When are you authorized to wear two of the same ribbon?

Actually I'm authorized to wear the AF Outstanding Unit Award like that. Each of my Active duty squadrons were awarded it once and my reserve unit was awarded it 3 times. Plus I can wear the V for Valor (I was assigned to three very fine units) As you see That would be too many devices, when this happens you are authorized to wear the ribbon twice.

It's in the AR 670-1. Anytime the attachments don't fit on the ribbon. 4 attachments may be placed on the ribbon. 4 oak leaf clusters. The 5th award would have 4 of those. A silver oak leaf cluster would take the place of 5 bronze oak leaf clusters and would be the 6th award. You can put 3 more bronze for the 9th award. A second ribbon may be added for the 10th award. You can even have an oak leaf cluster out two on the 2nd ribbon. But it all stops at award 21. At that point you would have 4 silver oak leaf clusters on the ribbon. Well actually it doesn't say anything about a limit other than the one additional ribbon. Regardless,it's rare to have to wear a second ribbon as a10th award, let alone more.

I was USAF and you are authorized multiples of same ribbon if all award awards will not fit one ribbon.

When I was in the Army (80-84), I had recieved 3 AAMs, after the first I was given Oak Leaf Clusters to attach to the ribbon. I was a 95B (MP), so my uniform HAD to be correct, as it was my JOB to correct uniform discrepancies and you could receive a 'citation of violation' or DD 1805 for certain instances.

This reminded me of one situation that I have. I am prior service Navy and enlisted in the Army and when we had a class A inspection this other prior service Navy guy didn't have his Navy Good Conduct on and he said he "transferred" to A Army Good Conduct which has some problems with that since the Navy Good Conduct is for a term of 4 years instead of the Army of 3 years. And then a SPC told me once that I couldn't wear my Navy Good Conduct on my Army uniform. Anyone know about that.

That would be the first, as I recall.

I will stay with the Navy. You guys in the other services get to many and no one knows how to wear them. Navy problem is they screw up their uniforms. Seems to change every couple of years. LOL Good luck soldiers GO NAVY

Might it be that some are awarded with the "V" device for valor, others without it? That would be a legitimate reason to wear two ribbons, as they are essentially different awards. The same might apply to other awards - such as the "V" device added to combat Bronze Stars in order to distinguish them from the "I was there" awards often made to officers nearly automatically at the end of a combat deployment.

when you have recieved it with Valor and four and four additional times, the V and three oak clusters and then an additional ribbon is worn, when it is awarded again, you switch to one ribbon with the V and a silver oak leaf.

When u have to wear two devices like a v device etccc