Posted on Jan 23, 2014
What is the single most improperly worn ribbon?
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Every time I pick up a new issue of the Reservist magazine, I seem to see photos of people wearing the Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) improperly. It is probably the most complicated medal / ribbon in the military, but still, a Master Chief or Admiral should be able to wear it correctly. It is never worn without an attachment of some kind, so a naked ribbon immediately jumps out as just plain wrong. Are there other ribbons that rival the AFRM for improper wear?
Medals
Awards
Ribbons
Edited 8 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 113
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The Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals. Campaign stars are to be worn for each campaign in which the servicemember served one or more days, so no one should wear the ICM or ACM without at least one service star. <div><br></div><div>We all take pride in our service, and outwardly showing your pride is so simple that even this trivial matter becomes important. </div>
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SSgt Michael Cox
I have one service star on my OIF medal. I was deployed in northern Iraq for phase 1 and then returned in 2004 for phase 3. The first tour I received my medal I did not receive a service star. When I completed my second tour is when I received the star. The picture is incorrect you shouldn't receive a star with the initial presentation unless you were present for more than one phase at the time of issue.
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SPC Robert DeVolld
SSgt Gregory Guina I got two stars for my first tour in Iraq. We got in country during the literal last week of The Surge
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SPC Robert DeVolld
LtCol David Cooper Look up the dates of the campaigns for Iraq, purchase the stars accordingly
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I'm going to nominate the Presidential Unit Citation. Many people wear it upside down. The wheat along the border should be opening skyward, like a "V"
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SGT David Stead
You wear them with out the gold frame. I had to learn it. USN 1988 to 1994, US Army 1994 to 2000, US Air Force 2000 to 2004, US Army 2004 to 2008.
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I second that it is the AFRM. Primarily because almost no one gets the numerals right. Most people put a numeral for the number of times they have mobilized, but it is actually the number of operations you have mobilized for. So you could go to OIF three times but it still only counts as one. GOMO caught me on this prior to submitting for the GO board and I had to re-shoot my photo.
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SFC Bruce Pettengill
Forgive me as the Drill and First Sergeant comes out. I preached to my Soldiers and leaders before you put it on look at the AR it is in there. The confusing thing about the AFRM is that it can be rewarded for two purposes. Consecutive groups of 10 years, Hour glasses Bronze, Silver, Gold or Bronze and Gold 10,20,30,40 years if there are no involuntary mobilization the devises are worn in the middle of the ribbon. if a 40 year award the bronze ins display on the right (as worn)
for involuntary mobilizations The "M" device is worn followed by a number starting with a number 2 with the amount of times a reservist has been involuntarily mobilized BY GROUPINGS so if a reservist is mobilized 3 times for enduring freedom you do not get a new number for each mobilization, so the highest number worn or available is 6. if a reservist is award the medal for mobilization but has NOT served at least 10 consecutive years the M is centered on the medal. The M is displayed on the right (as worn)
potentially a reservist that has served 40 consecutive years and has been mobilized 7 times the devices from right to left as worn Bronze Hour Glass, Gold Hour Glass, M device the number 6. which would be the highest amount of devices worn on the ribbon. Hope this cleared this up. this all can be found (ARMY) At 600-8-22
for involuntary mobilizations The "M" device is worn followed by a number starting with a number 2 with the amount of times a reservist has been involuntarily mobilized BY GROUPINGS so if a reservist is mobilized 3 times for enduring freedom you do not get a new number for each mobilization, so the highest number worn or available is 6. if a reservist is award the medal for mobilization but has NOT served at least 10 consecutive years the M is centered on the medal. The M is displayed on the right (as worn)
potentially a reservist that has served 40 consecutive years and has been mobilized 7 times the devices from right to left as worn Bronze Hour Glass, Gold Hour Glass, M device the number 6. which would be the highest amount of devices worn on the ribbon. Hope this cleared this up. this all can be found (ARMY) At 600-8-22
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SFC Bruce Pettengill
Lt Col (Join to see) - sorry but according to AR600-8-22, The Institute of Heraldry, Uniformed Services ~ Army > Service Ribbons Accoutrements and DOD Manuel 1348.33 vol 2 if all 8 were awarded as part GWOT you only get to wear the M device. I know this stings a bit, but it makes your service no less honorable. As far as I am concerned you can wear whatever you like, however I would wear according to AR on your official photo, especially if the photo goes to a promotion board.
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SFC Dave Zaragoza
Heres the Reg, ea operation is grouped. Noone should have more than 7. Note all GWOT ops are grouped as 1 (ONE)
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Well, you already hit the AFRM, so the rest of my peeves are:
1) Backwards Combat Action Ribbons.
2) Iraq and Afghanistan campaign medals with no campaign stars.
3)People not understanding the "knot/hitch" system on the Good Conduct Medal
4) People putting a star on their National Defense medal for getting out, and then reenlisting.
