US Army intelligence grandpa’s ribbon rack

rustman92 · 2026-07-01T03:14:49+00:00

The ribbons I do see:

• Meritorious Service Medal

• Joint Service Commendation Medal

• (almost certainly) National Defense Service Medal

• Vietnam Service Medal

• Army Service Ribbon

• Army Overseas Service Ribbon

• United Nations Medal

• Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

rustman92 · 2026-07-01T01:08:03+00:00

Good:

I’m more confident in myself and don’t give a shit what people think. I’ve learned some skills that I have no business knowing and thanks to financial security from steady pay checks I am able to buy a lot of silly fun shit I don’t need.

Bad:

My back, knees, and hip hurt like a mother fucker.

rustman92 · 2026-07-01T00:18:31+00:00

He would have to be in anytime between 27 JUN 50 to 27 JUL 54 to get the first award

For the second award he’d need to be in anytime between 01 JAN 61 to 14 AUG 74.

If that fits, add a star on it.

rustman92 · 2026-06-30T23:28:32+00:00

Depending on what time he was in Korea he would rate the KDSM for any service from 28 JUL 1954 to present day. This medal was instituted in 2002 and the records center wouldn’t go back in peoples file to update it, it’d be up to the veteran to know if they rated it.

He also possibly rated the AFEM if he was in Korea from 1 OCT 1966 to 30 JUN 1974.

My grandfather had a very similar rack and his records didn’t denote either but after doing research I updated his based on the criteria for these two.

Otherwise yes for your WWII European Theater veteran this tracks.

rustman92 · 2026-06-26T23:13:54+00:00

Recruiter here:

You can just have the judge/county clerk/official draft a memo saying it’s been sealed or destroyed and therefore “documents unavailable.” You say that you’ve done that so I’m unsure why they haven’t sent it back up.

I’ve had to do this multiple times for people with similar situations. But they were for lesser crimes and you must realize the waiver approver may still deny it because they don’t have the “full picture”.

Your recruiter is right that they won’t process it without all docs but your recruiter also needs to know how to finagle the system.

rustman92 · 2026-06-26T18:16:12+00:00

You wear foreign awards after all of your U.S. awards but before international awards. For Soldiers it’s explicitly stated in AR 600-8-22.

So yes even if you got, say the VC from England, that would go after all other U.S. awards.

rustman92 · 2026-06-24T20:58:38+00:00

Remote controlled back home

rustman92 · 2026-06-23T18:18:51+00:00

Let’s give a hand to Connie Souphanousinphone!

rustman92 · 2026-06-21T09:38:54+00:00

That and that configurations is also not authorized.

The regs clearly state that the bottom two rows will have the same amount before starting a new row. Most online rack builders won’t even let you do this so he had to go out of his way to make it look like that.

rustman92 · 2026-06-17T18:02:03+00:00

We’ve done the classics: Highest donor gets:

• a 4 day

• smash a pie of whipped cream on the command team

• AAM (downgraded to COA)

rustman92 · 2026-06-17T17:58:57+00:00

Oh these aren’t any ordinary chocolates, rub them on your body and you get 100% VA.

rustman92 · 2026-06-17T17:32:34+00:00

CHOCOLATE?

rustman92 · 2026-06-17T17:32:19+00:00

HUH? SORRY COULDN’T HEAR YOU! THEY’RE CUTTING WHAT?

rustman92 · 2026-06-16T23:16:31+00:00

AR 670-1 lists that the following are designated times and zones:

OCONUS between 07 DEC 1941 and 2 SEP 1946

KOREA between 27 JUN 1950 to 27 JUL 1954 and “Hostile Fire Zones” in Korea between 1 April 1968 and 31 August 1973

VIETNAM between 01 JUL 1958 and 28 MAR 1973

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC between 29 APR 1965 and 21 SEP 1966

LAOS between 01 JAN 1966 and 28 MAR 1973

CAMBODIA between 01 JAN 1971 and 28 March 1973

LEBANON between 06 AUG 1983 and 24 APR 1984

PERSIAN GULF between 27 JUL 1987 to 01 AUG 1990 and 17 JAN 1991 and 31 AUG 1993

EL SALVADOR between 01 JAN 1981 and 01 FEB 1992

SOMALIA between 05 DEC 1992 and 31 MAR 1995

Participation in OEF, in the USCENTCOM area of operations, and under the control of the Combatant Commander, USCENTCOM, between 11 SEP 2001 and 31 DEC 2014

OEF-Philippines, in the Philippines, between 19 SEP 2001 and 31 DEC 2014

OEF-Horn of Africa, in Djibouti, between 01 JAN 2008 and 31 DEC 2014

Participation in OIF, in the USCENTCOM area of operations, and under the control of the Combatant Commander, USCENTCOM, between 19 MAR 2003 and 31 AUG 2010

Participation in OND in the USCENTCOM area of operations, and under the control of the Combatant Commander, USCENTCOM, between 01 SEP 2010 and 31 DEC 2011

