# Uniform display of medals **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114 "2011-08-09T18:50:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/21 "2011-08-10T18:32:00Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Rule of thumb is “All or Nothing”. If you wear authorized medals and/or ribbons, you wear all of them. Now, what is considered authorized varies from uniform to uniform and service to service (for instance, Airmen can’t currently wear Army decorations that they earn, IIRC) Not sure about the other services, but in the Navy, your ‘rule of thumb’ doesn’t apply. For ribbons as an example, we either all of them, or the three senior ones. ‘Nothing’ isn’t an option. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/22 "2011-08-10T18:50:04Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > Not sure about the other services, but in the Navy, your ‘rule of thumb’ doesn’t apply. For ribbons as an example, we either all of them, or the three senior ones. ‘Nothing’ isn’t an option. Don’t wear ribbons on the working uniform (I am speaking of the dungarees and digi-cami’s)… ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/23 "2011-08-10T19:22:57Z")
mlees, Not sure what your point is. Clearly one doesn’t wear ribbons on a working uniform. Raguleader was stating some type of “all or nothing rule.” I was pointing out that in the Navy at least, I don’t have to wear all of them on a uniform that ribbons are authorized on. I have the option to wear them all, or the top three. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/24 "2011-08-10T19:35:48Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > mlees, > > Not sure what your point is. Clearly one doesn’t wear ribbons on a working uniform. > > Raguleader was stating some type of “all or nothing rule.” I was pointing out that in the Navy at least, I don’t have to wear all of them on a uniform that ribbons are authorized on. I have the option to wear them all, or the top three. Sorry, I zeroed in on the “Nothing isn’t an option.”, and for some reason, I thought I would point out instances where no ribbons are worn. No disrespect intended. Edit: I realise now that you were only speaking of uniforms where ribbons are required, not in a more general sense. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/25 "2011-08-10T19:59:56Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Yeah, that’s Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach. I used Google Image Search to look for more pictures - and also found an example of the wear-all-the-ribbons level of dress - and it was hard to tell, but it looks like the plate kind of sticks up on the corners or something. Here’s a tiny picture but [a different angle](http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/02/16/fehrenback-assured-retirement-from-air-force-with-pension/) and that corner seems to stick above the lapel there too. Maybe it’s something to do with his (rather muscular) build that they can’t really shift the plate further towards the shoulder, lest it really stick up/look weird? Yeah, what I meant was that the color is wrong, the ribbon looks distinctly pink and like its just a degree or two out of wack with the rest of the ribbons,like it was pasted onto the pic or something, but in the link you provided it looks red and seems to line up with the rest of the ribbons correctly. Could be the angle, I agree but I dunno, the color difference…I still think that one ribbon was altered in the larger pic ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/26 "2011-08-10T21:43:16Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > mlees, > > Not sure what your point is. Clearly one doesn’t wear ribbons on a working uniform. > > Raguleader was stating some type of “all or nothing rule.” I was pointing out that in the Navy at least, I don’t have to wear all of them on a uniform that ribbons are authorized on. I have the option to wear them all, or the top three. Obviously, each branch of service will have its own rules for how you wear the uniform. We don’t even all agree on how close the ribbons should be to each other on the rack. But since the Lt. Colonel in the picture is from the Air Force, my “All or Nothing” rule of thumb would apply to him. In case you’re curious, you can tell it’s an Air Force uniform because of how minimal the decorations are. Whoever designed our uniform took to heart the line about “The side with the fanciest uniform loses.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/27 "2011-08-11T00:20:43Z")
> [@guestchaz](#): > > Yeah, what I meant was that the color is wrong, the ribbon looks distinctly pink and like its just a degree or two out of wack with the rest of the ribbons,like it was pasted onto the pic or something, but in the link you provided it looks red and seems to line up with the rest of the ribbons correctly. Could be the angle, I agree but I dunno, the color difference…I still think that one ribbon was altered in the larger pic That’s the Meritorious Service Medal and it’s supposed to be crimson, which I could see going to the pink side of things depending on how light was hitting it. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/28 "2011-08-11T00:27:22Z")
[This](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meritorious_Service_Medal_(United_States)) is the top-left ribbon, and [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Service_Medal) is the center-left ribbon. It does look like the color has been tweaked. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/29 "2011-08-11T16:24:54Z")
