Military Ribbon Rack
They resemble tiny bricks and they are all colored and patterned differently. Some are adorned with tiny brass items; letters, numerals, leaves and stars, and some are framed, but we know because they are placed so prominently on a military person’s uniform that they are important to the people who wear them. Usually those who are junior in rank have less on their military ribbon racks, if they have one at all. But the older, more seasoned veterans, have multiple rows of the colored ribbons climbing upward from their chest to their shoulders, as many lines of ribbons on their chests, they have on their faces. Although lightweight while on the uniform, some of those military ribbon racks have proven to be hard-earned, heavy in the weight that was carried in the form of stress, danger, physical work and in some cases memories that cannot be unseen.

A military ribbon rack is a résumé that tells those who know how to read them, where a person has been, what they have experienced, what they know and what they are capable of. But more importantly it tells us about their character and how they live their lives. Simply put, military ribbon racks do not just tell us what medals and decorations a person has earned. Instead, they tell us who the person is. And like each individual who wears them, military ribbon racks are unique. Despite the fact that thousands of individuals might be wearing the same ribbon, each of them earned it their own way.

Combat Action Ribbon
Take, for example, the Combat Action Ribbon. According to the U.S. Marine Corps, this ribbon is awarded to members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Coast Guard (when the Coast Guard or units thereof operate under the control of the Navy) in the grade of captain/colonel and below, who have actively participated in ground or surface combat.

The Combat Action Ribbon earned by a Coast Guardsman protecting oil platforms in the Persian Gulf might have been earned when he returned fire after an insurgent group fired small arms at his patrol boat. A Navy sailor assigned as a corpsman could have earned his Combat Action Ribbon by returning fire, protecting his wounded as he tried to evacuate them. A Marine might earn his Combat Action Ribbon after his convoy was engaged by an IED and he counterattacked with his unit to suppress an ambush.

These are three very different missions, but they all wear the same Combat Action Ribbon. The ribbon represents how each of these individuals responded when it mattered most. The commonality is not a shared experience; it is a shared set of values that runs through each of these individuals and that is what is represented when they wear the Combat Action Ribbon.

Military Ribbon Chart
When I first enlisted after high school, I had no idea what all of the colored little ribbons meant that military personnel wore on their uniforms. I left basic training with one ribbon and then earned another when I finished tech school, but when I reported to my first duty station, I still had no idea what most of the colorful ribbons meant.

It was only seven years after the Vietnam War had ended and many of that war’s veterans were still in the ranks. Luckily for me, outside of his office, the first sergeant had a military ribbon chart that was poster-sized and every chance I could I studied it.

When I was on duty, I took mental snapshots of what I had seen and after duty hours I tried to remember what I had seen members of my unit wearing on their chests. I looked up the ribbons on the military ribbon chart on the wall. My regular reviews of the military ribbon chart taught me that in my unit were a lot of men who had served in the Vietnam War, some in other branches of the military like the Army and Marine Corps. By examining the ribbons on their chest and looking for the ribbons on the military ribbon chart, I learned that some had been wounded in combat and others had fought with valor during the war. The military ribbon chart taught me to read the ribbons on their chests, and it showed me the kinds of men I was standing to the left and right of.

Military Ribbon Order
At that time the hardest part for me wasn’t remembering and then recognizing the award, but rather, it was determining the military ribbon order. I did not know why some awards carried more weight than others. I did not understand why my supervisor wanted to award me with an Achievement Medal instead of a Commendation Medal. Frankly, I did not know which one was greater in the military ribbon order until I looked it up on the top’s poster. But there were plenty of things I still didn’t understand. For example, I did not understand why according to military ribbon order, the Professional Military Education (PME) ribbon had greater precedence than an Overseas Short Tour ribbon. From what everyone told me, NCO courses that enabled you to earn the PME ribbon were easy compared to doing a hard tour in Korea (at least in my job). Nonetheless, I studied the military ribbon order on the poster and it helped me as I moved forward in my career.

Military Ribbon Identifier
Today, handheld military ribbon identifiers and military ribbon identifier posters like the one hanging outside my first sergeant’s office are still around, but for the most part they are rare. You can find military ribbon identifiers online at USAMM. Their military ribbon identifier is easy to use. It has an entire web page of ribbons and a user can just click the ribbon and get a brief description of the award and they can determine if they want to add it to a rack or just purchase the lone ribbon. The descriptions help because the Air Force Overseas Long Tour ribbon is almost identical to the Air Force Overseas Short Tour ribbon. Sometimes when the colors and designs of the ribbons so closely resemble each other, it is hard to tell them apart.

