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IWAKUNI, Japan - Warrant Officer Gregory Hill, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron Marine Corps Exchange officer, taught a class on large-medal mounting in the Marine Lounge aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct. 3, 2013, to help Marines prepare for the upcoming ball.
The deadline approaches ever so slowly. Before Marines realize it, it will already be too late. The Marine Corps Birthday Ball is just around the corner and Marines may not have enough time to adjust their uniforms, to include medal and ribbon placement.
Warrant Officer Gregory Hill, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron Marine Corps Exchange officer, taught a class on large-medal mounting in the Marine Lounge aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct. 3, 2013, to help Marines prepare for the upcoming ball.
“Learning how to take care of their own uniform,” is the reason why Hill said he took the initiative to teach this class.
Hill briefly went over uniform regulations and provided a handout with exerts that demonstrated on how to correctly wear medals.
According to Hill, there are not many formal classes Marines aboard station can attend pertaining to uniform appearance, so it would be beneficial for Marines to learn and pass their on knowledge to fellow servicemembers.
“Since this service isn’t offered over here, it’s a great tool for Marines to learn so they’re not spending a lot of money on their medals to make them look good,” said Sgt. Giancarco Maragni, H&HS S-3 training noncommissioned officer. “They can just do it themselves so they can have more of a sense of pride when they wear the uniform.”
Marines in the past have often purchased premade medal mounts. However, depending on the number of medals a Marine has, the cost of one of these premade medal mounts can run as much as $250.
Hill said that all the materials necessary for medal mounting can be found at the MCX for a reasonable price; between five and $10, not including medals.
Marines, once having the knowledge from this class, should be able to efficiently prepare their own medals for the Marine Corps Ball.
The process includes 12 steps and takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. First, a medal will need to be disassembled. Next, the ribbon is ironed to press out any wrinkles and give it the best possible appearance. Afterwards, Marines prepare the backing, which gives the medal a sleek exterior. Once the backing is ready, it may be placed on the ribbon and folded.
Once folded properly, place the medal back onto the ribbon. Place tape on the backing again and fold the ribbon. Place the ribbon on a premade medal-placement sheet, which is given at the class or can be looked up online. If necessary, cut any extra ribbon material. Repeat this process for each medal. The next is done either one of two ways. The first way would be if there are four or less medals, they will be placed side-by-side. The second would be to overlap medals when there are five.
Once all medals have been appropriately arranged with the junior medal at the far right, a Marine can proceed to place all the medals on the appropriate line corresponding to the medal-placement sheet. Finally, expose the tape of the medal placement sheet and crease down the top fold, then insert the appropriate mounting bar into the placement sheet and cover the bar with double-sided tape. Fold back and now, Marines have a finished medal mount.
“The whole process was new to me,” said Maragni. “I was one of the ones who usually pay for it. I learned quite a bit from going through this class.”
Hill has no obligation to conduct this class, but says he feels he has a duty to provide a need that the community has that is not being fulfilled and believes Marines should take care of one another.
“I feel a personal obligation, being a Marine Corps Community Service officer, but mostly, it’s about Marines teaching Marines how to take care of their uniforms,” said Hill.
Hill said he plans instruct several other classes on Thursdays, between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. If someone would like to attend the class, they would need to RSVP so Hill can gather the correct amount of materials. For more information, contact Warrant Officer Hill at DSN 253-5641 or e-mail at hillgd@usmc-mccs.org.
| Date Taken: | 10.03.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 10.11.2013 02:15 |
| Story ID: | 115061 |
| Location: | IWAKUNI, YAMAGUCHI, JP |
| Web Views: | 233 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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