Military medals on jackets

[F16WarBird]

Hey!

I was wondering what the rule or general consensus is for wearing awards & decs with either an Argyll or a Prince Charlie?

I know that for a ball, I can simply use my mess dress jacket and wear it with my AF kilt. I was wondering if there's an etiquette rule regarding medals and other jackets.

Thanks!

[macwilkin]

Hey!

I was wondering what the rule or general consensus is for wearing awards & decs with either an Argyll or a Prince Charlie?

I know that for a ball, I can simply use my mess dress jacket and wear it with my AF kilt. I was wondering if there's an etiquette rule regarding medals and other jackets.

Thanks!

It depends on what the invitation says -- traditionally, medals and decorations are only worn if the invitation specifically requests attendees to wear them. I know our Scottish society does for our Burns Night.

With evening wear, one should wear miniature medals and not full-sized "gongs". Many ex-servicemen I know wear minis on their PC's, following either the regulations of their branch of service, or the British custom of wearing them on the left lapel.

This Australian web site gives a decent accounting of medal & decoration protocol:

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-...dals-mount.htm

Another good FAQ page:

http://www.hereditary.us/gent.htm

I would consult the USAF regulations to see what they say about medals & decorations with civilian attire.

Cheers,

Todd

[Manu]

I know the Few and Proud uniform regs state that you cant wear the evening/mess dress with a kilt or any other than the prescribed uniform. Im pretty sure awards are not authorized with any other than uniforms, but maybe Air Force is more linient with that.

[F16WarBird]

Depending on the occasion (wedding, ball, etc) and to location, rules occasionally are bent.

Let me see someone try to stop me from wearing it at my own wedding. ;)

As far as AFI 36-2903 (Uniform Dress & Appearance) goes, the wearing of an individual's awards & decs on anything OTHER than their uniform is exempt. It's only an issue when someone wears the uniform improperly.

Getting back OT, I'm looking for the proper etiquette regarding NON military ensembles (Prince Charlie, Argyll, etc) and medals. In other words, would it be appropriate to wear my awards and decs at a wedding if I was wearing an Argyll with a bow tie?

Know what I mean?

[An t-Ileach]

The rule in the UK is that, unless Highland Dress is part of the mess kit of your regiment, it is treated as though you're wearing civilian evening/dinner dress. In a "do" where medals are worn (it should say on the invitation), the rule-of-thumb for that is DJ (black tie)-medals (full size, court mounted), Evening Dress (white tie)-miniatures (can be court mounted). Highland Dress worn with white tie/jabot is like evening dress; with black tie it is like a DJ (i.e. tuxedo).

[Manu]

[QUOTE=F16WarBird}

Know what I mean?[/QUOTE]
I do. I guess us Devils are extremely picky about our uniforms andf dont mix them with civis. Maybe soem of the former Marines here have some input.

[Sir Robert]

In the USA federal law says that a Veteran can wear his "old" (historical) or the new (current) uniform. Basically if you have ever been in the military you can wear the uniform, that is the law. If you are in civilian attire you can still wear the medals. The problem is that in uniform you wear ribbons, not the whole medal, in Dress Uniform you wear the miniature medals so where do you wear the full size medals? No where? I don't think so.

I wore my full size medals to my wedding on my dress blues, totally dropped all ribbons, just the suspention medals. It was a fashon faux pas, but by God I earned those medals and no where in law am I required to hide them.

In uniform you are protected by law, Federal Law superseeds regulations. If you are not wearing a uniform, I.E. jacket & kilt then you are not subject to regulations. Wear the full size medals. You earned them, flaunt it.

I once was invited to a formal "Dining In" where it was specified that I would wear "everything" so I had Federal, State and ROTC ribbons. I looked like a "Hero of the Soviet Union" 30+ ribbons, it looked bad.

Right now in America is is cool to be a Service Member, it wasn't before, It will not be in the future, abuse it now while you can, before it goes out of fashon.

[davedove]

There are also miniature ribbons made specifically for wear with civilian attire, but these are designed mainly as lapel pins.

[macwilkin]

Following the British custom, full-size "gongs" may be worn on day attire; take a look at any photos from Remembrance Day in the UK, and you will see the ex-servicemen wearing their medals on their left lapels of suits, blazers, etc.

For reference, a photo of Ernest "Smokey" Smith VC of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada:

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/films/pic.jpg

For formal attire, I would follow the custom of mini medals. Full size gongs look odd on formal wear. Remember that a PC or a variant of the short formal jacket is based on the "mess dress" uniform, and mini medals are the order of the day in "mess dress".

"Smokey" Smith's photo in formal attire after receiving the Order of British Columbia:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...hin2002OBC.jpg

Cheers,

Todd

[Shane]

In fact, in Canada (and I think the UK) full gongs may be worn in civilian attire only on Remembrance Day (as well as undress head dress). Otherwise only miniatures may be worn and only in evening dress.

Shane

PS - You'll notice that both images of Smokey fall under these circumstances.