The design of the United States Air Force Civilian Retiree Lapel Pin is inspired by the Department of the Air Force Seal approved on 1 November 1947 by President Harry S. Truman, less than two months after the Air Force was officially formed as an independent service branch of the Department of Defense.
The pin’s American Bald Eagle with outstretched wings set against a cloud formation has a dual meaning. The eagle has represented the United States from our nation’s earliest days, but it was an icon quickly adopted by our country’s aerial forces in the 20th century to reflect the ability to strike from the sky whenever necessary to defend our freedoms.
On the Air Force seal, the eagle is actually perched on the coat of arms, which is a heraldic interpretation of Jupiter’s thunderbolt as a metaphor for aerial power in combat. It is not included on the Civilian Retiree Lapel Pin because civilians are not directly involved in the delivery of airstrikes or the exercise of airpower.
According to the Air Force Civilian Service, some 180,000 civilians are employed by the Air Force.