What is the history of service award bars?

Service award bars began with the military recognizing acts of bravery, service, or accomplishments. In the military, they are known as service ribbons, or ribbon bars, because they are made from cloth or ribbons. When an officer is recognized, a medal on a suspension ribbon, or drape attachment, will be pinned onto a uniform. This has been a typical practice for recognition ceremonies, but for dress uniform occasions, the earned medals are represented by service ribbons. The service ribbon matches the suspension ribbon on the medal. Service ribbons are a regulated size of  1 3/8" by 3/8" and are placed on the uniform in a specific lineup. In today’s military, not every service ribbon will have a corresponding medal.

Law enforcement, fire departments, and other public service agencies adopted the concept of commendation, citation, or service bars to recognize and honor officers for their service and achievements. New bars are periodically introduced to recognize new priorities or achievements within public safety departments. 

These service award bars are made from metal and are affixed to a dress uniform individually or using a slide bar holder. Colors and symbols differentiate different branches of public safety. For example, years of service for law enforcement might show a blue service bar with a star and the equivalent service bar for firefighters would be red with a Maltese cross.

Service award bars feature different colors and designs representing specific categories such as years of service, training, professional development, or commendable actions. They are given to officers as visible symbols of recognition and honor, accomplishments and heroic acts, and newly acquired skills. Service award bars are the backbone of any public safety recognition program.

The following categories are some of the most popular service bar awards for law enforcement and fire departments. 

• Military Service: Bars representing each military branch and veteran status are appropriately named and colored.
• Years of Service: Recognized in increments of five years, often denoted with stars, maltese cross, or numbers.
• Titles & Ranks: Acknowledges personal development, additional training, and the instruction of others.
• Awareness & Patriotism: Demonstrates support for cause programs, allegiance to the country, and reverence for fallen officers.
• Recognition & Achievements: Celebrates acts of lifesaving, childbirth assistance, and earned job expertise.
• Awards: When an officer receives a medal, matching commendation bars for valor, merit, or law enforcement are commonly worn on the duty uniform in place of the medal.

Service award bars have a rich history rooted in the military, law enforcement, and fire department traditions. Recognizing merit and valor fosters pride and camaraderie among service members and public safety personnel. Not knowing where and how to start should not prevent you from beginning a program, Smith & Warren can help you from start to finish.

Smith & Warren makes personalizing and ordering service award bars easy. With VisualBadge, choosing, designing, and purchasing the right award bars for your department is simple. With over 500 service award bars available, you can start with our popular suggestions or choose a category to begin building your bar program. If you need help finding something or want to design something custom for your department, just contact us, and we’ll make sure you get the service award bars you need for recognition.

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