Because of the wide variety of jobs performed in the Navy, there are multiple categories of uniforms, each with several variations. What uniform you wear with what variations is decided by the prescribing authority—defined in U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations as the area or regional commander. Your command will make it clear what uniforms have been prescribed, and this is often referred to as the uniform of the day.
The best source of information regarding uniforms is U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations, NAVPERS 15665 (often informally called “Uniform Regs”), which is issued by the Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) at the direction of the CNO and carries the force of a lawful order. As with all references, be sure that you are using the current version of “Uniform Regs”—as of this writing, the current version is I (India).
Major Topics Covered:
Uniform Terminology
Categories of Uniforms
Ranks on Uniforms
Awards and Decorations
Warfare and Other Qualification Insignia
Grooming and Personal Appearance
To Learn More:
www.usni.org/BlueAndGoldProfessionalBooks/TheBluejacketsManual
Basic Military Requirements (NAVEDTRA 14325)
Uniforms and Insignia, www.navy.com/about/uniforms.html#enlisted-rate
Uniform Regulations, www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/uniforms/uniformregulations/Pages/default.aspx
Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual (SECNAVINST 1650.1H)
Navy Awards, awards.navy.mil/awards/webbas01.nsf/(vwWebPage)/home.htm?OpenDocument
Navy Awards Precedence, www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/uniforms/uniformregulations/Pages/NavyAwardsPrecedenceChart.aspx
Women’s Hair Standards, www.navy.mil/ah_online/um/femalehair.html
Navy Uniform Support Center, www.mynavyexchange.com/nex/uniforms
Associated Tabs:
TAB 6-A: Navy Enlisted Sleeve Markings
TAB 6-B: Enlisted Rank Devices of the Other Armed Services
TAB 6-C: Officer Collar, Cap, and Shoulder Rank Devices in the Armed Services
TAB 6-D: Navy Officer Shoulder Boards and Sleeve Markings
TAB 6-E: Coast Guard Officer Shoulder Boards and Sleeve Markings
Tab 6-F: Warrant Officer Rank Devices
Tab 6-G: Line and Staff Corps Devices
TAB 6-H: Wearing of Awards
TAB 6-I: Precedence of Awards
TAB 6-J: Warfare and Qualification Insignia
6-A Navy Enlisted Sleeve Markings
In this example, the markings are for a Sailor who is a boatswain’s mate and therefore includes crossed anchors—the symbol associated with that rating. The crossed anchors would be replaced by the appropriate rating symbol (see TAB 5-B: Navy Ratings) for other ratings.
These markings are for winter uniforms and would be different for summer uniforms with all features (“crow,” rating symbol, and chevrons) in dark blue on white. Note that the chevrons for E-7 and above are gold instead of red; this indicates twelve or more years of good conduct service and can occur at any pay grade once this milestone has been reached.
6-B Enlisted Rank Devices of the Other Armed Services
The Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force have their own unique indications of rank. Only the Navy and Coast Guard include their occupational specialties on their sleeve markings, while the other services do not. Another difference is that the Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force wear their sleeve markings on both sleeves, while the Navy and Coast Guard wear them only on the left arm.
![[6-A] Navy enlisted sleeve markings](../images/f0535-01.jpg)
[6-A] Navy enlisted sleeve markings
![[6-B-1] Marine Corps enlisted ranks](../images/f0536-01.jpg)
[6-B-1] Marine Corps enlisted ranks
![[6-B-2] Army enlisted ranks](../images/f0537-01.jpg)
![[6-B-3] Air Force enlisted ranks](../images/f0538-01.jpg)
[6-B-3] Air Force enlisted ranks
6-C Officer Collar, Cap, and Shoulder Rank Devices in the Armed Service
These collar, cap, and shoulder devices are virtually the same for all the services, based on pay grade. An O-4 in any of the services is indicated by a gold oak leaf, even though the wearer would be a “lieutenant commander” in the Navy and Coast Guard and a “major” in the other services.
6-D Navy Officer Shoulder Boards and Sleeve Markings
6-E Coast Guard Officer Shoulder Boards and Sleeve Markings
Coast Guard officers have similar shoulder boards and sleeve markings to those worn by Navy officers. The main difference is the use of the same federal shield worn by enlisted personnel in the Coast Guard.
6-F Warrant Officer Rank Devices
6-G Line and Staff Corps Devices
Awards are either medals or ribbons. Medals are metal pendants hung from pieces of colored cloth. Ribbons are rectangular pieces of colored cloth 1½ inches long and 3⁄8-inch high. Medals always come with a ribbon, but some awards consist of only a ribbon and do not have a corresponding medal.
The term “award” is used to describe any medal, ribbon, or attachment. “Decoration” is usually used to describe an award given to an individual for a specific act of personal gallantry or meritorious service.
Only wear your medals on very formal occasions when the prescribed uniform is full dress. Miniature versions of the medals are worn with dinner-dress uniforms. Ribbons are worn on dress uniforms but not on working ones.
