Posted on Mar 25, 2019
Can prior service wear awards from their previous branch on their Army service uniform? What literature would have the answer?
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Cannot find answer in AR 600-8-22 Military Awards
Awards
Dress Uniform
Army Regulations
Policy
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 30
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I wore a Navy ribbon on my Air Force uniform. Our Wing was awarded a Navy ribbon for supporting Eldorado Canyon.
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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...
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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
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
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PO1 Jeff Gingerich
Navy uniform regs allow for the wearing of other service badges as long as they are of the same design as a Navy badge - Basic Parachutist wings, Scuba badge, maybe a few others, but not the CIB and although I don't know for certain I suspect not aviator or flight crew wings, either. I've seen a couple of sailors who were prior service Army wearing a CIB for an inspection or such and get away with it, whether because it was just a really relaxed command or because, regs or no regs, it seemed wrong to the leadership to deny a CIB recipient the right to wear the badge.
Somewhat ironically I've seen Navy personnel wearing wings, badges, etc. awarded to them by foreign nations. I knew a PO1 who wore German Flight Engineer wings, and a Navy LCdr. Chaplain who wore a big gold badge awarded by the ROC. Many of my son's Army Flight School classmates wore the German Military Proficiency Badge. When I was in the right mood I used to velcro my cloth Canadian Observer wings onto my uniform - I've never been able to find them in metal - and wear them to inspections, just to mess with people.
Somewhat ironically I've seen Navy personnel wearing wings, badges, etc. awarded to them by foreign nations. I knew a PO1 who wore German Flight Engineer wings, and a Navy LCdr. Chaplain who wore a big gold badge awarded by the ROC. Many of my son's Army Flight School classmates wore the German Military Proficiency Badge. When I was in the right mood I used to velcro my cloth Canadian Observer wings onto my uniform - I've never been able to find them in metal - and wear them to inspections, just to mess with people.
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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.
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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.
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Definitely YES! the earned it wile during on Active, Reserve, Guard Service.
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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
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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.
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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.
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.
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