Posted on Dec 8, 2018
As a prior-service Marine now in the Army, where can I go to sort out problems with getting my Marine awards on my ERB?
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I recently joined the army, after serving 9 plus years in the Marines. The transition has been fairly easy, but the admin part, it has not. Particularly when it comes to awards and ribbons transferred over. About once a month, I'm in S1 trying to figure out more awards status due to it not showing up on my Erb. Now I know I get an additional ribbon due to being in the Army and also my unit awards go on the other side. I also noticed the green beret who recently died in is legacy photo was a prior marine and wore all his marine ribbons, including wear the sea service and good conduct. So, one, has anyone dealt with this problem before and two, where do I need to go to to have this sorted out.
Prior Service
Marines
US Army Recruiting School
Admin Clerk
Posted 6 y ago
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1) Start with your DD214. Everything you earned Medal/Ribbon wise should be there. If it is not, you'll need to get a DD215 (or updated DD214) from HQMC reflecting your correct awards.
2) "Generally" speaking, any award that has a cross-service equivalent can be worn in any service. So your Good Conduct, and Sea Service are both valid awards, as would any NAM or NCMs you may have received. Campaign Medals, NDSM, and Unit Awards all transfer over.
3) Things that don't transfer over are "usually" service specific like Army Service Ribbon (going TO the USMC), or items that have Badges in lieu of Medal/Ribbons (like Rifle/Pistol Medals from the Navy). You'll want to check the US Army 600-8-22 and DA PAM and AR 670-1 (Ch22).
2) "Generally" speaking, any award that has a cross-service equivalent can be worn in any service. So your Good Conduct, and Sea Service are both valid awards, as would any NAM or NCMs you may have received. Campaign Medals, NDSM, and Unit Awards all transfer over.
3) Things that don't transfer over are "usually" service specific like Army Service Ribbon (going TO the USMC), or items that have Badges in lieu of Medal/Ribbons (like Rifle/Pistol Medals from the Navy). You'll want to check the US Army 600-8-22 and DA PAM and AR 670-1 (Ch22).
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SGT (Join to see)
Awesome thank you. Yeah, I know I would receive the army service ribbon but was unsure how my sea service and good conduct would go.
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LTC Trent Klug
There are others that don't cross over either. The Combat Action Ribbon for one. All unit awards are worn over the right breast pocket, unlike in the Marines. You can take a look at my picture and see the precedence as I have served in both services as well. Just ignore the State awards at the very bottom.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
LTC Trent Klug - The CAR is a confusing case. The ribbon itself is allowed for wear (as it is not explicitly restricted in AR 670-1), however it does not directly convert to CIB/CMB/CAB badges which is what causes most of the confusion. Additionally, once awarded a CIB/CMB/CAB, this is treated as a duplicate award (an award in which a badge is authorized per #3 above)
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SSgt Wilson Ortiz
SGT (Join to see) - So did you end of getting the Army Service Ribbon? https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2008-title32-vol3/xml/CFR-2008-title32-vol3-sec578-41.xml
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The confusing part will be signing the order of Precedence. Your Marine/Navy achievement or Commendation Medal and your Army Commendation Medal should be side by side but I don't know what goes last and what goes righr?
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LTC (Join to see)
SGT (Join to see) not sure if this computer program will help you.
https://www.usamilitarymedals.com/pages/military-medals-and-ribbons-precedence-chart
https://www.usamilitarymedals.com/pages/military-medals-and-ribbons-precedence-chart
Military Medals & Ribbons Precedence Chart
Learn Military Ribbons and Medals Order of Precedence. The US Military's current order of precedence. Make sure your ribbons and medals are always in perfect order.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
My understanding is the service you are CURRENTLY in has the highest precedence. It only gets squirelly when you have three services to deal with.
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LTC (Join to see)
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS I was so upset when I had a Navy run PRT in Afghanistan and I received an Army Commendation Medal instead of a Navy Commendation Medal. I really wish I would had the Navy Commendation Medal but because we felt under the we received an Army Commendation Medal.
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LTC (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) correction, we still under the 101st Airborne so we ended up getting army medals. I was making the corrections when I hits post by accident
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Did this ever get sorted out? I'm having the same issue after transitioning to the NG. The DD214 isn't a valid source document for awards. The original award citations are. There are no award citations for sea service deployment ribbons and afghan campaign medals and such, so what is the appropriate source document?
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SSG (Join to see)
I'm also a prior service Marine and now an Army Reserve IMA Soldier whose administration is HRC itself. They are telling me that my SSDR (on my DD214) is a Navy Award and not a USMC award, therefore I do not qualify for it and cannot wear it!!!
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SFC (Join to see)
SSG (Join to see) Interesting. I've had everything from my NAM and CAR all the way down to the Navy Sea Service ribbon transferred over to the Army
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SSG (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see) - It ends up the soldier assisting me at HRC didn't know what they were talking about and the issue has since been rectified (ALL my USMC Awards--CAR, SSDR's, MUC, JMUA, MCGCM, AFEM--are now in my Army ARB!). One interesting fact I learned is that my MCGCM (first award) counts as my Army GCM (first award) and that I can only earn an AGCM (2nd award).
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SFC (Join to see)
SSG (Join to see) It's weird when it comes to PME schools as well. After ALC I finally rated the NCO Professional Development Ribbon while the rest of my class has the number 2 on theirs.
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