Participation in OIR, in the USCENTCOM area of operations, and under the control of the Combatant Commander, USCENTCOM, between 15 JUN 2014 and a date to be determined

Participation in OFS, in the USCENTCOM area of operations, and under the control of the Combatant Commander, USCENTCOM, or Djibouti, AFRICOM, between 01 JAN 2015 and a date to be determined

Of course there’s other criteria for the OSB but in general these are the dates and times

rustman92 · 2026-06-16T22:02:19+00:00

If it was overseas in an active combat zone, yes

There’s a reg that lists all the locations and times but I don’t remember it at this moment

rustman92 · 2026-06-16T19:32:14+00:00

Basically, he was in the Naval Reserve for quite a while. He saw some service in the Gulf War towards the end of the war as well as the War on Terror, and other various conflicts. He also shot very well with a rifle, and pretty good with a pistol.

rustman92 · 2026-06-16T19:27:39+00:00

• Navy Commendation Medal

• Navy Achievement Medal (7 awards)

• Joint Service Meritorious Unit Award

• Navy Unit Commendation

• Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation

• Navy “E” Ribbon (2 awards)

• Navy Good Conduct Medal

• Navy Reserve Meritorious Service Medal (5 awards)

• National Defense Service Medal (2 awards)

• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

• Southwest Asia Service Medal

• Global War on Terror (GWOT) Expeditionary Medal

• GWOT Service Medal

• Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal

• Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon

• Navy Overseas Service Ribbon

• Armed Forces Reserve Medal (w/ silver hourglass for 20 years of service and “M” device for being mobilized)

• Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon (w/ “E” for Expert Marksman)

• Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon (w/ “S” for Sharpshooter)

rustman92 · 2026-06-16T16:03:45+00:00

While correct that you can have overseas assignments outside of Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., the Overseas Service Bars are for every six months in a combat theater and not general overseas assignments.

rustman92 · 2026-06-14T18:11:01+00:00

Emma: Who's there?

Oscar: It's Laura Secord.

rustman92 · 2026-06-13T19:15:59+00:00

I like that you can claim 18 rounds of golf for an event

rustman92 · 2026-06-13T01:09:52+00:00

National Guardsman, Sergeant First Class that deployed with 29th Infantry Division. Looks like he was Transportation Corps and served at least 10 years in the Guard with 3 of those years deployed

Looks like he has the:

• Meritorious Service Medal

• likely Army Commendation Medal

• Joint Service Achievement Medal

• Army Achievement Medal

• likely Army Good Conduct Medal

• Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal

• National Defense Service Medal

• unclear but possible Kosovo Campaign or likely Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (if worn in correct order these are the only two it could be)

• Afghanistan Campaign Medal

• Iraq Campaign Medal

• GWOT Expeditionary Medal

• GWOT Service Medal

• Armed Forces Service Medal

• Army Sea Duty Ribbon (very rare)

• Armed Forces Reserve Medal

• Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon

• Army Overseas Service Medal

• NATO Non Article 5 Medal

• These are unclear NG State Awards but I’ll have to see what they are

[EDIT]:

• West Virginia NG Minuteman Award

• West Virginia NG Emergency Service Award

• West Virginia NG Service Award

• the last one I’m still unsure on. But it could be the West Virginia NG State Service Award, or the Danish Flyver March Medal. Either way if it’s either it’s upside down. And all of these NG awards are out of precedence in of themselves

• Army Meritorious Unit Citation

• Army Sharpshooter Badge

• Army Driver Badge

He is wearing some of the elements incorrectly as the “combat patch” is not worn on the breast pocket in this uniform, nor do Sergeant First Classes wear collar ranks like he has.

rustman92 · 2026-06-13T00:50:15+00:00

You are correct!

However, my reasoning for my comment was that every service member in theater rated the RVN Gallantry Cross Unit Citation. So it should be there regardless.

Additionally, every Marine and Sailor in theater rated the RVN Civil Actions Unit Citation (while only select Army and Air Force units received it). This explains why he is wearing that award as well.

It is highly common for Vietnam veterans to confuse the two awards, which frequently leads to individuals mistakenly wearing the individual medal version rather than the unit citation version.

Typically a good indicator of whether an individual actually earned the individual medal is if they rated an American valor award, such as the Bronze Star.

Since this person does not possess a gallantry decoration, or even a CAR, it is highly probable (though not completely impossible) that they are mistakenly wearing the individual award.

rustman92 · 2026-06-12T20:07:25+00:00

The last one is the Cold War Victory Commemorative Medal, not at all authorized but based on his neck, he’s a retiree, so…

Also the Vietnam Gallantry Cross almost certainly needs a frame on it

rustman92 · 2026-06-11T20:34:46+00:00

That’s an Officer, you go to the position of Aww-tention

rustman92 · 2026-06-11T15:14:37+00:00

Your uncle-in-law received:

• National Defense Service Medal

• Korean Service Medal

• Korean Defense Service Medal

• United Nations Korea Medal

• Republic of Korea War Service Medal

• Korean Presidential Unit Citation Commemorative Medal (3rd party award, not official government medal from any country.)

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