federal holiday to remember the men and women who died while serving in the armed forces, is Monday, May 29.

Facilities that are open on the holiday must fly the U.S. flag at half-staff. The POW-MIA flag must fly below the U.S. flag.

The U.S. flag must be flown at half-staff from sunrise — or the hour when it’s raised — until noon. Then, hoist the flag to the peak of the staff, where it either must fly until the time of closing or no later than sunset (unless the flag is lighted).

Facilities that fly the flag at all times and are closed on Memorial Day should lower the flag to half-staff when the facility closes prior to the holiday. Return the flag to full staff when the facility opens Tuesday, May 30.

The Postal Service offers online guidelines for U.S. flag display and maintenance, as well as requirements for displaying the POW-MIA flag.

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