When you earn your first ribbon wear it centered a quarter of an inch above your left breast pocket. As you add ribbons, you will build them in rows of three. You may see members of other services wearing large numbers of ribbons in rows of four, but in the Navy the most you can wear in a row is three. If you have a number not divisible by three, the uppermost row contains the lesser number, with the extra one or two ribbons centered over the row beneath. On full-dress occasions, when you are wearing your medals, line them up in rows of three, side by side, or you may put five in a row if you overlap them. Any awards that only have a ribbon (no corresponding medal) must be worn on the right breast when full-size medals are worn. Do not wear any ribbons, however, when you are wearing miniature medals (dinner-dress occasions).
If you earn the same award more than once, you will not receive the medal or ribbon again, but will receive a special metal attachment that goes on the original medal or ribbon. Other attachments are also sometimes added to awards to represent something other than repeated awards (such as the number of missions flown or an “S” on a pistol or rifle ribbon to indicate qualification as a sharpshooter).
It is important that you wear your awards in the proper order. Whenever you earn a new award, you must determine where it goes in relation to the other awards you have already earned.
TAB 6-I: Precedence of Awards lists the medals and ribbons you might earn while in the Navy in their order of precedence, which determines how they are to be worn on your uniform. The awards with the higher precedence are worn closer to your heart (called “farthest inboard”). For example, if you have earned an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, a Navy Unit Commendation, a Combat Action Ribbon, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and a National Defense Service Medal, you would arrange them in two rows, with three ribbons on the lower row and two on the upper row. Since the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal has the highest precedence (nearest the top of the list) it would go on the top row, closest to your heart (farthest inboard). Next to it would be the Combat Action Ribbon. The bottom row would have the Navy Unit Commendation farthest inboard, with the National Defense Service Medal next in line (in the middle), and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal last, on the bottom row, farthest from the heart (farthest outboard).
The precedence of decorations authorized for personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps is listed below. U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations, NAVPERS 15665, provides further information regarding the precedence and appropriate wear of all personnel, unit, and service awards.
In general, awards are worn in the following order:
• U.S. Military Personal Decorations
• U.S. Military Unit Awards
• U.S. Campaign and Service Awards
• Foreign Military Personal Decorations*
• Foreign Military Unit Awards
• Multilateral Military Service Awards (United Nations, NATO, etc.)
• Foreign Military Service Medals
• Marksmanship Awards
* Foreign awards are worn in the order of receipt; if from the same-country, that country’s precedence is used for those ribbons.
PRECEDENCE OF AWARDS
(1) Medal of Honor
(2) Navy Cross
(3) Defense Distinguished Service Medal
(4) Distinguished Service Medal
(5) Silver Star Medal
(6) Defense Superior Service Medal
(7) Legion of Merit
(8) Distinguished Flying Cross
(9) Navy and Marine Corps Medal
(10) Bronze Star Medal
(11) Purple Heart Medal
(12) Defense Meritorious Service Medal
(13) Meritorious Service Medal
(14) Air Medal
(15) Joint Service Commendation Medal
(16) Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
(17) Joint Service Achievement Medal
(18) Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
(19) Combat Action Ribbon
(20) Presidential Unit Citation
(21) Joint Meritorious Unit Award
(22) Navy Unit Commendation
(23) Meritorious Unit Commendation
(24) Navy “E” Ribbon
(25) Prisoner of War Medal
(26) Good Conduct Medal
(27) Navy Reserve Meritorious Service Medal
(28) Navy Fleet Marine Force Ribbon
(29) Navy Expeditionary Medal
(30) National Defense Service Medal
(31) Korean Service Medal
(32) Antarctica Service Medal
(33) Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
(34) Vietnam Service Medal
(35) Southwest Asia Service Medal
(36) Kosovo Campaign Medal
(37) Afghanistan Campaign Medal
(38) Iraq Campaign Medal
(39) Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
(40) Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
(41) Korea Defense Service Medal
(42) Armed Forces Service Medal
(43) Humanitarian Service Medal
(44) Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
(45) Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
(46) Navy Arctic Service Ribbon
(47) Navy Reserve Sea Service Ribbon
(48) Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon
(49) Navy Recruiting Service Ribbon
(50) Navy Recruit Training Service Ribbon
(51) Navy Ceremonial Guard Ribbon
(52) Navy Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
(53) Armed Forces Reserve Medal
(54) Navy Reserve Medal
(55) Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation
(56) Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
(57) Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation
(58) Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
(59) Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Civil Actions Citation
(60) United Nations Service Medal
(61) United Nations Medal
(62) NATO Medal
(63) Multinational Force and Observers Medal
(64) Inter-American Defense Board Medal
(65) Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
(66) Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
(67) Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
(68) Rifle Qualification Award
(69) Pistol Qualification Award
6-J Warfare and Qualification Insignia
Navy men and women may earn additional qualifications as their careers progress, and some of these are reflected in special insignia for their uniforms. These qualifications may be in major warfare areas such as aviation or submarine warfare, or they may signify special occupations such as explosive ordnance disposal or parachuting. Most of these are worn on the left breast above the ribbons and medals, but there are some exceptions. If you earn more than one of these special insignia, you may wear a maximum of two, one above your ribbons and one below.
![[6-J] Some examples of warfare and qualification insignia](../images/f0548-01.jpg)