How-to Correctly Assemble Your Army Class-A Green Service Uniform

Currently, there is a plethora of information available, both online and offline, regarding how one should properly assemble their Army Class A Uniform. For those who have been in the United States' Army for any period of time, you are probably more than aware that the Army Class A Uniform has quite a few elements, accompanied by many strict placements and measurements, that must be adhered to in order for a soldier to achieve perfection in their desire to correctly assemble their Army Class A Uniform in strict adherence to the established standard.

Things You Will Need

• a Dry-Cleaned Army Class-A Green Service Uniform
• All Your Authorized Ribbons, Awards, and/or Badges
• a Print-Out of all Your Authorized Ribbons, Awards, and/or Badges
• a Website, like BELOW, that has a Free Ribbon Rack Builder Service
• a Brite Light over a Kitchen/Dining Room Table
*Your Military Ribbons, Medals, and Decorations can be Found at the Following Internet Stores:

Step 1 Prior to even considering to assemble your Army Class A Uniform, you should strongly consider stripping all your current ribbons and pins off of your current uniform. Dependent on the condition that they are in, you may want to stop by a local military alterations shop or company in order to have your uniform dry cleaned and/or tailored. As an Army National Guard soldier, or an Army Reservist, unfortunately, you may be a really long drive away from your nearest local Army base or post. While you can take a chance at dropping your uniform off at a dry cleaning service closer to your actual house, if you have any alterations to be done, at all, you should highly consider stopping by a place that is familiar with handling customers that need their uniform patches, and service stripes, sewn on to Army regulation standard.

After having served 7 years as an enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army, I accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. With this commission came an onslaught of required alterations that needed to be done. Unlike past experiences, I had decided to make an hour and a half drive to my nearest post in order to have my uniform XVIII Airborne Corps combat patch and officer piping sewn on the correct way. They did a tremendous job, unlike, unfortunately a civilian dry cleaning shop that didn'™t quite seem to understand the strict adherence to measurements that are reflected in the U.S. Army Standards.

Step 2 Regardless of whether you have a local alterations shop sew on your Army Class A Uniform patches on, or opt for the specialized work of an alterations shop right off an Army post, it certainly behooves every soldier, whether a Private or General, to familiarize themselves with the professional wear and appearance of the Army Uniform. This knowledge should expand way beyond the Army Class A Uniform, after all, this is just one uniform that United States' soldiers are required to wear. By ensuring that you are knowledgeable about the correct placement of your military patches, service stripes and/or officer piping, you can have a pretty good idea of whether an alterations shop has done a good job, immediately, when you go to pick up your completed uniform.

Typically, you shouldn't expect to have any issues with an alterations shop that specializes specifically in the care of United States'™ Army dress uniforms, however, there is a very real possibility that a civilian alterations shop may not have correctly placed your patches or service stripes. For that reason, you should take it upon yourself to supply them with a copy of the applicable pages of your 670-1 uniform standard regulation.
Step 3 When you provide the applicable pages of your 670-1 standard to the alterations shop that you intend to use, I highly recommend that you do whatever you can to remove as much thinking or brain work as you possibly can on their end. Where strict measurements and standards abound, if you are not clear about what you want, the chances are high that they may just make a mistake. If they do make a mistake, yet you supplied them with the correct Army Class A uniform standards and instructions, then they will be more inclined to take responsibility for correcting any deficiencies. Accompanying your applicable printed out pages of the 670-1 regulation; I do highly recommend that you also take it upon yourself to highlight, and underline, any specific measurements that you think they may accidentally skip over. Because there is such a wealth of information on every page of 670-1, narrowing down the specific elements that you are addressing, or want addressed, in the care of your uniform, will only help ensure that it is done correctly the first time.
Step 4 Once you do drop off your Army Class-A green service uniform off at a local alterations shops, you should store your receipt in a safe place in your wallet, or in your car's glove compartment, because you may need it in order to claim your uniform when you go to pick it up a few days later. Many military clothing and sales shops, on base, have actually arranged to pay for any alterations that need to be done by local alterations shops, in the event that all items were purchased at their clothing and sales. For my officer piping, and combat patch, I didn'™t have to pay a dime for the sewing/alterations job because I had purchased those items from my local clothing and sales.
Step 5 If you are sure that your Army Class-A green service uniform has been sewn, dry-cleaned, and/or altered to Army standard perfection, then you must transport it home and begin assembly of it. Because of all the intricate elements involved in the assembly of your uniform, you should strongly consider laying all your ribbons, devices, and badges in one centralized location, under a bright light. An uncluttered kitchen or dining room table may be a good place to consider assembling your uniform.
Step 6 Along with all your military ribbons, badges, awards, and devices, you should strongly consider having a measuring tape at your disposal, along with the applicable pages of your 670-1 standard that you had supplied to your local Army base alterations shop.
Step 7 Now you may precede with the assembly of your Army Class-A green service uniform in accordance with the strict Army standards. As a personal preference, I like to ensure that my military ribbons rack is assembled, and pinned to my uniform, correctly prior to adding anything else to my uniform. Once you are done with this, you should continue to follow the strict standards put forth in your 670-1 regulation.

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