New rules passed in the U.S. Congress allow for state Governors to order lowering the U.S. flag to half-staff in the event of the death of a state official (or former state official). Included are military service personnel from the state in question, who die while serving on active duty.

Governor Gregoire ordered the lowering of U.S. flags in Washington state for two days earlier this week (April 9th and April 10th) due to the active-duty military related deaths of "U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dustin Lee Canham of Lake Stevens, who died in Djibouti, on March 23," and "U.S. Marine Corps Maj. William Gregory Hall of Seattle who was killed in action in Fallujah, Iraq, on March 30" [quoted material from the Tri-City Herald].

This is the Washington State National Guard Armory 2nd Battalion, 146 Field Artillery Headquarters on Eastside Street in Olympia, Washington: