a. Design. The jacket will be made from an approved specification or pattern.
b. General description. The jacket is cut along the lines of an evening dress coat, descending to the point of the hips and slightly curved to a peak in back and in front. The coat has a notched collar with a branch of service colored lapel insert and is fully lined, with an inside vertical pocket on the right side. The coat front has six gold 20-ligne buttons. Two 20-ligne buttons, joined by a gold or gold-colored chain about 11â2 inches long, are worn in the upper buttonholes. The shoulders have a device for the attachment of shoulder knots on officer uniforms.
c. Lapels. The lapels of the Army blue jacket are rayon, acetate, or other synthetic fabric with a satin face in the following colors.
(1) General officers, except chaplains: dark blue.
(2) All chaplains: black.
(3) All other officers: the first named color of their basic branch of service. (See para 28â19.) (4) Enlisted personnel: dark blue.
d. Shoulder knots (officers only). (See fig 25â11.)
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(1) General description. The shoulder knot is made from 1â4âinch diameter cord of gold bullion, synthetic metallic gold, or gold-colored nylon or rayon. The shoulder knot is formed of four plaits, composed of three cords interlaced as one, and rounded at the top with a gold 20-ligne button positioned in the upper end of the knot. The knot is no more than 41â2 inches in length and 17â8 inches in width, conforming to the shoulder and stiffened on the underside with a flexible backing, covered with dark blue or black cloth. The flexible backing has an attachment that is suitable for fastening it to the shoulders of the jacket.
(2) How worn. Officers wear the shoulder knots attached to the shoulders of the Army blue jacket. e. Sleeve ornamentation.
(1) General officers wear a cuff of blue-black velvet braid, 4 inches in width, positioned 1â8 inch from the bottom edge of each sleeve. A band of oak leaves in groups of two, 1 inch in width, are embroidered on each cuff of braid, 1 inch below the upper edge, in gold bullion, synthetic metallic gold, or gold-colored nylon or rayon. General officer grade insignia is centered on the outside of the sleeve, 1 inch above the upper edge of the cuff braid. When general officers wear their branch insignia, it is centered on the outside of the sleeves 1 inch above the upper edge of the cuff braid. Grade insignia is positioned 1 inch above the branch insignia. If branch insignia is worn, general officers will wear the non-subdued, metal pin-on insignia. Grade insignia is embroidered silver bullion. General officer stars are 1 inch in diameter and are worn with one point facing upward. The following describes general officer stars:
(a) General insignia is four stars, with 11â4 inches between the midpoints, centered horizontally on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 25â4).
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(b) Lieutenant general insignia is three stars, with 13â8 inches between the midpoints, with the middle star centered horizontally on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 25â5).
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(c) Major general insignia is two stars, with 2 inches between the midpoints and centered horizontally on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 25â6).
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(d) Brigadier general insignia is one star centered horizontally on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 25â7).
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(2) Other commissioned and warrant officers wear a 3â4âinch braid consisting of two 1â4âinch two-vellum gold, synthetic metallic gold, or gold-colored nylon or rayon braids, placed on each sleeve 1â4 inch apart on a silk stripe of the first-named color of their basic branch. The bottom of the braid is positioned parallel to, and 3 inches above the bottom edge of each sleeve. A trefoil is attached to the upper edge of the braid on each sleeve. It consists of a knot composed of three loops, one large upper loop and two small lower loops of 1â4 inch gold, synthetic metallic gold, or gold-colored braid, interlaced at the points of crossing, with the ends of the knots resting on the sleeve braid. Officer grade insignia (non-subdued pin-on or embroidered silver bullion) is worn vertically in the center of the space formed by the lower curves of the knot and the upper edge of the braid (see figs 25â8 and 25â9).
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(3) Previously authorized sleeve ornamentation, which consists of the sleeve band, the branch insignia centered in the space formed by the lower curves of the trefoil and the upper edge of the sleeve band, and the number of trefoils appropriate to the specific grade of the wearer, is authorized for wear for the life of the jacket. This option is for commissioned officers only, and applies only to jackets purchased prior to 11 August 1975. This ornamentation is not authorized for jackets purchased after 11 August 1975.
(4) Enlisted personnel wear a 1â8âinch soutache braid of gold-colored nylon or rayon, 3 inches above the bottom of each sleeve (see fig 25â10).
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