DA PAM 670-1: 17-7. Jacket, Army blue mess, female

17-7. Jacket, Army blue mess, female

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 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. Lapels. The lapels of the Army blue mess 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 21–20).

(4) Enlisted personnel. Dark blue.

d. 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 4–1/2 inches long and 1–7/8 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 blue mess jacket.

e. Jacket sleeve ornamentation.

(1) General officers wear a cuff of blue-black velvet braid, 4 inches wide, positioned 1/8 inch from the bottom edge

of each sleeve. A band of oak leaves in groups of two, 1 inch wide, 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 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 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 1–1/4 inches between the midpoints and with the stars centered horizontally

on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 16–5).

(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 16–6).

(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 16–7).

(d) Brigadier general insignia is one star centered horizontally on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 16–8).

(2) Other commissioned and warrant officers wear a 3/4-inch braid consisting of two 1/4-inch, two-vellum gold,

synthetic metallic gold, or gold-colored nylon or rayon braids placed on each sleeve, 1/4 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 1/4-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 (nonsubdued 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 16–9 and 16–10).

(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).