A button from the U.S. Army uniform.
The uniforms of each of the five branches of the U.S. military are unlike those of any of the others. Decoding the uniform for the U.S. Army requires you to understand the insignia which distinguish it from other branches. Additionally, you must understand that the Army has several different uniform classes. Finally, various types of headgear worn by soldiers signify different jobs within the U.S. Army.
Instructions
1. Inspect the insignia on the uniform's lapel. Members of the U.S. Army wear gold lapel pins that read "ARMY." Insignia placements are one way to distinguish U.S. Army uniforms from those of the other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
2. Inspect the rank on the uniform, located on the epaulets on the service member's jacket or shirt. U.S. Army personnel inhabit three tiers of rank: Enlisted, Noncommissioned Officers and Officers. Each rank carries with it different levels of responsibility and pay grades. Although the highest possible rank is the General of the Army, in modern times, the highest ranking officer is the four-star General. The President of the United States outranks all officers as the civilian Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces.
3. Inspect the ribbons and medals on the left side of the service member's jacket or shirt. These represent awards and recognition for participating in tours of duty around the world. Service members can earn oak leaf clusters to place on the ribbons, which signify that they have been recognized again for the same award or tour of duty.
4. Review the class of uniform worn by service members. The Army has two classes of uniforms: "Class A," commonly known as "Dress Blues," and "Class B," the Battle Dress Uniform, or "BDU." In 2008, the Army issued regulations that did away with the traditional green dress uniform, formerly known as the "Class A" uniform. The Class B uniform is the appropriate attire for field work, while Class A is commonly worn on other occasions, including desk work.
5. Inspect the headgear of the U.S. Army service member. When in uniform, officers wear a different style of headgear than other Army personnel. Officers wear "visor hats" with a gold eagle at its center. Instead of the visor hat, Enlisted men and women and Noncommissioned officers wear a beret, fitted with their unit's patch.
Tags: service member, Armed Forces, Armed Forces Inspect, Army personnel, Class commonly, Class uniform, Forces Inspect