Posted on Jan 16, 2016
Can prior service Army Officers wear service ribbons on their Army Service Uniform?
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Today marks my 3rd year of being enlisted in the USAR and I believe I am now authorized to wear a service stripe, however during my enlistment I enrolled in ROTC and became a contracted Cadet. When I commission will I be authorized to continue to wear my service stripe as an officer from when I was enlisted?
Army Reserve
ROTC
Regulation
Dress Uniform
DA Pam 670-1
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 29
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You are not authorized to wear service stripes as an officer, however you are authorized to wear your overseas service stripes. I had to forfeit my two service stripes upon commissioning also.
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MAJ Ronald Mandell
And once commissioned, don’t ever give it up! If you leave active duty for any go into the reserves, even if the IRR, then make enough service points each year to keep your commission.
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Sean Crowley
It's because an officer's LIFE is the Army (or Air Force, Navy, Marines, NGs, CGSs), so he doesn't need to show how many years he's been in.
An enlisted man might be "just passing through", a few years and onto civilian life, so longevity in an enlisted man is a metric that is very important.
An enlisted man might be "just passing through", a few years and onto civilian life, so longevity in an enlisted man is a metric that is very important.
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You may wear a service stripe on your enlisted uniform. When I was a cadet, I actually had two sets of uniforms. As for your cadet uniform, check with your professor of military science. Since cadets are not yet officers, it may be authorized. When you get commissioned however, the service stripe goes to your "I love me collection" and not on the uniform. Enjoy your career!
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MAJ Ronald Mandell
Hears a good question: I served as a drilling reservist on the island of Saipan for 15 years. Saipan is a US territory, but it is overseas. .. can I wear overseas stripes for this years?
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SFC (Join to see)
It’s not any overseas station Sir. It’s more for OIF and OEF tours and a few others depending on certain tomes. MAJ Ronald Mandell
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CW2 Bruce Rodewald
MAJ Ronald Mandell - we called those combat zone stripes, 1 each for 6 months....RVN
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LTC James McElreath
You are an EM until graduation, and until you get your commission. If you fail to be commissioned you would revert back to an email and big Army will want their ROTC money paid back. This may be AD USAR. They will let you know how you pay it back. My class had one placed on AD and I do believe retire 20 yes later.
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Officers do wear service ribbons (i.e. the Army Service Ribbon, which you should already have due to graduation from BCT/AIT). We do not, however, wear Service Stripes. Aside from the Branch specific piping just up from the sleeve cuff, they only thing we wear on the sleeves of the ASU is Overseas Service Bars.
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