The Army ribbon order of precedence tells you exactly where every ribbon belongs on your uniform. Inspectors, promotion boards, and ceremonies all judge your rack against it. This guide breaks the system down in plain English: which regulation controls the order, how the Army groups ribbons, and how to check your own rack in minutes.
Quick Answer: Army ribbons follow a strict order of precedence. Wear the highest award closest to your heart, at the top of the rack on your left chest. AR 600-8-22 establishes each award and its rank, while AR 670-1 and DA Pam 670-1 govern how you wear them, in rows of three, highest first.
What Is the Army Ribbon Order of Precedence?
Order of precedence is the official ranking of every ribbon a Soldier can wear. A higher award always sits above and to the wearer’s right of a lower one. The Medal of Honor outranks everything. A training ribbon like the Army Service Ribbon sits near the bottom. Each new award can shift the whole rack.
Which Regulation Actually Sets the Order?
Most people credit AR 600-8-22 for everything, but the Army splits the job between three publications:
- AR 600-8-22 (Military Awards, 19 January 2024) establishes each award, its criteria, and its standing. The current version replaced the 5 March 2019 edition and applies to the Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve.
- AR 670-1 sets the policy for wear and appearance of the uniform, including precedence by category.
- DA Pam 670-1 gives the detailed order of precedence within each category, ribbon by ribbon.
So when a board member asks “where does precedence come from,” the complete answer names all three. You can read each one for free at the Army Publishing Directorate (armypubs.army.mil).
How Does the Army Group Ribbons Into Categories?
DA Pam 670-1 ranks whole categories first, then ranks awards inside each category. The categories run in this order:
- U.S. military decorations (Medal of Honor down to the Army Achievement Medal)
- U.S. unit awards
- U.S. nonmilitary decorations
- U.S. service and campaign medals, plus service and training ribbons
- U.S. Merchant Marine awards
- U.S. nonmilitary unit awards
- Foreign military decorations
- Foreign unit awards
- Non-U.S. service awards
- State awards for Army National Guard Soldiers
This category system explains a common surprise: an Army Good Conduct Medal outranks every campaign medal, because decorations as a category come first.
What Is the Order of the Top Army Decorations?
Within the decorations category, the highest awards are awarded in this sequence: Medal of Honour, Distinguished Service Cross, Defence Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Defence Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldier’s Medal, Bronze Star Medal, and Purple Heart. Below those sit the meritorious and commendation awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal.
After all decorations and unit awards come the service and campaign medals; common ones, in order, include the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the GWOT Expeditionary Medal, and the GWOT Service Medal. See the complete list on our Army ribbons in order of precedence page.
How Do You Wear Army Ribbons Correctly?
DA Pam 670-1 spells out the placement rules. The main ones:
- Wear ribbons in rows of three, centered above the left breast pocket.
- Place the highest award in the top row, on the wearer’s right (the viewer’s left).
- Center an incomplete top row of one or two ribbons over the row below it.
- Add devices such as oak leaf clusters, service stars, and the “V” device exactly as your award orders authorize them.
- Never mix the order to make the colors look better. Precedence always wins.
If your rack has grown tall, a flat-mounted rack keeps it from tipping forward. Our guide to ultra thin ribbons explains how that works, and our post on thin ribbon regulations by branch covers what the Army allows.
How Do You Check Your Own Ribbon Order?
Follow three quick steps:
- Pull your record. Print your Soldier Record Brief (SRB) or, for veterans, your DD-214. Your official record decides what your rate is, not memory.
- Match it to the current chart. Awards change. The 2024 edition of AR 600-8-22 added the Army Recruiting Ribbon program and a 10-year device for the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, so old charts can mislead you.
- Use a rack builder. Our ribbon rack builder sequences every Army award automatically and mounts your rack ready to wear, with devices set in place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest Army ribbon?
The Medal of Honor holds the top spot in the Army ribbon order of precedence. The Distinguished Service Cross follows it as the second highest award for valour.
Does AR 600-8-22 or AR 670-1 control ribbon order?
AR 600-8-22 establishes each award and its rank. AR 670-1 and DA Pam 670-1 control how you wear them on the uniform, including exact placement and row rules.
How many ribbons go in each row?
Soldiers wear ribbons in rows of three. A top row with one or two ribbons sits centered over the row beneath it.
Where does the Purple Heart go?
The Purple Heart sits directly after the Bronze Star Medal and before the Defense Meritorious Service Medal within U.S. military decorations.
Do unit awards go with my personal ribbons?
No. Unit awards form their own category and follow all personal decorations. Some, like foreign unit awards, sit on the right side of the uniform instead.
Where can I read the official regulation?
Download AR 600-8-22, AR 670-1, and DA Pam 670-1 free from the Army Publishing Directorate at armypubs.army.mil.
How often does the order of precedence change?
Each major revision can shift it. The current AR 600-8-22 took effect on 19 January 2024, so check the chart whenever the Army publishes an update.
Sources
- Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, Headquarters, Department of the Army, 19 January 2024. armypubs.army.mil
- Army Regulation 670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, Headquarters, Department of the Army. armypubs.army.mil
- DA Pamphlet 670-1, Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, Headquarters, Department of the Army. armypubs.army.mil
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