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The Global Insight

How do you put ribbon on dress blues?

Author

Robert Miller

Updated on February 13, 2026

Ribbons are worn on the service coat or jumper of Service Dress Blue, Dress White, and on the shirt of Service Khaki, E6 and below Service Uniform. Ribbons are not authorized on formal dress, dinner dress, or working uniforms. Wear up to three ribbons in a single row.

Where do you put medals on Marine Corps dress blues?

Medals on the Marine Corps dress blue uniform should be centered above the left breast pocket and attached to a holding bar designed to support their weight. This holding bar should be centered between the first and second buttons on the coat.

What are the Coloured bars on military uniforms?

Color bars signify the time that the person served and/or the geographic location. This is one of the main uses of the color bars. They can also honor the military personnel with outstanding service in certain areas, such as the Purple Heart.

Why can’t Marines wear their uniform in public?

James Conway says. Such emergencies include car crashes, vehicle breakdowns and medical emergencies. That means Marines can no longer wear their utility uniforms when they are off base and decide to pick up their kids from day care, run to the drug store or get gas, said Mary Boyt, of the Marine Corps Uniform Board.

How many medals can you wear in a row?

A maximum of three medals may be worn side by side in a single row with no overlap. Arrange four or more medals (maximum of five in a single row). Overlapping shall be proportional and the inboard medal shall show in full. Arrange medals in order of precedence in rows from top down, inboard to outboard, within rows.

What are military drinking bars called?

An officers’ club, known within the military as an O club is similar to a gentlemen’s club for commissioned officers of the armed forces. Few officers’ clubs have survived the end of the Cold War.

What color ribbon is for veterans?

National Military Appreciation Month: May Red, white and blue ribbons give visible awareness to all military members who have served the United States of America, past and present, in all branches.

What is the difference between court mounted and swing mounted medals?

Swing mounting is when a medal is suspended by its ribbon from a brooch pin. Several medals can be attached to a long brooch pin. Court mounting is when the ribbon is stretched over a stiff mounting board with a medal bar brooch at the top. The medals are tied down and do not move when the person walks.

Can you wear your grandfather’s medals?

When is OK to wear my relatives medals ? War medals and service decorations of any sort may be worn only by the person upon whom they were conferred, and in no case does the right to wear war or service medals, or their ribbons, pass to any relative when the recipient is dead.