Every Soldier faces the same task after a new award comes through: rebuild the rack. If you searched for how to build a ribbon rack that Army boards and inspections will accept, this guide walks you through the full process. You will pull your official record, place every ribbon in the correct order of precedence, add your devices, and choose the mounting style that keeps your rack sharp. The whole job takes minutes with the right tool, and you can start with your Soldier Record Brief and our online rack builder.

To build an Army ribbon rack, pull your Soldier Record Brief, arrange your ribbons in order of precedence under AR 600-8-22 and DA Pam 670-1, add authorized devices such as oak leaf clusters and service stars, then mount the rack in rows of three. Our online rack builder handles the ordering automatically.

What Do You Need Before You Build Your Army Rack?

Gather three things before you touch a single ribbon:

1. Your official awards record: Active duty and Reserve Soldiers should print the Soldier Record Brief (SRB) from IPPS-A. Veterans should use the DD-214, block 13. Your record decides what you rate. Memory does not. If an award is missing from your record, fix the record first, because a rack that shows unearned awards can create real problems under the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-12).

2. The current regulations: AR 600-8-22 (Military Awards, 19 January 2024) establishes every Army award and its rank. DA Pam 670-1 tells you how to wear ribbons on the uniform. Both are free at the Army Publishing Directorate (armypubs.army.mil). We explain how the two publications work together in our guide to the Army ribbon order of precedence.

3. Your award orders. Devices such as a second oak leaf cluster or a “C” device come from your orders, not from guesswork. Keep them handy, so you attach exactly what the Army authorized.

How Do You Build a Ribbon Rack, Step by Step?

Once your paperwork sits in front of you, the build follows five steps.

Step 1: List every ribbon you rate

Go line by line through your SRB or DD-214 and write out your full awards list. Include unit awards, campaign medals, and training ribbons. Soldiers often forget the small ones, like the Army Service Ribbon or the Overseas Service Ribbon, and an incomplete rack looks as wrong as a misordered one.

Step 2: Arrange ribbons in order of precedence

Place your highest award at the top of the rack, on the wearer’s right. Decorations come first as a category, then unit awards, then campaign and service medals, then training ribbons, then foreign awards. Inside each category, DA Pam 670-1 sets the exact sequence. For example, a Meritorious Service Medal outranks an Army Commendation Medal, and the National Defence Service Medal ranks above most campaign medals. Our Army ribbons page lists the full order, or you can skip the chart entirely and let our rack builder sequence everything for you.

Step 3: Add your devices

Attach devices exactly as your orders state:

  • Bronze oak leaf clusters: mark each additional award of the same decoration. A silver cluster replaces five bronze.
  • Bronze service stars: mark campaign participation on medals like the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
  • The “V” device marks valor when your orders authorize it.
  • Numerals count awards on ribbons such as the Overseas Service Ribbon.
  • The “M” device marks qualifying mobilization on the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

Center a single device on the ribbon. Space multiple devices evenly. Crooked or crowded devices fail inspections faster than almost anything else.

Step 4: Set your rows

Mount ribbons in rows of three, centered above the left breast pocket, with the highest award in the top row. Center an incomplete top row of one or two ribbons over the row below it. Never reorder ribbons to balance the colors. Precedence always controls placement.

Step 5: Choose your mounting style

You can slide individual ribbons onto a metal bar rack by hand, but hand-built racks bring three familiar problems: uneven spacing, frayed edges, and a forward tilt once the rack grows past three rows. A professionally mounted rack solves all three. An ultra-thin rack goes further by mounting every ribbon flat on a single rigid backing at about half the thickness of a standard rack. It arrives assembled, aligned, and ready to pin on. Read how the styles compare in our ultra-thin ribbons guide.

Build Your Army Ribbon Rack in Minutes

You do not need to memorise precedence charts or wrestle with tiny device prongs. Our online rack builder holds the current order of precedence for every Army award. Select your ribbons from your SRB, add your devices, and we mount the finished rack ultra-thin, checked against the regulation, and shipped ready to wear.

Start building your Army ribbon rack now →

Frequently Asked Questions

What order do Army ribbons go in?
Army ribbons follow the order of precedence in AR 600-8-22 and DA Pam 670-1. Decorations come first, then unit awards, campaign and service medals, training ribbons, and foreign awards.

How many ribbons go in each row on an Army uniform?
Soldiers wear ribbons in rows of three, centered above the left breast pocket. An incomplete top row of one or two ribbons sits centered over the row beneath it.

Where do I find my official list of Army awards?
Print your Soldier Record Brief from IPPS-A. Veterans should check block 13 of the DD-214. Build your rack from the record, not from memory.

Can I build a ribbon rack myself?
Yes. You can slide ribbons onto a bar rack by hand if you follow the order of precedence and device rules. Most Soldiers order a mounted rack instead for perfect alignment.

What is an ultra thin ribbon rack?
An ultra thin rack mounts every ribbon flat on one rigid backing at about half the thickness of a standard rack. It removes forward tilt and keeps spacing uniform.

How do I know which devices I rate?
Your award orders authorize every device. Check them against your Soldier Record Brief, then attach oak leaf clusters, service stars, numerals, or the “V” device exactly as stated.

About Us

At Super Thin Ribbons, every rack is built to military specifications with accurate precedence, correct ribbon dimensions, and a low-profile design trusted by active-duty personnel, veterans, retirees, and first responders. Whether you’re preparing for a ceremony, promotion, inspection, or retirement, we’ll help you look sharp.

To every service member, veteran, and retiree, thank you for your service. Your ribbons and Medals tell a story worth wearing proudly.