Since 1986, Navy Flag Officers in the O-8 are designated as Rear Admiral (upper half) to distinguish them officially from O-7 Flag Officers, who are also addressed as "Rear Admiral" but whose title ends with "lower half." This birfucation of the rank of Rear Admiral had existed for decades following the elimination of the rank of Commdore following World War II, but the confusion caused by using the exact same rank title for two different pay grades led to the introduction of clarifying legislation in the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1986 (passed in November 2015).
Our lacing set for Rear Admirals (UH) contains two 30-inch stripes of gold lacing, one two-inches wide and a second a half-inch in width, sewn on as stripes that encircle each sleeve of the appropriate dress-uniform coats/jackets. The 2-inch wide stripe is placed so that its bottom is two inches from the end of the sleeve, and the half-inch lacing is sewn on a quarter-inch above the wider stripe. Each 30-inch strip of lacing should be more than adequate to sew a stripe onto each sleeve.
In addition to sleeve stripes, all Navy Officers wear a sleeve device reflecting their officer classification. Officers of the Line, which are either Unrestricted or Restricted, wear a lone
five-pointed gold star above the uppermost stripe, centered between the rear and front creases of the jacket and sewn on a quarter-inch above the stripe. Staff Corps Officers wear a specialized device designed to represent the Corps in which they serve (Dental, Supply, Chaplains, etc.); it is positioned following the same rules as the Line Officer's star. Coast Guard Officers wear the
Coast Guard Sleeve Device in fashion similar to the Navy gold star.
Customers purchasing a Navy or Coast Guard coat (either standalone or part of a uniform) might wish to add the Lacing and Sleeve Device Sewing Service to their order. For one low price, our expert sewers will hem your coat sleeves to the length you specify, then professionally attach the sleeve stripes and the sleeve device in strict adherence to U.S. Navy regulations. If you've already added the coat to your shopping cart but forgot to include this service, just delete it from your cart and then immediately place it back in the cart--you'll be once again prompted to choose the service.