On the old-style summer white jumpers they are worn two inches above the cuff. They are worn two inches above the left sleeve cuff on jackets, and 1.5 inches above the cuff on service dress blue jumpers and the new summer white jumpers. Female navy sailors wear service stripes 5.25 inches long and a quarter-inch wide. They are 7 inches long and three-eighths of an inch wide for male chief petty officers male sailors from rates seaman recruit to petty officer first class wear service stripes 5.25 inches long and three-eighths of an inch wide. Navy service stripes come in three colors and they are red, gold, and blue.

Service stripes are only worn on formal uniforms, and are not seen on work uniforms. Prior to 1953, Overseas Service Bars were worn on the left sleeve. soldiers wear them on the left sleeve and Overseas Service Bars on the right one. Marines wear them at the bottom cuff of both sleeves. Coast Guardsmen wear their stripes on the bottom cuff of the left sleeve, where U.S. Sleeve stripes are worn only by enlisted personnel. The artillery corps, who wore red stripes on their uniforms, wore a white stripe bordered red instead. Service during the American Civil War was denoted by a red stripe bordered by the rank stripe color (called a 'Blood Stripe'). They were the same color as the enlisted rank stripes and were 'half-chevrons' (angled strips of cloth). Army, sleeve stripes denoted a successful completion of a standard enlistment. In the United States, the concept of a service stripe dates back to 1782 when, during the American Revolution, George Washington ordered that enlisted men who had served for three years 'with bravery, fidelity and good conduct' should wear 'a narrow piece of white cloth, of angular form' on the left sleeve of the uniform coat. Service chevrons were worn on the lower left sleeve and Wound Stripes were worn on the lower right sleeve (influencing the U.S. The French Army later moved them to the lower sleeves and the rank stripes to the upper sleeves. The practice was continued in Napoleon Bonaparte's army in which they were awarded for 10, 15, and 20 years of service.

Soldiers who wore such emblems were called briscards ('breakers'). In 1777, the French ancien régime-era army had used Galons d'ancienneté, or 'Seniority Braid' (cloth braid chevrons nicknamed brisures > 'breaks') worn on the upper sleeves awarded for each seven years of enlistment. For example, a sailor or marine with several non-judicial punishments and courts-martial would still be authorized a service stripe for each four-year period of service, although the Good Conduct Medal would be denied. In contrast to the Army, the Navy and Marine Corps Good Conduct Medals, a service stripe is authorized for wear by enlisted personnel upon completion of the specified term of service, regardless of the service member's disciplinary history. The United States Army authorizes one stripe for each three-year period of service, while the United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, and United States Coast Guard authorize one stripe for each four-year period of duty. Army National Guard sergeant Monica Beltran in 2012 with three service stripes, indicating at least nine years of service.

Stripes meaning