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AF Ribbons
Started by Pendraegon
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Hey guys, just wondering what ribbons your HPSPers are wearing these days. I know we get the training one. Do we also get the National Defense service medal and the Global War on Terror service medal? Thanks for any help you can offer.
All we got @ COT was the National Defense Medal. Maybe we should make a "I joined the military DESPITE the mil-med forum" ribbon

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All we got @ COT was the National Defense Medal. Maybe we should make a "I joined the military DESPITE the mil-med forum" ribbon![]()
We seem to have this discussion every few years as well. First of all, you should check whatever the AF equivalent of the Officer Record Brief to determine what awards you are authorized to wear. If they're not on your ORB, you can't have them on your uniform. Technically, ADT for training purposes only does not qualify one for the NDM, I cited the regulation in a previous thread, but I haven't found the AF specific criteria (it should be the same). It seems like requirement has been ignored at Officer Basic for at least the AF and Navy, if not all three branches.
The GWOTSM requires 30 days service for a unit support the global war on terrorism. Once again, technically, you wouldn't qualify until you were in a non-training capacity. When I in-processed before internship, the personnel people "awarded" me both of these awards. I felt so honored.
In the big picture, it really just doesn't matter. I did however enjoy busting the chops of Army HPSP students going to interview with their NDM ribbon on their greens. OK, I didn't really do it, but in my head it was fun.
Ed
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i was under the impression from COT that officers that wear ribbons are tools.
there was one guy who was prior enlisted and when he wore his ribbons all the instructors would call him "the general." it was pretty funny.
i never even bought them.
there was one guy who was prior enlisted and when he wore his ribbons all the instructors would call him "the general." it was pretty funny.
i never even bought them.
i was under the impression from COT that officers that wear ribbons are tools.
there was one guy who was prior enlisted and when he wore his ribbons all the instructors would call him "the general." it was pretty funny.
i never even bought them.
We don't typically wear them on our shirts, but in my experience we tend to wear them on the service coat. The official rule, I believe is to wear all that you are authorized, or none of them. Steve
It's optional on blues so I never wear them but on service coats I was told I HAD to wear all the ribbons so I did ...all 3 of them...! Although if I had a ton of them I could see myself wearing them on my blues ....THIS one is for most rectal exams handed out... oh this one is Expert Proficiency with a Reflex Hammer... oh this one? It's.... 
Once you go active they have a spot on the VirtualMPF that tells you what you can wear (although it's not always accurate...) so the best way is to furtively figure out what your friends are wearing too...

Once you go active they have a spot on the VirtualMPF that tells you what you can wear (although it's not always accurate...) so the best way is to furtively figure out what your friends are wearing too...
We don't typically wear them on our shirts, but in my experience we tend to wear them on the service coat. The official rule, I believe is to wear all that you are authorized, or none of them. Steve
how often do you wear service coats typically?
at COT, we didn't wear ribbons on them either, but maybe they were just being lax?
i was under the impression from COT that officers that wear ribbons are tools.
there was one guy who was prior enlisted and when he wore his ribbons all the instructors would call him "the general." it was pretty funny.
i never even bought them.
Enlisted guys tend to wear them on blues...it's all they have to set them apart from their peers. Officers don't worry about that...and save them for their service/mess dress.
I think.
We seem to have this discussion every few years as well. First of all, you should check whatever the AF equivalent of the Officer Record Brief to determine what awards you are authorized to wear. If they're not on your ORB, you can't have them on your uniform. Technically, ADT for training purposes only does not qualify one for the NDM, I cited the regulation in a previous thread, but I haven't found the AF specific criteria (it should be the same). It seems like requirement has been ignored at Officer Basic for at least the AF and Navy, if not all three branches.
The GWOTSM requires 30 days service for a unit support the global war on terrorism. Once again, technically, you wouldn't qualify until you were in a non-training capacity. When I in-processed before internship, the personnel people "awarded" me both of these awards. I felt so honored.
In the big picture, it really just doesn't matter. I did however enjoy busting the chops of Army HPSP students going to interview with their NDM ribbon on their greens. OK, I didn't really do it, but in my head it was fun.
Ed
Wait wait wait??? You mean our Instructors may have been incorrect at something? IMPOSSIBLE! Those people were Deities to me!
Unfortunately for HPSP'ers we don't have a list that tells us which ribbons to wear. I've seen that active duty airmen can check a website to see which ribbons they've been awarded.