In June 2019 the U.S. Navy will restore the tradition of the oldest warship in service being the only one to fly the Revolutionary War era First Navy Jack (with 13 alternating horizontal red and white stripes with a rattlesnake superimposed as well as the words "Don't Tread On Me") instead of the usual Union Jack (blue with fifty white stars). Since September 11, 2002, all U.S. Navy ships have been flying the First Navy Jack and that was to continue for the duration of the War On Terrorism. The navy has no official comment on what this change has to do with the progress of the war.
Is this a symbol that the war on terror is officially over? Perhaps.
Consider that in Afghanistan and in Iraq friendly governments that we support fight terrorists.
So we aren't sending large numbers of conventional infantry in to fight terrorists these days. Especially with the need to focus American conventional forces more on conventional potential foes.
Special forces, air strikes, intelligence, and advisors are our contributions to a fight against jihadi terrorists that in some ways is more law enforcement of chasing down cells.
Although as the special forces and air strikes components suggest, there is still a lower level direct action aspect to the war on terror which continues even if it doesn't justify the First Navy Jack on all the ships. Just remember the Cole and don't get sloppy without that flag flying over every ship.
Remember that we had to re-defeat jihadis in Iraq War 2.0 after walking away from Iraq after the Iraq War victory and failing to keep the pressure on the defeated jihadis--which Iraq obviously proved unable to do without our continued help.
And of course, our military actions have always been a holding action to allow the Moslem world to resolve their civil war about who gets to define Islam--jihadi extremists or those willing to live in peace with non-Moslems.
