Honorable Service Ribbon Initiative

[Flying Pig]

^I have a buddy that was Jump Qual'd in the Marines.  He moved over to the Coast Guard as an Officer.  He was FLAMMIN" MAD when he realized that the CG doesnt wear Jump Wings   Not that he moved over for that, but he was pretty bummed.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

I had a buddy that was Army INF, transferred to Army MP. He wore his Class A's with Infantry Cord and Infantry Disks under his Branch Insignia. He was told to take all of it off, except for his CIB. He said no, was written up, this kept happening about four times before he was given an Article 15, he refused to sign acknowledging the 15,so he went for Court Martial. He won the court martial because the regulations conflicted. One said once it is earned it wasn't to be taken off. Another said only while PMOS was 11B. Even the Army needs to clarify regs.

[MIKE]

^I have a buddy that was Jump Qual'd in the Marines.  He moved over to the Coast Guard as an Officer.  He was FLAMMIN" MAD when he realized that the CG doesnt wear Jump Wings   Not that he moved over for that, but he was pretty bummed.

If you earn them while in the Coast Guard you can wear them.  Not as strict with the Auxiliary uniform though.

[JohnKachenmeister]

I used to wear only my wings on the blue AF shirt.

Then the NLO wrote that: "Since CAP is a non-combat organization, the wearing of any combat awards of any type by CAP personnel is inappropriate."

Since then I've worn every decoration I got, including my combat awards.  ESPECIALLY my combat awards!

Note to NLO, if you are lurking:

"Inappropriate" is when you get drunk at the O-club and put the moves on another officer's wife.  (BTDT, got the counseling statement in my file).

"Inappropriate" is when you are in a general staff meeting and you release some rotten flatulence in an overcrowded conference room.  (BTDT, but I loudly blamed a major who I didn't like.  He was napping and I think I even convinced him that he was guilty).

"Inappropriate" is what the Staff Duty Officer called it when he came into the all-ranks club as I was teaching some enlisted guys some rowdy jody calls and beer-drinking songs.  (BTDT, but it WAS an all-ranks club, so nothing hit paper).

BUT... Wearing your earned combat awards is NOT inappropriate!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[manfredvonrichthofen]

BTDT to a couple of those same things. And agree it is not inappropriate!

[JohnKachenmeister]

I wear 24 ribbons, but the Good Conduct Medal is not among them!

[Hawk200]

I wear 24 ribbons, but the Good Conduct Medal is not among them!

Thought you were an officer?

[manfredvonrichthofen]

I wear 24 ribbons, but the Good Conduct Medal is not among them!

Thought you were an officer?

Don't matter, you have to go 3 years in the military with no negative actions at all to get a GCM.

[JohnKachenmeister]

I'm a mustang.  I was an E-6 when I stepped up to get the gold bar.

[SARDOC]

I wear 24 ribbons, but the Good Conduct Medal is not among them!

Thought you were an officer?

Don't matter, you have to go 3 years in the military with no negative actions at all to get a GCM.

only enlisted members are eligible for good conduct medals.  Officers are always assumed to be gentlemen...enlisted, eh not so much     

[Major Carrales]

Kach...those words by the NLO were unfortunate.  The wearing of earned US Military awards and decorations is an honor, never inappropriate.

[Hawk200]

I'm a mustang.  I was an E-6 when I stepped up to get the gold bar.

Didn't realize that, thought you started at a butterbar.

So how long did it take you to make E-6? (Yeah, I'm wondering how many GCMs you ended up "bypassing"  )

[FARRIER]

You have every right to be proud of your military and CAP achievements/awards LT, but sometimes simple humility (in a plain uniform) is better.

Respectfully non-concur. If its earned, its not bragging.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I had a buddy that was Army INF, transferred to Army MP. He wore his Class A's with Infantry Cord and Infantry Disks under his Branch Insignia.

Did he wear the light-blue Infantry shoulder cord too?

I ask this because my dad wore the Infantry light-blue shoulder cord and disks, and Infantry cross-muskets (I arranged most of them in a shadow-box for him before he died).

However, my dad was not in an Infantry unit.  He was in the 4th Armored Division, Erlangen, West Germany, 1957-1959.

If, if, IF a revised 39-1 is ever issued, I hope it clarifies some of this stuff.

There are a lot of murky areas; CGAUX ribbons are not actually prohibited in words, some say they can wear them, some say they can't (I don't wear mine simply because I don't want to start an argument with someone).

I've seen people wear State NG ribbons on the AF/CAP uniform, and that's not allowed.

I was incredulous when I read LTC Kachenmeister's account of what the NLO said about combat awards.  If my dad had ever joined CAP and was told he couldn't wear his Army Rifle Marksman's badge (below)...well, let's just say that he had the stubbornness of the Scottish and the fire of the Irish, and in the end probably would have not joined.

[FARRIER]

It doesn't help to have this mindset floating around the organization if we are trying to recruit new members, especially veterans of this decade's wars.

I had a buddy that was Army INF, transferred to Army MP. He wore his Class A's with Infantry Cord and Infantry Disks under his Branch Insignia.

Did he wear the light-blue Infantry shoulder cord too?

I ask this because my dad wore the Infantry light-blue shoulder cord and disks, and Infantry cross-muskets (I arranged most of them in a shadow-box for him before he died).

