Spanberger Orders POW/MIA Flags for Armed Forces Day

Governor Abigail Spanberger ordered Virginia's flag to fly at full staff and the POW/MIA flag to be displayed on public buildings and grounds for armed forces day on May 16, 2026. The order ties the display to honoring service members who were prisoners of war or missing in action.

Spanberger issued the order on May 15, 2026, under section 2.2-3310.1 of the Code of Virginia. She wrote, "We owe an immense debt of gratitude to the men and women who put on the uniform and sacrifice to keep us safe."

Virginia public buildings

The order directs the flag of the Commonwealth of Virginia to be displayed at full staff on public buildings and grounds in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It also encourages all agencies and institutions of the Commonwealth to display the POW/MIA flag at full staff on public buildings on Armed Forces Day.

That places the display requirement across state property rather than at a single site, with the order covering the commonwealth's public buildings and grounds on the same day. The date is fixed: May 16, 2026.

Section 2.2-3310.1

The citation to section 2.2-3310.1 gives the order its formal basis in Virginia law. Spanberger's directive uses that section to connect the flag display to Armed Forces Day and to the recognition of service members who were prisoners of war or reported missing in action.

For Virginians seeing the flags on May 16, the action is straightforward: the commonwealth flag goes to full staff, and the POW/MIA flag is displayed as part of the day's observance. The order turns that recognition into a statewide instruction for public buildings and grounds.