Sea Service Ribbon

A Sea Service Ribbon is an award of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, and the United States Army which recognizes those service members who have performed military duty while stationed on a vessel at sea and/or who have been forward-deployed with their home unit.

Additional awards of the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Naval Reserve Sea Service Ribbon, Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon and the Army Sea Duty Ribbon are denoted by bronze and/or silver service stars on the ribbon.

Army Sea Duty Ribbon
The Army Sea Duty Ribbon (ASDR) was established April 17, 2006. It may be awarded to active duty soldiers who complete two cumulative years of sea duty on a Class A or B United States Army Vessel. Duty aboard U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command, NOAA vessels, or aboard Army leased or foreign and non–military vessels may also qualify if soldiers serving on those vessels have a formally assigned primary mission that is accomplished underway, are in an active status, and are approved for creditable sea service by the Career Sea Pay Office. The Chief of the Marine Qualification Division is the approval authority for award of the ASDR to eligible service members. The ASDR may be awarded retroactively to those personnel who were credited with qualifying service, as defined in regulations, after August 1, 1952. Subsequent awards are authorized upon completion of an additional two years of cumulative sea duty under qualifying conditions.

U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. Army National Guard soldiers must have two creditable years in a U.S. Army watercraft unit, including a minimum of 25 days underway annually as well as two annual training exercises underway on a Class A or B army vessel; or a 90-day deployment aboard an army vessel underway. Subsequent awards are authorized upon the completion of additional qualifying periods of sea duty. For mobilized soldiers, one year of sea duty as a mobilized soldier will be credited toward one creditable year as long as minimum underway requirements are met.

The Army Sea Duty Ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide, composed of vertical stripes. The edges are 3/32 inch in navy blue, bordered by 5/32 inch scarlet stripes, followed by 5/32 inch stripes of old gold, bordered by 3/32 inch stripes of teal blue, next to 1/8 inch stripes of grotto blue, bordered by 3/64 inch stripes of soldier red, and a 1/32 inch center stripe of old gold. Subsequent awards are denoted by bronze and silver service stars.

Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
The Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (SSDR) is a service award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was established in May 1979 and retroactively authorized to 14 August 1974, coinciding with a temporary suspension in authority for award of the National Defense Service Medal between that date and 2 August 1990. It was the first type of sea service ribbon established in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Sea Service Deployment Ribbon is granted to any member of the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps assigned to a deployable unit (e.g., a ship (including submarines), aircraft squadron, air wing or air group, detachment, battalion, Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marine Air Ground Task Force, or other unit type that operates away from its assigned homeport) and is forward-deployed for a period of either 90 consecutive days or two periods of at least 80 days each within a given 12-month period; or 6 months stationed overseas in a forward deployed location. Staffs of embarked Destroyer Squadrons (DESRONs), Amphibious Squadrons (PHIBRONs), Amphibious Readiness Groups (ARG), Expeditionary Strike Groups (ESGs), Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) and similar units deployed within time period requirements are also eligible for award.

When a ship's crew qualifies for the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the ship is authorized to paint and display the ribbon and award stars on the port and starboard side of the bulwark aft to designate the number of deployments conducted throughout the commissioned life of the ship since August 1974.

When a U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps aviation squadron qualifies for the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the squadron is authorized to paint and display the ribbon and award stars on the exterior or interior of their hangar or squadron spaces to designate the number of deployments conducted throughout the active life of that squadron since August 1974.

Navy Reserve Sea Service Ribbon
The Navy Reserve Sea Service Ribbon was created in May 1986 and is awarded to any member of the U.S. Navy Reserve (formerly U.S. Naval Reserve) who, while serving as a drilling Selected Reservist (SELRES) or a Training and Administration of the Reserve/Full Time Support (TAR/FTS) officer or sailor, completes twenty-four cumulative months of duty on board a U.S. Navy Reserve Force surface ship or assigned to a deployable/regularly deploying U.S. Navy Reserve Force Aviation Squadron (RESFORON). A 3/8 inch bronze star is awarded for the second through the fifth award of the ribbon; a 3/8 inch silver star is worn for six awards in lieu of five bronze stars.

The term “Navy Reserve Force Ship” refers to any U.S. Navy commissioned warship under the operational or administrative control of the Navy Reserve, or a self-propelled auxiliary, boat, or other surface craft operated under the operational control of fleet or type commanders.

The term "Navy Reserve Force Aviation Squadron" refers to any Navy Reserve flying squadron that operates naval aircraft, is considered a command at sea, routinely deploys or is capable of deploying overseas, and is considered a "hardware" unit under the operational control of Commander, Naval Air Force Reserve (formerly Commander, Naval Air Reserve Force) or fleet or other type commanders.

The Navy Reserve Sea Service Ribbon is also granted to members of embarked Navy Reserve staffs, provided that at least half of the embarked reserve drills qualified as underway drills.

The Navy Reserve Sea Service Ribbon is not eligible for service performed by Marine Corps Forces Reserve members, or Navy Reservists who were called to active duty, but the service performed by those personnel would qualify towards the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon or the Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon as applicable.

Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon
The Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon is a United States Coast Guard decoration that was created in 1984. It is awarded to those members of the Coast Guard who serve more than twelve cumulative months of sea duty on board a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, attached to a Fleet Training Group, or on board certain other Coast Guard vessels and non-Coast Guard vessels (i.e., U.S. Navy warships with a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) embarked) that are under official Coast Guard orders. Additional awards, displayed as service stars, may be awarded for a further three years of sea service.

Navy
Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual (SECNAVINST 1650.1H)