Our set of 11 service stripes is authorized for wear on the Army Blue or White Mess/Evening Mess uniform jacket by any Enlisted member of the Army, Army National Guard, or U.S. Army Reserve who has accrued 33 years of honorable, active Federal service in any of the five branches of the Armed Forces of the United States. (Note: Reserve service that is creditable for retired pay for non-regular service also counts toward authorization.)
The service stripes for the Mess/Evening Mess uniforms comes in a Large and Small size and with two types of fabric backing. Size of the service stripe must correspond to the size of the rank insignia worn on the sleeves (Large stripes for jackets with Large rank insignia), and the fabric backing of the stripe must be the same color as the uniform. Unlike on the Army Service/Dress Uniform, service stripes are worn on both sleeves of the Mess/Evening Mess uniform jackets.
Length of service stripes varies because the stripes extend from seam to seam, diagonally oriented at 30 degrees with the lower end of the stripe inserted in the front inside seam. On Blue Mess/Evening Mess jackets, the lower end is inserted in the seam a quarter-inch above the cuff braid; on White jackets, it is inserted three inches from the bottom of the sleeve.