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Senior Executive Service (U.S.)

image by Joe McMillan, 23 December 1999

See also:

Note: The SES Flag design is owned, and production licensed, by Senior Executives Association Professional Development League Washington, D.C. 202-927-7000

The Senior Executive Service, established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, constitutes the seniormost grades of the U.S. federal civil service not including statutory officials who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. There are about 7,000 members of the SES, of whom 88% are career civil servants. Most of the remainder are political appointees who serve at the pleasure of the Administration. The flag for members of the SES is blue with the SES keystone emblem in the center in yellow, surrounded by a ring of 13 yellow stars.
Joe McMillan, 23 December 1999

The Senior Executive Association Professional Development League states at www.seniorexecs.com/products/prod01.htm:
"The Senior Executives Association Professional Development League is the sole provider of the official Senior Executive Service flag. Hand cut and sewn, the custom-made flag features the SES logo in gold encircled by 13 5-point gold stars on a field of navy blue.

The SES logo design is appliquéd on both sides on large flags and is silk-screened on the desktop flag. Both the large indoor flag and the desktop flag (4"x6") feature gold-fringed trim, while the outdoor flag is bordered in gold. The large indoor flag (3'x4') has a sewn-in pole sleeve (pole not included) , while the outdoor flag (3'x4')has a reinforced fly end, and heavy header and grommets on the hoist end. A large outdoor flag is available by special order.

History
Designed in 1988, the flag was developed under the direction of then SEA Board of Directors member Clyde Jeffcoat, a Senior Executive in the Department of the Army. The Army Office of Heraldry reviewed the design and it was subsequently approved in 1989 by the Office of Personnel Management for production and sale as the official SES flag, which SEA has registered as a trademark.

Authorization
On May 18, 1990, the Assistant Commissioner for Quality and Contract Administration, General Services Administration, confirmed that the Federal Supply Service views the SES flag as an item of personal decoration in an executive's office, similar to the U.S. flag or an agency flag. To quote the letter, "the SES flag is eligible for agency issuance and remains in the office as property belonging to the U.S. Government."
Joe McMillan, 8 May 2002

According to the US Army Institute of Heraldry, there are three versions of the Army Civilian Senior Executive flag (http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Catalog/HeraldryMulti.aspx?CategoryId=9356&grp=2&menu=Uniformed%20Services).

The standard Senior Executive Service flag has the SES symbol centered on a white field and surrounded by a dark blue band with the words "DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY" and "SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE" in gold.

The Senior Scientific and Professional Service flag is identical to the SES flag, but with the central symbol surrounded by a red band with the words "DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY" and "SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL" in gold. This flag was approved in November 2012.

The Senior Level flag is identical to the two other flags, but with the central symbol surrounded by a green band with the words "DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY" and "SENIOR LEVEL" in gold. This flag was also approved in November 2012.

As best I can tell, the difference between the uses of the flags has to do with the positions held in the organization by the individuals they represent.

* The SES flag is for executives only - civilian employees holding executive positions and maintaining a rank roughly analogous to a military flag officer.
* The Scientific and Professional flag is for civilian employees holding non-executive and non-technical positions while also maintaining a rank roughly analogous to a military flag officer.
* The Senior Level flag is for civilian employees holding technical, non-executive positions (i.e. the civilian equivalent of the Chief Warrant Officer of the Army) while also maintaining a rank roughly equivalent to a military flag officer. Within the US Intelligence Community, these positions are more often referred to as DISL, or Defense Intelligence Senior Level, positions.

Randy Young, 16 April 2015