The U.S. military awards medals for a variety of reasons, including meritorious service, wounds suffered in action and good conduct. When a service member, especially those in the Army and Air Force, receives the same award more than once, it is designated by a bronze oak leaf cluster affixed to the medal's ribbon and on the ribbon bar worn on the award deck on the military uniform. Uniform regulations determine the placement of the clusters.
Instructions
1. Center the first bronze oak leaf cluster -- representing the second awarding of the medal -- on the suspension ribbon and on the ribbon bar. Use a 13/32-inch cluster on the medal's display ribbon and a 5/16-inch cluster for the award deck bar. Press the post of the cluster through the ribbon and secure it with the clasp.
2. Place subsequent bronze clusters on the ribbon, up to a maximum of four oak clusters. Add a second ribbon for subsequent clusters.
3. Replace the bronze oak leaf clusters with a silver cluster when the medal is awarded for the sixth time. Remove the second ribbon when the first holds four or fewer oak leaf clusters.
Tags: bronze leaf, award deck, bronze leaf cluster, leaf cluster, leaf clusters, ribbon ribbon, second ribbon