Ribbons and Medals

[sabbs88]

Hey,

What does a Marine have to do to achieve these medals and ribbons I see them wearing on their blues? Is it their combat tours? What about their high pft or shooting qualifications? Do active Marines achieve more medals and ribbons than a reservist? Thanks a lot.

-Dan

[Messenger]

Medals and ribbons are not given away in the Marines in fact, most don’t even have a rank stripe upon graduating basic training. The only things that you are guaranteed the possibility of acquiring...

[The1stSgt]

Check out this site for Navy-Marine Corps medals, ribbons and citations.

http://www.mediacen.navy.mil/pubs/allhands/jan00/pg27.htm

Medals are earned by the individual wearing them (e.g. Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Silver Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Coduct Medal, Viet Nam Service Medal, etc.)

Ribbons and Citations are awarded to the individual because for duties they performed or as unit awards (e.g. Combat Action ribbon, POW ribbon, Drill Instructor and Recruiters ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation, Sea Service ribbon, etc.)

Marines wear medals only on Dress Blue "A" uniform, medals are worn over the left breast pocket and ribbons/citations are worn over the right breast pocket.

All Marine Corps rifle and pistol marksmanship badges are earned, and are only worn with ribbons, never with medals (e.g. Dress Blue "B" and Dress Green "A" uniform).

If any of this is incorrect, I'm sure my fellow Marines will sound off.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

1st Sgt, you are dead on target. Just to ensure they understand I will add that when you are awarded a medal you also receive a ribbon that goes along with it. When you're wearing a service uniform or blues uniform other than alpha you will wear the ribbon that matched the medal along side the awards you were given that only have a ribbon. All are worn over the left breast pocket in rows of 3 or 4 depending on how many you have.

[1stRad2671]

Many times what you end up with all comes down to being in the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time i.e. Purple Heart).

Sometimes volunteering for the unknown gets you crap duty, other times like in my case it resulted in earning my two highest awards.

[sabbs88]

Thanks a lot guys. Very informative.