Military Ribbon Colors
But usually military ribbons come in assorted colors. The Institute of Heraldry, a U.S. Army agency, is charged with designing the multicolored ribbons which adorn the uniforms of millions of service men and women around the world. Military ribbon colors vary and each ribbon’s colors are symbolic.

For example, the military ribbon colors of the Congressional Medal of Honor represent different things. According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the color white represents purity and innocence, and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice. So, in addition to ribbons telling us something about the individuals who wear them, military ribbon colors also have a story to tell about what earning each ribbon means. The colors are symbolic.

Special Military Medals
My first sergeant when I was 19 saw me standing outside of his office once, studying the ribbon poster. It was something I did almost daily. He spoke to me from behind his desk: “There’s only a handful on that whole poster that you really need to know,” he shouted. He came out of his office and pointed to them. “These top ones right here.” Those were special military medals, he added.

He pointed to the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, and the Silver Star. I ignorantly asked him why he considered them special military medals. I honestly did not know. He explained that many of the other ribbons on the chart were campaign and service medals, meaning, that they were awarded for participating in a campaign. The National Defense Service Medal, he said, “I got that just for being in the military during Vietnam.” But the individual medals and decorations, those were for personal actions, for gallantry or meritorious service.

The top five decorations, those awards mattered the most and those were special military medals because of the courage and bravery needed to earn them. The Medal of Honor, for example, has been awarded only 3,508 times in its 159-year history. Today there are only 71 living recipients. According to the Department of Defense, the Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the U.S. government. It is presented by the president, in the name of congress, and is conferred only upon members of the U.S. armed forces who distinguish themselves through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. There are three distinct versions for the U.S. Army, Air Force, and the Navy, to include the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard.

The second highest special military medal is the Distinguished Service Cross which is awarded by the Army. While I was in Iraq, one of the officers in my unit earned the DSC after an hours-long firefight in Iraq along with his Iraqi counterparts. The DSC is awarded for extraordinary heroism while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. Actions that merit the DSC must be of such a high degree that they are above those required for all other U.S. combat decorations but do not merit award of the Medal of Honor. The DSC is equivalent to the Navy Cross and the Air Force Cross. The Air Force and Navy Crosses have the same criteria for award as the DSC and they are special military medals for the same reasons.

The Silver Star is the third highest special military medal and it is awarded for gallantry in action against and enemy. The criteria for award requires the recipient had been engaged in action against an enemy of the United States, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. Actions that merit the Silver Star must be of such a high degree that they are above those required for all other U.S. combat decorations but do not merit award of the meet Medal of Honor or a service cross.

Yellow Ribbon Military
A different kind of military ribbon is the yellow ribbon. This kind of ribbon isn’t worn on the military uniform, but military families tend to wear them as pins to show their support for a loved one who is deployed or overseas. When I was deployed to Iraq, my wife wore a yellow ribbon pin and she also kept a yellow ribbon tied around a tree in our front yard.

The yellow ribbon military memory I have dates back to the Vietnam War. I remember as a kid there was a popular song that came out in the 1970s and was played on the radio all the time. Later, during Operation Desert Storm the yellow ribbon military support had a resurgence and everywhere it seemed that yellow ribbons were on display.

In post-911 America as forces deployed worldwide to participate in the Global War on Terror, yellow ribbon military support peaked with U.S. troop supporters wearing pins, shirts, displaying ribbons on their homes and affixing magnets and stickers to their cars.

When I reflect on my career, my first sergeant was right all those years ago. It was important for me to recognize those top decorations because as a young military member I needed to know my place in the military culture. If I saw anyone wearing any of those top awards, I should watch them, learn from them and strive to respond to situations the way they did if I were ever placed in similar scenarios.

During my 26 years I was privileged to have worked alongside of men who earned the DSC, Silver Star, and the Bronze Star for valor. I have also met Medal of Honor recipients, including the late John Levitow who was the first enlisted man I ever saluted. I say it was a privilege to know them not because of a little piece of ribbon on their chest, but because of how they lived. In all cases I did not know they had earned decorations for gallantry until I saw the ribbons on their chests. They were humble and they did not talk about their actions. 

Luckily, I listened to my first sergeant and learned about military ribbons and their meanings because had I not, I would not realize I was walking among heroes.

