Can prior service wear awards from their previous branch on their Army service uniform? What literature would have the answer?

CPL Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 15:37:22 -0400

Cannot find answer in AR 600-8-22 Military Awards

Response by SPC Morgan Benton made Mar 25 at 2019 3:40 PM

SPC Morgan Benton — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 15:40:52 -0400

Going to go out on a MOSTLY certain limb here and say "yes".

My sergeant and I (army) received Navy Achievement Medals while we were overseas, and we were both permitted to wear our navy ribbons on our racks.

Response by MAJ Milan George made Mar 25 at 2019 3:49 PM

MAJ Milan George — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 15:49:40 -0400

Check AR 670-1 also.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2019 4:24 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:24:00 -0400

Yes. DA Pam 670-1, para. 20-5 provides order of precedence.

Response by SSG Howard Fair made Mar 25 at 2019 4:28 PM

SSG Howard Fair — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:28:52 -0400

Depending on the award, ribbons and medals most likely, but badges ie efmb, jump wings, surface warfare, etc, highly unlikely

Response by SSG Zachery Mitchell made Mar 25 at 2019 5:27 PM

SSG Zachery Mitchell — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 17:27:28 -0400

DA PAM 670-1 will tell you everything you need to know on the matter. But short answer, mostly yes.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2019 5:39 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 17:39:43 -0400

there are rules preventing you from wearing some national guard and army reserve ribbons while on active duty, but if you got something in the air force, navy, etc, you should be able to wear it.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2019 5:41 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 17:41:28 -0400

Try AR 670-1

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2019 6:30 PM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 18:30:17 -0400

Absolutely. I'm not sure what the Army version of the "awards and decs" department is called but I would start by submitting your prior service DD214 to them to get your ribbon rack built with old and new decorations. You earned them, wear them.
I am prior Navy now in the AF; still wearing submariner's fish and NAMs and others.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Mar 25 at 2019 6:31 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 18:31:12 -0400

There is a page on HRCs website that describes what you need to do. Google HRC Sister Service awards

Response by SFC Melvin Brandenburg made Mar 26 at 2019 12:41 AM

SFC Melvin Brandenburg — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 00:41:08 -0400

Yes. Check 670-1. Order of precedence applies.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Mar 26 at 2019 10:21 AM

SGM Steve Wettstein — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 10:21:57 -0400

Yes but not all of them. Check AR/DA Pam 670-1. If you cannot find what you are looking for there, check the HRC website.

Response by SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 26 at 2019 3:31 PM

SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 15:31:35 -0400

I served on AD in the Navy and received my good conduct award. I then went into the guard - first Army then Air. While in the ANG - I wore my Navy Good Conduct award with my Air Force awards.

Response by LT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 26 at 2019 4:05 PM

LT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 16:05:38 -0400

The answer is usually yes, but it depends. For example, I can wear my Army medals on my Navy uniform, but not all of the ribbon only awards. Also, Army marksmanship badges and Air Assault wings cannot be worn on Navy uniform. Check the regs for details on which awards and other insignia can/cannot be worn on the uniform of your service. Regardless, all awards should be in your service jacket.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 26 at 2019 4:05 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 16:05:51 -0400

AR 600-8-22

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 26 at 2019 4:07 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 16:07:55 -0400

I'm prior service Navy and I can wear all awards and decorations from the US Navy except for marksmanship awards.

Response by SrA Keith Dunbar made Mar 26 at 2019 4:09 PM

SrA Keith Dunbar — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 16:09:44 -0400

I’m assuming it’s the same way for all branches of the military. I was in the ARMY from 89-98, got out and joined the Air Force in 2014 and I am allowed to wear all of my ARMY ribbons on my Air Force uniform. They go in order of precedence.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 26 at 2019 4:15 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 16:15:32 -0400

Only awards received while in the army.

