Shoulder straps are part of a serviceman's clothing, and the arrangement of stars on the shoulder straps is considered to be a sign of rank distinction between colleagues. However, it is very important to know at what distance the stars should be on this part of the uniform, since punctuality, discipline and strict adherence to instructions play a huge role in the army. A soldier's appearance must always be impeccable.

The placement of stars on shoulder straps according to certain regulations also contributes to clear orientation, that is, another person or colleague will always be able to understand what rank a given serviceman has and what his position is at the present time. In fact, in this regard, shoulder straps provide almost exhaustive information. An important aspect is not only the number of stars, but also their location relative to each other.

How to properly attach stars

Shoulder insignia among military personnel are an integral attribute of a serviceman's appearance in the army, as well as in law enforcement agencies. These signs will not only help to distinguish a particular employee by rank, but also determine which specific department he belongs to.

Rank is distinguished, as a rule, by the size of the stars, their number on the shoulder strap, and also by their location on this part of the serviceman’s clothing. For citizens who decide to give their lives to service, it is necessary to know how to properly attach stars to shoulder straps .

All rules regarding this issue are provided for by special Regulations, which were drawn up and approved by the Ministry of Defense of our country, as well as in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. All norms must be observed by both future military personnel and those already occupying certain positions.

If the distance between the stars on the shoulder straps differs from the distance prescribed in the relevant acts, then this will be interpreted as a violation of the rules for wearing military clothing.

Two stars for the Ministry of Internal Affairs

In the ranks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, starting with the rank of warrant officer, stars appear on their shoulder straps. The owners of two stars on their shoulders are:

1. Police warrant officer (junior command staff). Two small stars are located on a clean chase horizontally.
2. Police lieutenant (middle command). Two small stars are located vertically and separated by a stripe.
3. Police Lieutenant Colonel (senior command staff). Two middle stars located vertically on top of two parallel stripes.
4. Lieutenant General of Police (senior command staff). Two large stars are located on a clean chase horizontally.

At what distance

In the officer corps, both senior, junior and middle, the distance at which stars are placed on shoulder straps is almost the same. The only difference is the size and location on the shoulder straps.

In accordance with the rank, a serviceman must take into account such features, which are as follows:

• A serviceman with the rank of warrant officer or midshipman wears two stars, which are located along the red line of the shoulder straps . Each star is 1.3 cm, and the distance between them must be at least 2.5 cm.
• A serviceman who has received the rank of senior warrant officer or senior midshipman has one more star, that is, on his shoulder straps the number already reaches three. In this case, they should be located as follows: all three stars are attached on the same line, along the red central one. The distance and size are similar to the previous point.

• A serviceman with the rank of junior lieutenant wears one star, which is identical in size to the ensign's stars, but the distance is significantly greater than -4.5 cm. The star should be located on the red line of the shoulder strap .
• A soldier promoted to the rank of lieutenant has two stars, which are no different in size from the stars of a junior lieutenant. The distance between the stars on the shoulder straps is the same as for ensigns - 2.5 cm. They are located on both sides of the red center line of the shoulder straps .
• A serviceman with the rank of senior lieutenant already receives three stars, which are the same size as on the shoulder straps of a serviceman one step lower. The distance of the stars on the shoulder straps is similar, that is, 1.3 cm. Two stars are located on both sides of the red center line, and the third is slightly higher and is located directly on the red line itself.

• A serviceman at the rank of capital and lieutenant commander already has four stars, which also have the same size and similar distance as the senior lieutenant. The location is as follows: two stars on either side of the red line, just above two stars at the same distance.
• A serviceman with the rank of major or captain 3rd rank has one star, which is larger in diameter than those who have the rank of captain or lieutenant. The size of the star in this case is 2 cm. The distance of the stars on the shoulder straps is 4.5 cm. The star is located between two red parallel lines on the shoulder straps.
• A serviceman with the rank of lieutenant colonel or captain 2nd rank already has two stars of the same size and at the same distance as the major. Both stars are located on the red lines of the shoulder straps .

• A serviceman who has received the rank of colonel or captain 1st rank has three stars on his shoulder straps, which are also 2 cm in size, and the distance between the stars on the shoulder straps of the RF Armed Forces in this case is 4.5 cm. Two stars are located on the red lines of the shoulder straps , and one slightly above and in the middle between these lines. Moreover, strictly at the same distance from the edges of the shoulder element.
• The location of the stars on the shoulder straps of military personnel who have received the rank of major general or rear admiral is indicated on the center line of the shoulder . In this case, the distance increases to 5 cm, and the diameter of the star is already 2.2 cm. Military personnel who have received this rank have one star.
• A serviceman with the rank of lieutenant general or vice admiral has two stars located at the same distance as the major general, and their size is also identical. The stars are located on the center line.
• Military personnel with the rank of colonel general already have three stars, which are in one row on the shoulder strap, at the same distance, equal to 5 cm, and having the same diameter, that is, 2.2 cm. All stars are also located on the center line of the shoulder straps .
• A soldier who has received the highest rank in the hierarchy currently established by the government of our country, that is, army general , police or navy admiral , has one star, which reaches 4 cm in diameter.

