17 May 2019
Ahoy, Dogs of War!

Welcome to the third part of the Third Brigade Uniform Build-Along. In case you missed the first two parts, Your Favorite Brigade is trying to get as many people as we can into the same uniform for the Dress Mess! (You ARE coming to the Dress Mess on Friday, June 7, 2019 in Baton Rouge, aren’t you? Visit https://qm.region3.org/summit-2019/ to register!)

We’re looking at the “new” Dress Blouse Black uniform, found in your Marine Force Manual 2015 on page 43 (Section 7.2.1.4). We’ll be using the updated guidelines for this uniform, as described in the “Uniform Wear Guidelines CH 1 201810.15” PDF, distributed by COFORCECOM to the Brigade OICs and published on the SFMC Facebook Group, under “Files,” by the ‘DANT. (Also available at the Third Brigade’s web site. Visit https://3bde.org/backup/docs/ to download a copy.)

In the first part of this build-along, we discussed the black trousers with blood stripe and the footwear. In the second part, we discussed the jacket and some of its accouterments.

I’m assuming that you’ve already ordered (and received) your jacket, your Branch of Service undershirt/dickey, your belt, and your shoes. You’ve also bought gold (for officers) or silver (for enlisted) buttons to replace the black ones it came with. The only thing that you lack is placing the rank and other insignia on the uniform!

First, you should ensure that your uniform items are up-to-date. Check the SFMC Quartermaster (QM) (http://qm.sfi-sfmc.org/) for your rank insignia, collar brass, branch insignia, and so forth. The SFMC is using new rank insignia, collar brass, and some other insignia. Let’s go through the “Insignia and Accoutrements” for the Dress Blouse Black.

Award ribbons are worn centered on the left chest, centered, left to right, along an imaginary vertical line drawn from where the shoulder meets the neck of the jacket, down along the body of the jacket, and horizontally with the second button of the uniform.

You can order the ribbons from the SFMC QM, and others you can buy from Glendale’s (paradestore.com). As an alternative, you can make your own. Using the “Ribbon Rack Builder” on the old SFMC website (http://www.sfi-sfmc.org/apps/rackbuilder/index.php) , and build your ribbon rack (using the information from the STARFLEET Database, db.sfi.org). Insert the image into your favorite word processing or page-layout program, and resize it so that each ribbon is the correct size (1 -3/8 inches (35mm) wide, 3/8 inches (9.525mm) tall). Print this out using a high-quality color printer (I recommend a color laser printer) and glue this to black foamboard. Allow to dry. Carefully cut it out, then glue washers to the back side. You may then attach your new ribbon rack using “earth magnets” – high-powered small magnets available at craft stores on the inside of the material. (Make sure you use high-powered magnets – the inexpensive, low powered ones won’t hold with you moving around.)

Take a look at page 50 of the Third Brigade Uniform Manual (at https://3bde.org/backup/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/3BDE-Uniform-Manual-2019.pdf) to see mine.

Your combadge is worn ½ inch below and centered, left to right, on the award ribbons – on the left chest. The Brigade Staff has elected to try to wear the same style of badge – the “Wrath of Khan” style.

Your Branch Device (also called the Type A insignia) is worn on the left chest, ½ inch above and centered on your award ribbons. Like the ribbons, it’s centered left to right along an imaginary vertical line drawn from where the shoulder meets the neck of the jacket, down along the body of the jacket, and horizontally with the second button of the uniform.

Your Qualification Badge (also called the Type B insignia) is worn on the right chest, ¼ inch above the campaign ribbons. If you don’t wear any campaign ribbons, place the badge centered left to right along an imaginary vertical line drawn from where the shoulder meets the neck of the jacket, down along the body of the jacket, and one-half inch above an imaginary horizontal line drawn across the chest from the second button of the uniform.

The Command College Qualification Badge (Type C Insignia) is worn on the right chest, 1/4-inch below any campaign ribbons. If no campaign ribbons are worn, place the badge centered, left to right, along imaginary vertical line drawn from where the shoulder meets the neck of the jacket, down along the body of the jacket, and centered, up and down, with an imaginary horizontal line drawn across the chest from the center of the second button.

Please be aware, the Leadership Qualification Badge is one that has changed, so if you’re still wearing the old JROTC wreath, you should replace it with the new “torch” badge available from the SFMC QM. For LD-100, it’s worn with a green felt oval pad; for LD-201, it’s worn with a blue felt oval pad; for LD-301, it’s worn with a red felt oval pad. The oval is slightly larger than the device; I plan on cutting mine out.

Campaign ribbons – also called “Type D Insignia” – are worn on the right chest, centered left-to-right along an imaginary vertical line drawn from where the shoulder meets the neck of the jacket, down along the body of the and centered, up and down, with an imaginary horizontal line drawn across the chest from the center of the second button.

Enlisted, Warrant Officers, Company-grade and Field-grade officers will wear the SFMC collar brass on the left collar, one inch from the edge of the collar, centered, and vertical to the deck. If you haven’t bought the “new” style globe-and-anchor, this is a good reason to do so.

NCO Chevrons are worn on the right collar, horizontally. Place them one inch from the edge of the collar, with the bottom edge of the insignia parallel to the seam between the collar and the jacket. The greatest number of chevrons will point toward the front of the neck.

Officer’s bars are worn vertically on the right collar, one inch from the edge and with the bottom edge of the bars parallel to the seam between the jacket and the collar. Space the bars 1/8 – inch apart. If you wear a black bar, it should be worn the farthest from the front of the neck.

General officers wear their rank insignia on both collars. They should be placed vertically on the collar, one inch from the edge and with the bottom edge of the bars parallel to the seam between the jacket and the collar.

If you have qualified for one – in other words, if you have passed your branch’s -100 or -101 level exam at STARFLEET Marine Corps Academy – you should wear your shoulder cord on the right shoulder. You can use a pin attachment, attaching the cord at the shoulder seam, or a button loop attachment. If you use a button loop, you will have to sew on a button on the shoulder for this purpose. (I would just buy a pin-attachment cord… Glendale’s has ‘em.) Look at page 61 & 62 of the Marine Force Manual (2015) for details of what color you should wear, as well as authorized shoulder cords for specific positions.

You should now be ready to go! I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Mess in Baton Rouge this year!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

BGN Tank Clark,
S-3 (Operations), Third Brigade