How to Wear Ribbons on an Army Dress Blue Uniform

There are few distinctions in the world that indicate such honor and pride as a military award. The United States Army issues awards in the forms of medals, pins, ribbons and other marks of honor. Like most other parts of military culture, displaying these awards on the uniform comes with a certain number of rules that must be followed. Rules can vary depending on the uniform the soldier wears; knowing how to display ribbons on the blue dress uniform will have a soldier looking distinguished and proper.

Things You'll Need

• Awarded ribbons
• Blue dress uniform

Instructions

1. Wear the ribbons in order of precedence, from the wearer's right to left, with no more than four ribbons per row. If multiple rows are required, no more than 1/8 inch of space will separate each row.

2. Attach ribbons to the male soldier's blue dress uniform with the bottom row centered 1/8 inch above the left breast pocket of the uniform jacket.

3. Attach ribbons to the female soldier's blue dress uniform centered on the left side of the jacket, with the bottom row parallel to the bottom of the nameplate, which is worn on the opposite side of the jacket.

Tips & Warnings

• The soldier cannot wear more than two decorations featuring neck ribbons at a time. The neck ribbons are worn with the award of highest precedence suspended over the other.

References

• Army Regulations: Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia
• Army.com: Blue Uniform Information
• ArmyStudyGuide.com: Awards and Decorations