However, my dad was not in an Infantry unit.  He was in the 4th Armored Division, Erlangen, West Germany, 1957-1959.

If, if, IF a revised 39-1 is ever issued, I hope it clarifies some of this stuff.

There are a lot of murky areas; CGAUX ribbons are not actually prohibited in words, some say they can wear them, some say they can't (I don't wear mine simply because I don't want to start an argument with someone).

I've seen people wear State NG ribbons on the AF/CAP uniform, and that's not allowed.

I was incredulous when I read LTC Kachenmeister's account of what the NLO said about combat awards.  If my dad had ever joined CAP and was told he couldn't wear his Army Rifle Marksman's badge (below)...well, let's just say that he had the stubbornness of the Scottish and the fire of the Irish, and in the end probably would have not joined.

[JohnKachenmeister]

I'm a mustang.  I was an E-6 when I stepped up to get the gold bar.

Didn't realize that, thought you started at a butterbar.

So how long did it take you to make E-6? (Yeah, I'm wondering how many GCMs you ended up "bypassing"  )

Part of the problem was that I switched services... my actual conduct was only secondary, since I was smart enough to not get caught.

I was Navy Reserve, and did 2 years AD.  Navy requires 4 years for a GCM.

After the Navy, and after finishing college, I went into the Army Guard, and only did short tours of AD... never a full three years at a time.

AFTER I was commissioned, I did 6 years on the AGR program, but as an officer you don't get a GCM.

My combat time was all as a Navy hospital corpsman.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Cyborg:

Actually, you can't wear the Army (or Marine) shooting brass on the AF uniform.  Since the Air Force awards a ribbon for expert marksmanship, their regulations prohibit the shooting medal-type award.

Army and Marine awards are outlawed, but Air Force and Navy (also a ribbon) shooting awards are OK.

[bosshawk]

A small piece of explanation on Syborg's comment that his dad was not in an Infantry unit, but in the 4th Armored Division.  Armored Divisions have Infantry battalions, so he may have well been in an INF  Bn in the 4th Armored: they are often called Armored Infantry Bns(or at least used to be called that).  In my day, an AD had four tank battalions and 5 infantry bns.

Syborg: I happened to be in Germany at the same time that your Dad was there.

[lordmonar]

There are a lot of murky areas; CGAUX ribbons are not actually prohibited in words, some say they can wear them, some say they can't (I don't wear mine simply because I don't want to start an argument with someone).

I've seen people wear State NG ribbons on the AF/CAP uniform, and that's not allowed.

I don't know what is murky about it.

Below are the two applicable paragraphs from CAP 39-1.  CAP members may wear awards and decorations prescribed in CAPR 39-3 AND/OR Military Service Awards and Decorations.   Nowhere is there anything about CGAUX. 

Now the NG types may (I SAY AGAIN MAY) have a leg to stand on as their state service is military service.....however.....IMHO the fact the AD USAF does not want NG types wearing their NG ribbons when on EAD orders....does come into play.

5-1. Wear of Awards and Decorations. Awards and decorations prescribed by CAPR 39-3, Award of
CAP Medals, Ribbons, and Certificates, will be worn only by CAP members for whom they have been
authorized and only on those uniforms outlined below. Figure 5-1 outlines the proper arrangement and
placement on service uniforms. Ribbons and medals will not be worn on the utility uniform, field
uniform, CAP blazer (exception one miniature medal may be worn on the semiformal blazer uniform),
battle dress uniform, flight suits, and in no case will they be worn on the overcoat, raincoat, all-weather
coat, or lightweight blue jacket.

5-4. Military Service Awards. Military service ribbons may be worn on the CAP AF-style uniform
provided they were awarded in writing by competent military authority. Awards of the Air Force,
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard will be worn in the order prescribed by the awarding
service, subject to the following: In all cases of relative priority, Air Force awards will take precedence.
See Table 5-3. Awards for wars, campaigns, expeditions etc., will be worn in chronological sequence.
a. Three JROTC/ROTC ribbons awarded by military departments may be worn following all other
ribbons (except foreign ribbons) while the member concerned is participating in the JROTC/ROTC
program. When the member is no longer participating in the JROTC/ROTC program, JROTC/ROTC
ribbons will be removed.
b. Foreign decorations are so many and so varied, the number and combinations that may be worn
will not be prescribed; however, good taste and judgment should prevail. Only those decorations that
have been duly approved by Congress for acceptance and wear by the individual may be worn.

[Hawk200]

Now the NG types may (I SAY AGAIN MAY) have a leg to stand on as their state service is military service.....however.....IMHO the fact the AD USAF does not want NG types wearing their NG ribbons when on EAD orders....does come into play.

My gripe about it is that foreign awards are permitted, and you know who said civilian decorations were permitted (and you know someone is wearing it) when those Deptartment of the Army civilian medals were awarded and a big writeup was made about them.

I don't wear mine anyway, one is too hard to get for anything other than my military uniform; and I couldn't wear the rack on my shirt and have it look right. I've chosen eighteen of my military and CAP ribbons, it's the best I can really do. It's mostly medals and when it comes to CAP ribbons I drop Levels One and Two. About to drop the Level Three as soon as Four comes in.