I remember a _New Yorker_ cartoon with a military officer talking to a little old lady at a fancy party. He had a huge chestful of medals and was pointing to one, saying, “I got this one by mistake. Then I got all these others because I got this one.” And those jarheads are \*stylin’!: \*[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/PlateV\_Evening\_Dress.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/PlateV_Evening_Dress.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/30 "2011-08-11T20:29:21Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I remember a _New Yorker_ cartoon with a military officer talking to a little old lady at a fancy party. He had a huge chestful of medals and was pointing to one, saying, “I got this one by mistake. Then I got all these others because I got this one.” > > And those jarheads are \*stylin’!: \*[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/PlateV\_Evening\_Dress.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/PlateV_Evening_Dress.jpg) Hah, there’s a cartoon I saw, similar setup, where the guy is instead saying “And I got this one for good behavior…” Incidentally, one of my ribbons is indeed for good behavior. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/31 "2011-08-12T03:45:36Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Rule of thumb is “All or Nothing”. If you wear authorized medals and/or ribbons, you wear all of them. Now, what is considered authorized varies from uniform to uniform and service to service (for instance, Airmen can’t currently wear Army decorations that they earn, IIRC) This is correct. It gets cumbersome for some people like my old Chief Master Sergeant who had wings, an occupational badge from a previous career field, and enough ribbons that they tapered down to two across the top. They almost went to the top of the shoulder. They do have to sit “on but not above” the welt for the “pocket”, which actually isn’t one. I only have four rows (it should be five or even six, but I don’t care enough to get it updated) so it’s more like what the Colonel has. It’s still a pain in the butt to put together, though. As for our “tuxedo”, all services have service dress uniforms and mess dress uniforms. Mess dress is only really required for senior NCOs and officers, so I don’t have one, which is fine with me because they’re stupid expensive for something you might wear a few times in your entire career. What you see in the picture is the service dress uniform. It’s certainly not unique to the Air Force, though the blandness of it certainly is. It’s a damn sight better than General McPeak’s vision of what we should look like, though. Thank God those were long gone before I got in. My sister had to suffer through it, though. Flight suit-type nametags on BDUs? That’s just lazy. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/32 "2011-08-12T03:55:02Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > This is correct. Not to be a pain in the ass, but as has been pointed out up thread, this may be true for the Air Force, but it’s not true for the Navy, or the possibly the other services. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/33 "2011-08-12T04:03:13Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > Not to be a pain in the ass, but as has been pointed out up thread, this may be true for the Air Force, but it’s not true for the Navy, or the possibly the other services. Two things: 1. He (and I) are in the Air Force, so that’s what we were clearly talking about. 2. The subject in question is in the Air Force, thus “all or nothing” applies. That you guys have resolved the non-issue about the other services above merely saves me the trouble of having to address it. Except it didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/34 "2011-08-12T08:51:07Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > This is correct. It gets cumbersome for some people like my old Chief Master Sergeant who had wings, an occupational badge from a previous career field, and enough ribbons that they tapered down to two across the top. They almost went to the top of the shoulder. They do have to sit “on but not above” the welt for the “pocket”, which actually isn’t one. I only have four rows (it should be five or even six, but I don’t care enough to get it updated) so it’s more like what the Colonel has. It’s still a pain in the butt to put together, though. > > As for our “tuxedo”, all services have service dress uniforms and mess dress uniforms. Mess dress is only really required for senior NCOs and officers, so I don’t have one, which is fine with me because they’re stupid expensive for something you might wear a few times in your entire career. What you see in the picture is the service dress uniform. It’s certainly not unique to the Air Force, though the blandness of it certainly is. It’s a damn sight better than General McPeak’s vision of what we should look like, though. Thank God those were long gone before I got in. My sister had to suffer through it, though. Flight suit-type nametags on BDUs? That’s just lazy. To be fair, the badge from the previous career field (as well as the current one, assuming it wasn’t his wings) would be optional, depending on your chain of command. Wings and chaplain’s badge are required, of course. Also, the ABUs, of course, are a huge improvement over the BDUs, being made so that they are heavier, hotter, have pen pockets in useless places designed to snag you on anything you are working around, and of course, unit patches are no longer allowed unless you’re a zipper-suited sun god.:mad: But I digress. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114/35 "2011-08-12T11:47:29Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > That you guys have resolved the non-issue about the other services above merely saves me the trouble of having to address it. Except it didn’t. Ahh. Thought it was an “armed forces question.” My bad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniform-display-of-medals/592114.md?page=1)