For an additional period of 3 years honorable service, where is the second service stripe placed relative to the first?

• A. Above and parallel to the first stripe, with a 1/16 inch space between stripes
• B. Below the first stripe
• C. On the opposite sleeve
• D. At a 90-degree angle to the first stripe

Answer: (A)

The main idea: service stripes (hash marks) on the left sleeve indicate years of honorable service, with each stripe representing three years. When you earn another three-year period, you add a second stripe above the first, keeping it parallel and close but separate. The official spacing is a small gap of about 1/16 inch between the stripes, and the second stripe sits above the first toward the top of the sleeve. This arrangement distinguishes multiple periods of service in a clear, consistent way. Placing it below, on the other sleeve, or at a right angle would break the established pattern.