U.S. Army Ribbons
For those of us who have been around the block a time or two in the U.S. Army, it is almost second nature when we discuss U.S. Army ribbons. From memory, most Army veterans with more than a couple of years in uniform can recite the criteria to earn a U.S. Army ribbon and also explain the order of precedence for wear of U.S. Army ribbons.

But if you’re a new soldier or maybe you’re someone who is trying to learn about U.S. Army ribbons to help a family member acquire awards they never received, or you’re putting together a military shadow box for a veteran or a family member, navigating all of the colors, criteria and campaigns can be a conundrum.

Maybe this can break it down for you and help you understand U.S. Army ribbons.

Army Service Ribbon/Army Rainbow Ribbon
The ASR, as it is known in the Army’s vernacular, is the most basic Army ribbon a member of the U.S. Army can earn. According to the Federal Register, the Army Service Ribbon was established by the Secretary of the Army in 1981. It is awarded to members of the U.S. Army for completion of initial entry training. That means that enlisted soldiers earn the Army Service Ribbon after completing their MOS (military occupation specialty) course. Officers earn the Army Service Ribbon after completing their basic/orientation or higher-level course. For both officer and enlisted who are assigned an MOS based on civilian or other service acquired skills, the Army Service Ribbon is awarded after four months of honorable service.

The Army Service Ribbon can be awarded retroactively for training that occurred prior to August 1981 provided personnel had an active Army status during the award period. In addition, all members of the Active Army, Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve in an active reserve status are eligible for the award. The Army Service Ribbon is awarded only once, even if an individual completes both enlisted and officer training. Lastly, the Army Service Ribbon can be awarded posthumously before training is completed or requisite time in service if the death is ruled in the line of duty.

The Army Service Ribbon is multicolored representing all of the occupational specialties in the U.S. Army. Because of its rainbow-like colors, the ribbon has earned the nickname Army Rainbow Ribbon. But to avoid confusion, don’t refer to the ASR as the Army Rainbow Ribbon in official channels because you might just come across an NCO who doesn’t think that the word rainbows has a place in the U.S. Army. Just remember that unofficially, the Army Service Ribbon is also called the Army Rainbow Ribbon, but you won’t find any pots of gold when you earn it, and remember that Army Rainbow Ribbon is just a nickname used within the ranks.

Army Good Conduct Ribbon
The Army Good Conduct Medal (AGCM) and the Army Good Conduct Ribbon are one in the same. When a soldier receives the medal, they receive it in a box that has a full-sized Army Good Conduct Medal along with an Army Good Conduct Ribbon. The Army Good Conduct Ribbon represents the Army Good Conduct Medal when a soldier wears a ribbon rack on their Class A or Class B uniform. The Army Good Conduct Ribbon represents the AGCM.

According to U.S. Army Human Resources Command, the AGCM/Army Good Conduct Ribbon was established in June 1941 and it is awarded for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity in active federal military service. It is awarded on a selective basis to each soldier who distinguishes him- or herself from among his or her fellow soldiers by their exemplary conduct, efficiency, and fidelity throughout a specified period of continuous enlisted active federal military service. There is no right or entitlement to the medal until the immediate commander has approved the award and the award has been announced in permanent orders. That’s key because a lot of soldiers believe that it is an automatic award, but you have to keep your nose clean.

The first award of the AGCM/Army Good Conduct Ribbon may be approved for more than one year, but less than three years of active federal military service. Subsequent awards must meet the three years of continuous active federal military service rule.

The following are eligible for the AGCM/Army Good Conduct Ribbon: Active component enlisted soldiers, Active Guard Reserve (AGR) enlisted personnel serving on extended periods of active duty (other than for training) under Titles 10 and 32 U.S. Code are eligible for award of the AGCM/Army Good Conduct Ribbon for qualifying service beginning on or after Sept. 1, 1982, provided no period of the service has been duplicated by the same period of service for which the soldier has been awarded the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal. The AGCM/Army Good Conduct Ribbon qualification period may commence anytime during the three years immediately preceding the September 1982 effective date provided no portion of service for the AGCM/Army Good Conduct Ribbon is included in a period of service for which the ARCAM was awarded.

The AGCM/Army Good Conduct Ribbon is retroactive for eligible Army of the United States (AUS) enlisted personnel and other Army enlisted personnel as may be directed by the Secretary of the Army, as well as Ready Reserve enlisted personnel ordered to active duty under Title 10 U.S. Code.

