wearing of prior service ribbons?

[jwilliamsee]

Can we wear our service ribbons from our prior enlistment if we change branches. I am prior service Air Force enlisted and have a OCS class date in april for a Navy SNA. I think the way it works is that we can wear the ones that both branches have like national defense but not the rest of them. Is that right?

 

[Vic]

There is only certain ones you can't wear specifically, but you can wear most of them even the ones that are not navy.

Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Combat Readiness Medal
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
Air Force Overseas Ribbon (Short Tour)
Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon
Air Force Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon
Air Force NCO Professional Military Educational
Graduate Ribbon


These are the ones you can't wear!

Don't sweat the small stuff!

 

[Vic]

Try this link for the order of your ribbons.

http://kepler.egr.duke.edu/USNRibbons.html

Don't sweat the small stuff!

 

[Mike26]

Originally posted by jwilliamsee
Can we wear our service ribbons from our prior enlistment if we change branches. I am prior service Air Force enlisted and have a OCS class date in april for a Navy SNA. I think the way it works is that we can wear the ones that both branches have like national defense but not the rest of them. Is that right?

J,
How long were you in the AF and what did you do? I am currently in the AF now, I will be heading off to OCS with an SNA next OCT. It is good hear from other prior AF people.

 

[JGalus]

I will be wearing my Marine Corps Good Conduct Ribbon with bronze star attachment when I go.

Jamie
BDCP (SWO)
(SGT, USMC 91-99)

 

[jwilliamsee]

I was 4 years active duty at shaw with two trips to kuwait. I was an aircraft electrician on A-10s. I have a BS in electrical engineering and my CFII/MEI. I have a SNA slot for April. how about your self mike26 what do you do and why the Branch change for you? I did It for the age waver I'm 29 now. I think the Navy will be great. I kinda like the attitude and history.

 

[Mike26]

Where were you stationed at? I had a friend who worked on A10's at Pope AFB.
I started out as weapons on F15E's, crossed trained to Boom Operator a few years ago, currently at Fairchild AFB. My degree is in Pro Aero, Embry Riddle. I did not even apply with the AF, I don't have a technical degree, so I don't think I would be that competitive. That is the main reason I applied Navy and not AF. It also seems like there is a lot less bureaucracy in the Navy as well, my impression is the Navy spends more time on the preparing for the mission and the fight with less time spent on regulations and red tape.

 

[Goliath112]

hey mike26 Pro Aero is a technical degree. Its not an engineering degree but, its technical. I am also a Pro Aero guy.

man the wait is killing me

 

[jwilliamsee]

Mike 26 I got the same impression about the analness of the AF. I think they treat you more like an officer with more responsibilty and trust in the Navy. Some Navy pilots I talked to put it best. They said if it isn't in the book you can't do it in the Air Force. In the Navy you can do it if it isn't in the book. Like you said to much red tape in the AF. No hope Pope. I was at shaw in sumpter south carolina from 92-96.

 

[Mike26]

We fly and work with the Navy quite a bit and it is sometimes funny and at other times frustrating. There have been many times that we were scheduled to refuel Navy planes; we would orbit over the carrier for up to 3 hours and no one would show up, they are hardly ever on the same frequency, never on time. When they do show up the airspace is supposed to be somewhat controlled but they were up there dog fighting off our nose and pretty much flying anywhere and everywhere they want. I think that is quite humorous. That kind of stuff does not happen in the AF because everything is so regimented, you can't even blow your nose without being given the steps on how to do it. I like the freedom that the Navy seems to be afforded. We supported the Navy quite a bit over Afghanistan after 911, we listened to all the action over the strike frequencies, and I have a lot respect for their professionalism during that period, in contrast to the above motioned which was only in a training environment. I can't wait to be apart of that team.

 

[Mike26]

Originally posted by Goliath112
hey mike26 Pro Aero is a technical degree. Its not an engineering degree but, its technical. I am also a Pro Aero guy.

man the wait is killing me

Goliath,
I have not looked into it too much, I did see a list that AF put out listing the degrees that AF considered technical, Pro Aero was not on the list, but that is were my research stopped. Have you tried the AF or were you Navy all the way?

 

[BB]

WORD OF ADVICE-----

You don't want to deck yourself out in your ribbons to much, because the drill instructors love to target priors.

Enough said.

 

[jwilliamsee]

I have heard not to hide it because they'll hammer you for not being proud of your prior service. I bet the will find something to yell at you for no matter what. I think the best attitude is to try not to hide anything but also keep a low profile and avoid the cockyness.

 

[BB]

They do not hammer you for hiding stuff like that. No one is going to go out of their way to find out stuff about you, especially with the number of priors coming into the classes (an average of 10 per class all the way up to 20 in a few classes).

The Drill Instructors will harass you about how you received so many ribbons, especially if you have more than they do! Wearing your ribbons can help or hend you during inspections, especially if you have ticked any of the Drill Instructors off.

 

[jwilliamsee]

BB how do you know are you in OCS? I talked to a couple of friends from college that just finished OCS and picked there brains. They said don't hide it. They said one guy in the class did and the Drill instructors were pissed at him for not being proud of his prior time served. The guy ended up washing back a class. I don't know what the best policy is but I in AF Boot camp I had pretty good luck just keeping quite and doing my best not to screw up. I'm sure every class is different. I might throw the ribbons I can wear in my car just in case I want to wear them. The truth is for me that AF Basic was like the last time I wore my "Blues." When I got out I didn't even know what ribbons I had until a few days ago when I was looking at my DD214. I will probably wear mine just because a person hardly has any other chance to wear them.