One cannot transfer from one branch of service to another and wear the branch awards from dat previous service branch

Response by MSgt Nathan Krawitz made Mar 27 at 2019 4:19 AM

MSgt Nathan Krawitz — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 04:19:41 -0400

Read the uniform regs. Not only do they cover your branch and DoD awards, but they cover other branch and foreign awards. They cover which awards may be worn and which order. It covers which badges are authorized and proper placement.

The Navy regs specifically state you may not wear awards which do not have a Navy equivalent. The Air Force pretty much says that if you earned it, you can wear it.

Response by SGT Michael Smith made Mar 27 at 2019 7:56 AM

SGT Michael Smith — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 07:56:04 -0400

Yes. Prior AF and I wear my AF awards on my dress blues.

Response by CMSgt Peter McDermott made Mar 27 at 2019 8:15 AM

CMSgt Peter McDermott — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 08:15:17 -0400

Can’t speak for the Army but in the Airforce you can wear ribbons from other services but you had to check in which order to place them on your rack. I had Marines and Air Force.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2019 4:30 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 16:30:19 -0400

A lot of folks in my platoon got Marine Comabt Action Ribbons during OIF and the Navy Presidential Unit Citation I've seen them wear both of the awards on their army uniforms

Response by SGT Keith Boettcher made Oct 23 at 2019 9:07 AM

SGT Keith Boettcher — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 09:07:33 -0400

Definitely YES! the earned it wile during on Active, Reserve, Guard Service.

Response by LCDR Jerry Maurer made May 2 at 2020 10:29 PM

LCDR Jerry Maurer — Sat, 02 May 2020 22:29:57 -0400

I wore my army good conduct medal/ribbon while in the navy and made sure it was right before I did it. Probably works both ways.

Response by SSG Bob Teachout made May 17 at 2020 11:54 PM

SSG Bob Teachout — Sun, 17 May 2020 23:54:07 -0400

Basic answer is yes - unless there is a similar award. For example - the AF has a weapons qualification ribbon - but the Army has a weapons qualification badge. So that ribbon you could not wear - you would have to wait will you qualify with the M-16 -then wear the qualification badge.

Response by MSgt Gilbert Jones made Jul 9 at 2020 9:03 PM

MSgt Gilbert Jones — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 21:03:02 -0400

Why not, when I first entered the AF in 1960, the first award I received was the Army Good Conduct Medal, the AF at that time didn't have one. The AF came out in 1963 with the AF GCM, so I wore both as the years went by. Never put clusters on the Army one, just AF.

Response by Lt Col George Roll made Jul 18 at 2020 9:35 PM

Lt Col George Roll — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 21:35:37 -0400

I am AF Vet and have seen many members wearing awards and decorations earned during previous Branch assignments. Including CIB, Scuba badges, flight crew wings, ju.p wings and Naval Qualification Badges.
The AF do not wear weapons qualification badges ( we have a ribbon) so I would doubt these could be worn after changing services. I had joint duty assignments and earned Navy expert marksmanship ribbons, which I wore

Response by LCpl Raymond Elder made Oct 29 at 2020 6:25 AM

LCpl Raymond Elder — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 06:25:10 -0400

Yes, if the Awards are noted on your DD-214 , THEN Yes, infact you might be in trouble for NOT Wearing them. When I was at the USMC School of Infantry we had an ARMY Prior service who was awarded a purple heart and deliberately did NOT wear it until graduation day. As he was an E2 he thought it would cause trouble as he already had four stacks of ribbons from Prior Service...

Response by Maj William Dozier made Nov 17 at 2020 9:20 PM

Maj William Dozier — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 21:20:12 -0500

I wore a Navy ribbon on my Air Force uniform. Our Wing was awarded a Navy ribbon for supporting Eldorado Canyon.

Response by CW5 Mark Smith made Dec 4 at 2020 10:38 AM

CW5 Mark Smith — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:38:58 -0500

Yes, with exceptions. I went from USMC to Army. All previous awards were authorized. But I had to suffer the slings and arrows from the Marines for leaving and the Army for being dumb enough to be a Marine.