If I had any minions, I'd have them checking this out.

[John Asendorf]

Unit Citations and awards, in the Army, generally go on the right side. How does this affect prior service unit citations (from other U.S. forces), etc.? Also, do any of the other forces wear ribbons on the right side? If so, anyone want to start the list?

[Guest]

John,

I recently researched the Amy, Air Force and Navy (including Marines) regulations, instructions etc., regarding the wear of unit citations. Only the Army wears unit citations on the right breast. That is true only on uniforms on which ribbons may be worn or when only ribbons (and badges) are worn. On some uniforms, in services other than the Army,
when full size or miniature medals are worn ribbon only awards are worn on the right breast. The latter piece of trivia should not affect your routines.

As to wear of unit citations awarded during prior service, the various service allow the wear of theses awards in the same manner as those of that service. As described in the appropriate service documents, each service has unique rules restricting which of the other services' unit awards may be worn. This sounds like a real logical and coding challenge.

Hope this helps

[John Asendorf]

As to wear of unit citations awarded during prior service, the various service allow the wear of theses awards in the same manner as those of that service.

So, a Navy Unit Citation, worn on an Army uniform would be worn on the regular rack on the wearer's left? Correct? I'm a bit confused.

[Guest]

Sorry for the confusion. A Naval Presidential Unit Citation, worn as an individual award by Sailors, is worn on the Army uniform as are all other unit citations, on the right side. An Army PUC when worn by a Sailor would be worn as an individual award on the Sailor's left breast. BTW, the Army is the only service where unit awards are temporarily worn while assigned to a unit. In all of the other services one has to have been assigned or attached to the unit during the period for which the unit citation was awarded to wear the award.

Hope this helps.

[John Asendorf]

It does immensely... thanks!

[Guest]

Sorry for the confusion. INSERTED: YOU'RE ADDING TO IT WITH THE FOLLOWING COMMENT: BTW, the Army is the only service where unit awards are temporarily worn while assigned to a unit.
Hope this helps.

The reality of the issue is that if you were assigned / attached to the unit during the timeperiod specified in the unit award, it is a permenant decoration for you.

If you are simply a late arrival, all the unit awards your new command has are to be worn on yer uniform while you're assigned there.

Example: I was in TF Eagle in Bosnia in 96, which got a unit award. Therefore it is permenantly awarded for me. Now I"m assigned to another unit which has another unit award, but I wasn't assigned when they got it. I wear both, but when I leave the unit the one which I didn't earn will come off.

[NSFOIC]

The only time we wear anything on the right side in Navy is when large medals are worn, then any award that is ribbon only (unit citations, deployment ribbons, CAR, etc.) would be worn on the right side with medals on the left. When only ribbons are worn, then everything is on the left.

R/

[dlambermont]

To add to this thread, I have three ribbons from my Navy days that were identified by a different rack builder app as Unit awards to be worn on the right side (Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Meritorious Unit Commentation (2), and Navy Battle "E" Award).

I have noticed that on Army uniforms, the ribbons on the right side are larger than those on the left. I had no trouble finding a larger JMUC ribbon since they are also awarded by the Army, but I have not seen any larger versions of the Navy unit awards. Are there any specific size requirements for the right vs. the left?

[Shuman 14]

The ribbon itself is not larger, it's the frame that is larger.

If you have been awarded an Army unit award of any type (as long as it's a personnel award and not a temporary one) and you latter transfer to another branch of service, you just go down to the exchange and buy the smaller size frame.

Take it home and very carefully remove the old "large size" frame from the Army unit award and replace it with the "small size" frame you just bought.

The unit award now fits with the rest of ribbons and medals you have and will slide right onto a standard ribbon bar.

It's really much easier than you all seem to think it is.

Conversly, if you have a framed unit award from another service and you join the Army, go buy the bigger frame and replace it with the larger one.

Unit award without frames are worn just that way, WITHOUT FRAME, on the Army uniform.

Yes it looks "wrong" but by the regulation it is correct.

[John Asendorf]

From Lukasz's site:
http://www.medals.lava.pl/us/us1.htm

smaller frame:


larger frame:

[Reichpapers]

To add a bit to the above conversation concerning Army Unit Awards. Lets say I have an Army Superior Unit Award which the unit earned while I was assigned to it. If I were to go to a different unit that had two Army Superior Unit Awards, then I would still wear my one...permanant award has precedence.

[Farmer40]

I believe that when one has permanently awarded unit citations they are worn with temporary unit awards. During my service units in which I served, the 1st Cavalry Division and 5th Special Forces Group, were awarded PUC's while I was assigned to those units. My permanent PUC displayed one oak leaf cluster. When I was assigned to a unit in the 82d Airborne Division which had earned the PUC in WWII, I was authorized to wear the PUC awarded to that unit in addition to the one's I wore permanently; a PUC with 2 oak leaf clusters. So back I went to 5th Group which, at that time, had been awarded four PUC's during it's history. So how many PUC's did I wear? Five; one permanent one from the Cav and the four awarded the 5SFG. The latter because I had served with 5SFG when one of the four PUC's had been awarded. The regs are vague, if not silent, on this point, so we (The sergeant Major and I) went to the IG with the question and the guidance we were given was that you wear the total of authorized temporary and permanent US unit awards unless you served, as I had, with the unit when it had been awarded one (or more) of it's awards.

To be safe I'd check with your 1st Sergeant or Sergeant Major for your unit's policy.

[Reichpapers]

This is from AR-670-1, Page 276, Note 1 under Table 29-1

A soldier may wear the unit award permanently if the individual was assigned to, and present for duty with the unit any time during the period cited; or who was attached by competent orders to, and present for duty with the unit during the entire period, or for at least 30 consecutive days of the period cited. When a soldier is permanently awarded a unit award and is subsequently assigned to a unit that has received the same unit award, the soldier will wear the permanent award in lieu of the temporary unit award.

[PSDscout]

So here is my question,

While in the Marines I was in two seperate units that were awarded the Navy/MC MUC while I was serving with them. On my Marine uniform it fell in line with my other ribbons on the left breast unless I wore medals which by MC uniform regs puts it on the right.

ANYWAY since it is a MUC and I am now in the Army do I wear it on the right or in my ribbon stack?

[John Asendorf]

We have an ex-Navy guy in MY Army Reserve unit... he wears the Navy UC he earned on the right.