DA PAM 670-1: 19-7. Jacket, Army white mess, female

19-7. Jacket, Army white mess, female

a. Design. The jacket will be made from an approved specification or pattern.

b. General description.

(1) New version. The jacket is cut along the natural waistline and is slightly curved to a peak in back and in front. The coat has a shawl collar with white, self-fabric interfacing, 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.

(2) Old version (officers only). The jacket is single-breasted with a natural waistline and a shawl-type collar. It has a two-piece front and a two-panel back. The front pieces have three 20-ligne buttons on each side and the shoulders have two loops for the attachment of shoulder boards. Each sleeve has a band of white braid, 1/2 inch wide, with the lower edge of the band 3 inches from the bottom of the sleeve.

c. Shoulder ornamentation and insignia.

(1) Shoulder knots (officers only). Shoulder knots are worn by all officers with the new version of the Army white mess jacket and by general officers with the old version of the Army white mess jacket (see fig 16–4).

(a) 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).

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

(2) Shoulder boards (officers only). Shoulder boards are worn by female officers in the ranks of colonel and below on the old version of the Army white mess jacket (see para 21–8c).

(a) General description. The shoulder board is 4–11/16 inches long and 2 inches wide at the outer end. The background is wool facing cloth in silk or synthetic grosgrain or in satin cloth of the first-named color of the officer's basic branch. The shoulder board has a gold or gold-colored nylon, rayon, or synthetic metallic gold band 3/8 inch wide, placed 1/16 inch from the outer edge of each side of the board. If the officer's branch has two colors, the second-named color is used as a 1/8-inch border placed against the inside edge of each gold band. The grade insignia is embroidered in gold or silver bullion or synthetic metallic yarn and is centered 5/8 inch from the lower edge of the shoulder board. Detachable shoulder boards are worn on each shoulder with the square end of the shoulder board positioned on the outside shoulder seam.

(b) How worn. Detachable shoulder boards are worn on each shoulder snapped to the jacket through the shoulder loops with the square end of the shoulder board positioned on the outside shoulder seam.

d. Jacket sleeve ornamentation.

(1) General officers. On both the old and new versions of the Army white mess jacket, 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 embroidered 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 19–4).

(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 19–5).

(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 19–6).

(d) Brigadier general insignia is one star centered horizontally on the outside of the sleeves (see fig 19–7).

(2) Other commissioned and warrant officers.

(a) New version. A band of white mohair or white mercerized cotton braid is sewn on each sleeve, 1/2 inch wide, with the lower edge parallel to and 3 inches above the bottom edge of the braid on 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 19–8).

(b) Old version. A band of white mohair or mercerized cotton braid is sewn on each sleeve, 1/2 inch wide, with the lower edge parallel to and 3 inches above the bottom edge of each sleeve of the old version of the Army white mess jacket.

(3) Enlisted personnel. 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).