DA PAM 670-1: 18-7. Jacket, Army white mess, male

18-7. Jacket, Army white mess, male

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. Two 25-ligne buttons joined by a small gold or gold-colored

chain approximately 1–1/2 inches long are worn in the upper buttonholes. The shoulders have a device for attaching

shoulder knots on officer uniforms.

c. Shoulder knots (officers only).

(1) General description. The shoulder knot is made from 1/4-inch 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 5–1/2 inches long and 2–1/2 inches wide, 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 (see fig 16–4).

(2) How worn. Officers wear the shoulder knots attached to the shoulders of the Army white mess jacket.

d. Jacket sleeve ornamentation.

(1) General officers wear a cuff of white mohair or mercerized cotton braid 4 inches wide, positioned 1/8 inch from

the bottom edge of each sleeve. General officer grade insignia is centered on the outside of the sleeves 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 nonsubdued metal pin-on insignia. Grade insignia is embroi-

dered white cloth or 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 1–1/4 inches between the midpoints and with the stars centered horizontally

on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 18–4).

(b) Lieutenant general insignia is three stars with 1 –3/8 inches between the midpoints and with the middle star

centered horizontally on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 18–5).

(c) Major general insignia is two stars with 2 inches between the midpoints and with the stars centered horizontally

on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 18–6).

(d) Brigadier general insignia is one star centered horizontally on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 18–7).

(2) Other commissioned and warrant officers wear a band of white mohair or mercerized cotton braid sewn on each

sleeve, 1/2 inch wide, with the lower edge 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 1/4-inch white soutache braid, interlaced at the points of crossing with the ends of

the knots resting on the sleeve braid. Officer grade insignia (nonsubdued pin-on or embroidered white cloth) 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

16–10 and 18–8).

(3) Enlisted personnel wear a 1/8-inch soutache braid of gold-colored nylon or rayon 3 inches above the bottom of

each sleeve (see fig 16–11).