Tailor Made and Sew-On Ribbon Bars

[Brig]

here are my sew on and tailor made ribbon bars. Left column are tailor made. First bar has a CIB and a spearhead device on the EAME ribbon, which was also accidentally tailored in blue! next two from same man, sewn on metal bars! Nice reservist's bars.

 

second column. top one, Army type. Second one is very weird, Army style bars on top, looks like wider ones on bottom, but slightly thinner than Navy versions. these two rows are stitched together. The GC once had a double barb device for third award, the EAME seems to be missing 4 devices. third bar Army style. Fourth bar is for the Army, but Navy style bars, and mounted on VERY thick cardboard. what's the deal with Army soldiers using Navy style ribbons? to include the GC?

[Brig]

rear

[Brig]

quick question...why would there be two hourglass devices? I thought there was a color system to denote number of activations?

 

I know the medal was instituted in 1950. was it retroactive?

[Laury Allison]

quick question...why would there be two hourglass devices? I thought there was a color system to denote number of activations?

 

I know the medal was instituted in 1950. was it retroactive?

 

Brig,

 

Before the "M" device was authorized to show mobilizations, the only thing worn on the Armed Forces Reserve Medal was the hourglass. Under the previous system, each hourglass represented an additional 10 years. So a basic AFRM was for 10 years of reserve service, one bronze hourglass was for 20 years of reserve service, two bronze hourglasses was for 30 years, and three hourglasses was for 40 years of reserve service.

 

After the "M" device was introduced, they realized that there quickly wouldn't be enough room left on the ribbon for everything. Also, now you can get the medal without having 10 years of reserve time if you were mobilized. So now, the bronze hourglass is for 10 years, a silver hourglass is for 20 years, and a gold one is for 30 years of reserve service. Should someone actually make it to 40 years these days, then a gold and a bronze hourglass would be worn. A bronze numberal can also be worn if the member has more than one authorized mobilization. The authorization for the "M" is announced in messages, and if I remember correctly it has to be different operations to get the numeral. So if you are authorized multiple times for the same operation, you don't get the numeral to show that. I know I was mobilized twice for Operation NOBLE EAGLE and I didn't get the numeral, just the "M" with a bronze hourglass.

 

You have to look at ribbon sets with the AFRM involved differently for those before and after the Global War on Terrorism. The one shown here with two hourglasses would be for 30 years of reserve service.

 

You can't always tell a persons total service from the hourglass, prior active service doesn't count toward this award as it is ONLY for National Guard and Reserve time. If you are activated while in a reserve status, it does still count toward the award.

 

Hope this helps clear up the confusion.

 

Laury

[Brig]

thanks. do you know if it was retroactive? that stack with it above is all WWII service. but it also shows a National Defense, making me think he did 30 years reserve from WWII-the 1950s and the hourglasses were retroactive as he has no Korean war decorations

[Laury Allison]

thanks. do you know if it was retroactive? that stack with it above is all WWII service. but it also shows a National Defense, making me think he did 30 years reserve from WWII-the 1950s and the hourglasses were retroactive as he has no Korean war decorations

 

Not sure about the retroactive, but if they completed the 10 years after the 1950 date, I would say that they qualified for the award. If not, then no one could have gotten one of these until 1960 at the earliest. They had service into the 1950s because of the National Defense Service Medal for the Korean era, but didn't actually serve in Korea. They could have even been a Reserve or National Guard soldier during WWII and served at least 30 years and retired sometime in the 70s.

 

It used to be fairly common to see guys go in their local National Guard unit and serve up until they were 60 before retiring. If they went in when they were 18 or 19, and didn't have a break, they could have accumulated over 40 years of service. I have known guys that would go all the way up to their 60th birthday, get a drill check one month and a retirement check the next. You don't see that too much any more. Now they push you out the door as soon as they can after you go over 20 years.

 

Of course I've seen one guy retire and at least 4 people get promoted because of it too.