While the military brass trumpets its new-found tolerance, the rank and file are wondering what the big deal is all about. Not everyone is happy with the new decoration, however. Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler confirmed that in addition to banning tattoos and the use of profanity while in uniform, the newest update to the Army’s uniform guidelines, Army Regulation (AR) 670-1, will reflect that this ribbon as the Army’s only “required” award, which all Soldiers will wear in the place of honor, centered on the bottom row of their awards and decorations. The Army’s new “Personnel Ribbon in Diversity Experience,” or “PRIDE,” ribbon.Īwarded after successfully completing mandatory “sexual orientation and re-orientation” training in basic training, the ribbon demonstrates “a clear commitment to righting past wrongs, preserving present power, and ensuring the future legitimacy” of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and queer community within the Army, said Ringgold during an interview in his Pentagon office.
