4231 - Service Stripes

Section 2	Part 3	Article
1.	SERVICE STRIPES	4231
2.	GOLD RATING BADGE AND SERVICE STRIPES	4232
3.	CONTINUED WEARING OF GOLD	4233
4.	FLEET RESERVE PERSONNEL	4234
5.	RATING MERGERS	4235

4231. SERVICE STRIPES

1. Description. Consist of embroidered diagonal stripes, 7 inches long and 3/8 inch wide for male CPOs. Male E1-E6 personnel wear service stripes 5-1/4 inches long and 3/8 inch wide. Navy women wear service stripes 5-1/4 inches long and 1/4 inch wide.

2. Position. Sew on the left sleeve of Dress Blue, Dress White, Dinner Dress Blue Jacket, and the Dinner Dress White Jacket with the lower ends to the front. The lower end of the first stripe is 2 inches from the end of the sleeve. On Jumpers, having a buttoned cuff the lower end of the first stripe is 1-1/2 inches above the upper edge of the cuff. The trailing edge of the stripe is in line with the trailing edge of the rating badge. The stripes are at a 45 degree angle. When more than one stripe is authorized they are placed 1/4 inch apart.

3. Color. Stripes are either cardinal, gold or blue as specified.

4. Entitlements. All personnel wear one stripe for each four years of active duty service or reserve service in an active status in any of the armed services.

4232. GOLD RATING BADGE AND SERVICE STRIPES. Enlisted Sailors with 12 cumulative years of Naval active or active reserve service are authorized to wear gold rating badges, and gold services stripes, in lieu of red rating badges and stripes. The 12 years of service may be active or drilling reserve time in the Navy, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps, or Marine Corps Reserve. Time counts excluded from this calculation are delayed entry programs, inactive reserves and broken service. Under broken service conditions, resume the cumulative time count upon active duty reenlistment or upon enlisting in the drilling reserves. Gold rating badges and service stripes may be worn on Service Dress Blue, Dinner Dress Blue Jacket, Dinner Dress White Jacket and Full Dress Blue uniforms only. Petty Officers entitled to wear gold rating badges and service stripes may wear gold chevrons on their cap device, and rank devices worn on the epaulets of the black relax fit jacket worn with the Service Uniform (SU).

4233. CONTINUED WEARING OF GOLD. Once qualified to wear the gold rating badge and gold service stripes, the qualification continues throughout the duration of naval service.

4234. FLEET RESERVE PERSONNEL. Fleet reserve personnel may wear the gold rating badges and service stripes authorized at the time of their transfer to the fleet reserve. For fleet reserve personnel returning to active duty, fleet reserve time is considered broken time for the purpose of determining authorized additional service stripes, and qualifying to wear old sleeve insignia.

4235. RATING MERGERS. Personnel serving in ratings which have been merged with another rating may continue wearing the old rating badge until their next advancement or until 24 months after the effective completion date of the merger, whichever comes first.

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