Editing First Navy Jack (section)

{{short description|United States naval jack (1975–1976, 2002–2019)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox flag
| NamePrefix = Jack of&nbsp;
| Name = United States of America
| Image = Naval jack of the United States (2002–2019).svg
| Imagetext = The "First Navy Jack", currently flown only by the oldest active [[USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)|warship]] in the U.S. Navy.
| Caption = First U.S. Navy Jack (traditional)
| Nickname = The First Navy Jack
| Proportion = 2:1
| Symbol = {{FIAV|normal}}
| Adoption = October 13, 1975 (as U.S. naval jack)<br />{{nowrap|August 18, 1980 (for oldest U.S. warships)}}<br />September 11, 2002 (as U.S. naval jack)
| Relinquished = December 31, 1976 (as U.S. naval jack)<br />June 4, 2019 (as U.S. naval jack)
| Design = 13 horizontal stripes of alternating red and white, charged with a rattlesnake and inscribed on the lowest white stripe: "{{sic|DON|T}} TREAD ON ME".
}}
The '''First Navy Jack''' was the [[Jack of the United States|naval jack]] of the United States from 1975 to 1976 and again from 2002 to 2019. It was authorized by the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] and was flown from the [[jackstaff]] of commissioned vessels of the U.S. Navy while moored pierside or at anchor. Since then, it is used only as a naval jack by the oldest active warship in the U.S. Navy.{{efn|[[USS Constitution]], technically in active service, is excluded.}} The design is purported to be that of the first U.S. naval [[Jack (flag)|jack]], flown soon after independence, although this is apocryphal.

The First Navy Jack was replaced as the U.S. naval jack by the U.S. [[Jack of the United States|Union Jack]] (consisting of white stars on a blue field, not to be confused with the [[flag of the United Kingdom]], also commonly called "the Union Jack") on June 4, 2019, by order of the [[Chief of Naval Operations]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/2239000/navy-returns-to-flying-union-jack/|title=Navy Returns to Flying Union Jack|last=Affairs|first=This story was written by Chief of Naval Operations Public|website=www.navy.mil|language=en|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2014/09/12/the-colors-of-a-navy-and-nation/|title=The Colors of a Navy and Nation|website=The Sextant|access-date=2019-03-05|archive-date=2019-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226143442/http://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2014/09/12/the-colors-of-a-navy-and-nation/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://www.stripes.com/news/navy-returning]{{dead link|date=June 2019}}</ref>