5)People not using shirt-stays! (Ok, it's not a requirement, but dammit people, you look like ass without them!
I have a ton more, but they're very Army award/uniform specific.
1) Backwards Combat Action Ribbons.
2) Iraq and Afghanistan campaign medals with no campaign stars.
3)People not understanding the "knot/hitch" system on the Good Conduct Medal
4) People putting a star on their National Defense medal for getting out, and then reenlisting.
5)People not using shirt-stays! (Ok, it's not a requirement, but dammit people, you look like ass without them!
I have a ton more, but they're very Army award/uniform specific.
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Second nomination here...almost forgot...and it's a pet peeve: misrouted fouregeres. The fouregere is meant to start at the button, go backwards BEHIND your shoulder and then under your arm-pit and then clasp on the button from the front, with the tip bending down in an upside down "U". I see people with it strung around the front and dangle straight off the shoulder.
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SGT Michael Glenn
one is worn correctly and the other is incorrect.... in this case its the Marine uniform that is correct.
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SSG Richard Reilly
I was helping the Aide to our General get her uniform ready...the Aiguillette is crazy hard to get right because its not in 670-1.
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SSG John Bacon
My Unit the 372nd ICTC was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for Normandy operations as Company A, 361st Quartermaster Battalion during WWII. There are two different Fourragère that represent this award one from WWI and form WWII. Both are similar in colors but with slight differences WWI being more green than red and WWII being equal Green and red. During Class-A inspections you could tell who was wrong almost immediately. We would always get strange looks when we wore them because our unit was the only one in the Battalion who had them. At one point the CSM told us we couldn't wear them because the battalion didn't have the award. Our Commander had to make a complaint to the COL but got it straightened out in the end.
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CPT Joseph Goss
SSG John Bacon - I used to see a number of soldiers who carried forward unit citations that they weren't authorized to wear. They would be assigned to a unit with such a decoration and continue to wear even after they left the unit. I tried explaining once to a drill sergeant that his PUC wasn't authorized anymore, but he didn't understand.
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SSG (Join to see)
SFC Jackson, who have you been correcting with the wear of the AFEM? I haven't seen someone wear one of those in a while. (i've got one from Bosnia so I am well aware which way is sits)
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Cpl Thomas Woods
Symmetrical except for the Blue-White-Red strip in the center. Blue is the senior color and therefore is displayed on its own right, the observers left.
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Cpl Thomas Woods
Cpl Thomas Woods - Got mine Operation Earnest Will, "The Persian Excursion" 1987-1988.
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Combat Action Ribbon
i just tell folks that when you look at the ribbon, the center should be red, white, and blue. People jack it up all the time.
i just tell folks that when you look at the ribbon, the center should be red, white, and blue. People jack it up all the time.
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SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S.
That's a Marine ribbon .. should probably be marked "this side up" on the back.
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Maj Michael Moore
SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. - Maybe "This Side Toward Enemy" would be more appropriate.
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Here's a fun one always got told by higher ups to place a gold frame around one of my unit awards that I had from prior service when it's not authorized a good frame.
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PO2 . Lancaster
LTC Jason Mackay - The USCG wears unit awards with everything else, not on the right lapel. JMUC is one of the few with the gold frame.
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LTC Jason Mackay
PO2 . Lancaster - all the Army unit citations have a frame. So when you have a sister service one that doesn't it looks weird. We wear then all on the left side an 1/8th inch above the pocket seam all by themselves. So when one of these things is not like the other, one of these kids is doing his own thing...it draws a lot of attention to it. We don't wear unit awards integrated with our personal decorations. We also have the back and forth of unit citations for temporary wear integrated with the ones we are authorized for permanent wear.
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SGT Daniel Rocco Ames
That's the 82nd for you, brother. Everyone is out to chew on your uniform! AATW
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"DEPENDS." Always lots of water boiling over any issue with medals/ribbons, etc. Always check with your local IG if there's ever any question about proper wear (I held every IG position there is during one stint of my 30 years). I've fielded a lot of questions about stars/numbers, and the best COA is to always go to the proper Reg for understanding. One example of a system gone wacky: When I wore a younger man's clothes, I flew helicopters in Vietnam (troop carrying 'Slicks' and some Gunships). At that time in our history, award of the combat Air Medal (AM) was predicated on hours flown separated by type of mission...one AM for each 25 direct combat mission hours and one AM for each 50 resupply hours flown. I accumulated 1,955 hours of documented combat flight time during my two tours, and earned "55" awards of the AM. The ribbon was displayed with a number of 54 on it; the ribbon itself constituting the first, basic award. Confusing...you bet, and a pain to explain. Subsequently, the entire manner of award of the AM was changed to a more manageable system for proper recognition (amen!).
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CPT (Join to see)
Holy Cow! 55! Thank you for probably bringing my father supplies or taking him in to an LZ!
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