The AGCM/Army Good Conduct Ribbon receives higher precedence in the order of wear than the Army Service Ribbon because it is an individual military medal that is earned through honorable service. The AGCM/Army Good Conduct Ribbon also has promotion points value.

Army Overseas Service Ribbon
The Army Overseas Service Ribbon is one of the more confusing Army ribbon criteria. In the past, deployments to combat zones did not qualify personnel for the Army Overseas Service Ribbon, but the rules have changed and some stipulations have been rescinded. Here’s what U.S. Army Human Resources Command says about the Army Overseas Service Ribbon.

The Army Overseas Service Ribbon was established by the Secretary of the Army on April 10, 1981. Effective Aug. 1, 1981, the Army Overseas Service Ribbon is awarded to all members of the Active Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve in an active reserve status for successful completion of overseas tours. The ribbon may be awarded retroactively to personnel who were credited with a normal overseas tour completion before Aug. 1, 1981, provided they had an Active Army status on or after Aug. 1, 1981.

In order to receive the Army Overseas Service Ribbon, soldiers must be credited with a normal overseas tour completion. Soldiers who have overseas service with another branch of service (Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps) must be credited with normal overseas tour completion by that service to qualify for the award of the Army Overseas Service Ribbon. Additionally, soldiers who served in U.S. Army deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan are now eligible for the Army Overseas Service Ribbon provided they served a minimum of 11 cumulative months (within a 24-month period) or nine continuous months in a temporary change of station or temporary tour of duty status.

The Army Overseas Service Ribbon is worn under the Army Service Ribbon and the Army Good Conduct Ribbon in order of precedence.

Army Ribbon Chart/Army Ribbon Builder
The order of wear is probably one of the most common mistakes soldiers make on their uniform ribbon racks. Thanks to eagle-eyed NCOs, the troops usually look sharp before inspections, boards and other significant events. These seasoned professionals have an extraordinarily refined attention to detail and most can spot an infraction from across a room.

Long ago back before computers were commonplace and before the Internet existed, I was a junior enlisted man and I went before a below-the-zone promotion board. I was so nervous that I put my three ribbons on backwards, so they were not in proper order. It was a tough lesson in the value of attention to detail and proper preparation. Needless to say, I didn’t get the promotion. I had no excuse other than the fact that I was unprepared, but today there is definitely no excuse for mistakes of that kind.

Nonetheless, it happens, when you’re new or inexperienced despite the fact that there are many U.S. Army resources that explain how ribbons should be placed and ordered in a ribbon rack. There are numerous official U.S. Army ribbon charts, some are online as images, some are available as a hard copy, and most are rather helpful, but nothing is more reliable and foolproof than using USAMM’s Army Ribbon chart and Army Ribbon builder.  

Once a visitor is on the USAMM’s Army ribbon chart page, all they have to do is find their ribbons and medals, select the ribbons or medals they have earned and USAMM’s Army ribbon builder will build a virtual ribbon rack and place them in order of precedence according to the U.S. military uniform regulation of each service. It is literally as easy as clicking your mouse. There is no need to look up regulations, examine pictures, or explore Army ribbon charts. All you have to do is click and the Army ribbon builder will construct a ribbon rack for you.

Were you in the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard and now you’re in the U.S. Army? It doesn’t matter, just find your ribbons and awards on USAMM’s Army ribbon chart, select those you’ve earned and USAMM’s Army ribbon builder will do the rest. The best part is once the order is submitted it is in the capable hands of military ribbon experts, many of them veterans themselves, who will use what you selected in the Army ribbon chart and assemble your Army ribbon rack using your input in the Army ribbon builder.

Army Ribbon Order
In the latter part of my Army career I was fortunate to have the ability to use USAMM’s Army ribbon chart and Army ribbon builder to construct my ribbon rack for promotion pictures and to update my ribbon rack after receiving an award. I never had to worry about the Army ribbon order when I used USAMM.

When you have been in for a few decades, the ribbon rack gets a bit large and trying to figure out the Army ribbon order can be time consuming for even the most seasoned soldier. There are regulations to review, memos, you name it. For a person who is unfamiliar with the military, trying to put together a veteran’s ribbon rack can be confusing.

USAMM takes the mystery out of the Army ribbon order by offering simple to use, guaranteed technology that can help anyone build a ribbon rack that has ribbons in the proper Army ribbon order.