2008 Army Signal Ball Manhattan Kansas

[Cerebite]

With regard to when to wear what medal size or ribbon specifically Navy; I would be surprised if the other services are significantly different.

The first thing to consider is the "level" of the dress uniform which for the Navy can be either Blues or Whites [less formal and summer applications] and I would guess ground services would also have a green option.

Full Dress one wears full medals on the left and ribbons on the right.

Service Dress one wears the full "collection" as ribbons on the left side

Mess/ Dinner Dress one wears miniature medals and no ribbons.

In my experience very few "active" personnel have the Mess dress until they reach the senior paygrades [E7+, O4+] although the officers are more likely than the enlisted [I personnally do not yet own Mess Dress].

[citation: Navpers 15665

Just a note on "kids wearing medals they have not earned." With the ongoing two front war in Western and Central Asia some of those "kids" have earned those medals. I have a colleague at work who has a friend who was accosted for having a Purple Heart license plate on his car ["Where did you dad earn his purple heart" or "what are you doing driving dads car"]. The "kid" in question spent two tours in Iraq as a Navy medic with the Marines and EARNED that medal himself.

Someday I hope to be "together" enough to wear a Mess Dress Kilt to a Dinning Out

[berserkbishop]

I know that this thread is not really being discussed much anymore but I would just like all who contributed to know how interesting I found it. Aside from the heated content, the contributors knowledge on military uniforms are welcome to a new Seaman recruit who know NOTHING of military regs yet. This board is a wealth of knowledge. Thanks fellas!

BB