Ribbon Rack Builder Basics: Everything You Need to Know
Ribbon Rack Builder Overview
A ribbon rack builder can help even the most seasoned veteran assemble their thin or standard ribbons in just a few minutes. The best part about using a ribbon rack builder is that you won’t have to then assemble your ribbon rack on your own.
Using a ribbon rack builder enables you to avoid the frustration of assembling a ribbon rack on your own. No more trips to the first sergeant’s office, supply or your local military store where you have to painstakingly walk around, gather all your ribbons, your rack, and devices. Because once you are done collecting everything you need, then your fun really begins. You have to assemble the rack with the care of building a model.
If you use a ribbon rack builder like USAMM’s EZ Rack Builder, all you do is click on the ribbons you need and a USAMM veteran ribbon rack builder will ensure your ribbon rack is built according to your service’s regulations. They will also ensure that the ribbons are in order of precedence and spaced and aligned however you want them.
Whether you want thin ribbons or standard sized ribbons, using USAMM’s ribbon rack builder, EZ Rack Builder, is the way to go if you want to look your best. Remember, you also have a choice of selecting what kind of backing you want on your ribbon rack. You can choose a magnetic backing or a traditional pin backing on your ribbon rack when you are building it in USAMM’s ribbon rack builder.
How to Use USAMM’s Ribbon Rack Builder
Using USAMM’s EZ Rack Builder ribbon rack builder is simple. Simply navigate to the ribbon rack builder page, and then select the "Start a New Rack" button. Once you do that, the ribbon rack builder will take you to a landing page where you can select your service. USAMM’s ribbon rack builder has the ability to build racks for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard, Public Health Services and the Civil Air Patrol.
Once you select your service branch in the ribbon rack builder you will be asked to specify features of your ribbon rack. You have the option to select thin or standard ribbons. You will then have the ability to select your rack options. The ribbon rack builder allows you to pick how much space between ribbon rows (flush or 1/8 inch). The ribbon rack builder also allows you to choose if you want your ribbons aligned to the center or to the right. The ribbon rack builder allows you to choose if you want the ribbon rack to be three or four ribbons wide. Finally, select what type of backing you want on your ribbon rack. The ribbon rack builder allows you to choose magnetic or pin backing.
The EZ Rack Builder allows you to then move on and select your ribbons and accompanying devices. As the rack is built in the ribbon rack builder, you can see and image of the rack as you digitally build it. Once you are done adding ribbons and devices, review the rack, and then add it to your shopping basket. It is super easy to use USAMM’s EZ Rack Builder. This great ribbon rack builder allows you to build a rack whenever you want, 24/7.
Helpful Tips
Preparation is the key to anything and using USAMM’s EZ Rack Builder is no different. If you are a veteran with just a handful of ribbons and medals, assembling your rack on the ribbon rack builder shouldn’t be too complicated. However, if you’re of the crusty veteran variety who has been around the world a few times, deployed multiple times and you’ve got more time in uniform than some people do on earth, then odds are, you might need to get organized before you visit the ribbon rack builder platform.
If you’ve got more than three or four rows of ribbons, there is a chance you might forget to add a ribbon to your rack while you’re building it using the ribbon rack builder (EZ Rack Builder) at USAMM. Ensure you have your DD Form 214 handy that includes all of your medals and ribbons. If you don’t have a DD Form 214, then ensure that you have a copy of your personnel file that lists all of your awards. Following this list carefully will enable you to build the custom rack you’ve earned. Remember, if your records are wrong, then your rack will be wrong.
It is also important to remember that you should not buy anything that you have not earned. Life happens and while in most cases a little proactivity is a good thing, it can also create headaches. For example, let’s say you are deployed and your supervisor tells you they are recommending you for a commendation medal. At the end of your tour, you get excited and you order a new rack built on the ribbon rack builder at USAMM. It includes the new commendation medal that your boss said you would earn. There’s only one problem. It was downgraded to an achievement medal and now you have the wrong rack with an award you did not earn.
Patience can go a long way to ensure that your racks are correct and that you purchased what you have actually earned. Remember, in 1996 the chief of naval operations killed himself over ribbon devices that journalists discovered he was not authorized to wear. In the end, the admiral was supported by those who had told him he was authorized to wear the devices, but the Navy stated he was not authorized to wear them. There’s no need to get involved in a stolen valor situation. Ensure your records are up to date and then order your rack using the ribbon rack builder on USAAM’s website.
They will be assembled professionally and according to regulation and delivered to your door.
