(Front left to right) Information Systems Technician

(Front left to right) Information Systems Technician 1st Class (SW/AW) Angela Thompson and Information Systems Technician 1st Class (IDW/SW) Gloria Blanchard display the U.S. flag before it is placed reverently on a fire during the U.S. flag retirement ceremony at Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. The United States Code stipulates, "When the flag of our country has become worn or damaged and is in such a condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, it should be destroyed in a dignified way." The proper way to dispose of our national emblem is through burning and burial. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mary Popejoy/Released)