Seal of the United States Department of Homeland Security facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Seal of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security |
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The seal of the United States Department of Homeland Security.
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| Armiger | United States Department of Homeland Security |
| Adopted | June 19, 2003 |
| Torse | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY |
| Other elements | A graphically styled American eagle appears in a circular blue field. The eagle's outstretched wings break through an inner red ring into an outer white ring that contains a circular placement of the words "U.S. DEPARTMENT OF" in the top half and "HOMELAND SECURITY" in the bottom half. The outer white ring has a silvery gray border. As in The Great Seal, the eagle's left claw holds an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 seeds (olives) while the right claw grasps 13 arrows. Centered on the eagle's breast is a shield divided into three sections containing elements that represent the homeland "from sea to shining sea." The top element, a dark blue sky, contains 22 stars representing the original 22 agencies and bureaus that have come together to form the department. The left shield element contains white mountains behind a green plain underneath a light blue sky. The right shield element contains four wave shapes representing the oceans, lakes and waterways alternating light and dark blue separated by white lines. |
| Earlier version(s) |  |
| Use | To represent the organization and denote official documents, objects, vessels, aircraft, vehicles, and officers. |
The Seal of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is a special symbol. It represents the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DHS is a part of the U.S. government that works to keep our country safe. This seal is used on official papers and items to show they are from the DHS.
Many people helped create this seal. Leaders and employees from the DHS gave their ideas. The U.S. Commission on Fine Arts also helped. Companies like the Ad Council and Landor Associates made sure the design looked good and followed traditional rules for symbols. You can also see this seal on the DHS flag, which is a blue flag with the seal in the middle.
How the Seal Was Created
The United States Department of Homeland Security was formed in November 2002. It took over from an older group called the U.S. Office of Homeland Security (OHS). The OHS was created in October 2001 to help protect the country. The DHS is a big, independent part of the government.
Before the DHS got its own seal in 2003, it used a slightly changed version of the Great Seal of the United States. This is the main seal of the U.S. government.
The DHS seal was officially shown in June 2003. This was several months after the department was created. The colors of the seal are very specific. They include "Homeland Security Blue," "Homeland Security Gray," "Homeland Security Red," "Homeland Security Light Blue," and "Homeland Security Green." Each color has a special code to make sure it's always the same.
What Does the Seal Mean?
The seal is full of symbols that show what the DHS does. Its main job is to prevent attacks and protect people in the U.S. This includes protection on land, in the sea, and in the air.
- The Eagle: In the middle of the seal, there's a white American eagle. It's in a blue circle. The eagle's wings stretch out and break through a red ring into a white outer ring. This shows that the DHS wants to break through old ways of doing things. It wants to work differently to keep everyone safe.
- The Words: The outer white ring has the words "U.S. DEPARTMENT OF" at the top and "HOMELAND SECURITY" at the bottom.
- Eagle's Claws: Like the Great Seal of the United States, the eagle holds things in its claws. In its left claw, it holds an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 seeds. The olive branch means peace. In its right claw, the eagle holds 13 arrows. The arrows mean strength and protection. The number 13 stands for the original 13 states of the U.S.
- The Shield: On the eagle's chest is a shield. This shield is divided into three parts. These parts show the different areas of the U.S. that the DHS protects.
- Top of Shield: The top part is a dark blue sky. It has 22 stars. These stars represent the 22 different government groups that came together to form the DHS.
- Left of Shield: The left part shows white mountains behind a green plain under a light blue sky. This represents the land of the U.S.
- Right of Shield: The right part has four wavy shapes. These waves are light and dark blue, separated by white lines. They represent the oceans, lakes, and waterways of the U.S.
The seal is a very important symbol for the DHS. It helps everyone understand their mission to keep the country safe.
Images for kids
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Seal of the United States Office of Homeland Security