The placement of stars on officers' shoulder straps is strictly prescribed by regulations, from which one cannot deviate. Moreover, the distance between the stars for each rank in this case is the same and is 2.5 cm.

At what distance should the stars be attached to the shoulder straps?

For junior, middle and senior officers and warrant officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the size and number of stars on their shoulder straps are the same, differing only in size and location according to rank:

• Ensign, midshipman - 2 stars, diameter - 13 mm, distance from NK to TsPZ - 25 mm, location - on the center line of the shoulder straps
• Senior warrant officer, senior midshipman - 3 stars, diameter - 13 mm, distance from NK to TsPZ - 25 mm, location - on the center line of the shoulder straps
• Junior lieutenant - 1 star, diameter - 13 mm, distance from NK to TsPZ - 45 mm, location - clear.
• Lieutenant - 2 stars, diameter - 13 mm, distance from NK to TsPZ - 25 mm, location - one between the edge of the shoulder strap and the clearance.
• Senior lieutenant - 3 stars, diameter - 13 mm, distance from NK to TsPZ - 25 mm, location - two stars on the lower edge of the shoulder strap, one star higher, on the center line.
• Captain, captain-lieutenant - 4 stars, diameter - 13 mm, distance from the NK to the central center - 25 mm, location - two stars between the edges of the shoulder strap and the clearance, two stars above, in the clearance, on the center line.
• Major, captain 3rd rank - 1 star, diameter - 20 mm, distance from NK to TsPZ - 45 mm, location - on the center line of the shoulder straps.
• Lieutenant Colonel, Captain 2nd Rank - 2 stars, diameter - 20 mm, distance from NK to TsPZ - 25 mm, location - clear.
• Colonel, captain of the first rank - 3 stars, diameter - 20 mm, distance from the NK to the central center - 25 mm, location - two stars on the gaps from the bottom edge, one star - on the center line of the shoulder straps.
• Major General, Rear Admiral - 1 star, diameter - 22 mm, distance from NK to TsPZ - 50 mm, location - on the center line of the shoulder straps.
• Lieutenant General, Vice Admiral - 2 stars, diameter - 22 mm, distance from NK to TsPZ - 25 mm, location - on the center line of the shoulder straps.
• Colonel General, Admiral - 3 stars, diameter - 22 mm, distance from NK to TsPZ - 25 mm, location - on the center line of the shoulder straps
• Army general, police general, fleet admiral - 1 star with a diameter of 40 mm.

The distance between the stars on shoulder straps is the same for all ranks and is 25 mm.

How can I attach

Before attaching the stars to the shoulder straps , you need to arm yourself with a ruler, with the help of which it is important to take measurements and mark the places where the stars will be located. It is necessary to measure from the bottom of the shoulder straps up to the center of the first star attachment.

Then you need to mark this place. It is best to use a pen or pencil. After this, use an awl to make a hole in the chase, which will be located at the location of the intended point. After such a procedure, you can insert the star into this hole and bend the lower part so that the star is held as tightly as possible. Fixing the star as tightly as possible is essential to avoid accidental loss.

What is the best way to attach stars to false shoulder straps?

Due to the fact that during combat operations, when the serviceman was required to constantly be on the move and endure physical stress, the problem of attaching stars to shoulder straps faced the military especially seriously.

Several years ago, the government of our country decided that it was pointless to fasten the stars under these conditions, since it was impossible to completely eliminate situations in which they would never come off. For this reason, they decided to use embroidery in the process of making shoulder straps. That is, it was no longer necessary to attach stars to shoulder straps, since the embroidered elements more than compensated for the previous methods of attachment.

When attaching stars and lapel emblems to an officer's uniform, it is necessary to remember the size of the stars themselves. The distance between them is measured from the edge of one to the edge of the other, and not from their center. Therefore, preliminary measurements and marks must be made very carefully, taking into account such nuances. It is best to purchase several spare stars of the required size for a serviceman’s field uniform, since if one or more are lost, they can be easily replaced. Field stars need to be attached more firmly.

How are lapel emblems placed on shoulder straps?

The lapel insignia is another insignia in the army. As a rule, it is placed on the collar of outerwear, but similar distinctive features of a serviceman can also be found on his shoulder straps. Such distinctive signs are also intended to be worn to determine which type of military force a given military member belongs to. As a rule, they are made of gold-plated metal.

The lapel emblems are arranged as follows:

• on detachable shoulder straps they are located directly on the center line of the shoulder straps , generally at a distance of 5 cm from the top button to the top edge of the emblem itself (such symbolism was used on shoulder straps attached to outer clothing, but senior management did not use the emblem in this way);
• lapel emblems could also be placed on the collar of a military jacket, as well as jackets made of wool; the distance between the corner of the collar and the immediate middle part of the emblem, that is, the metal loop for fastening, is 2.5 cm.

Sewing on a lapel emblem is usually a more labor-intensive and difficult process, since it must be sewn through the buttonhole, while the star is attached using a simpler mechanism (legs that need to be pushed apart as much as possible to increase the strength of the attachment).

Moreover, such signs are divided into light and dark. As a rule, dark lapel emblems are used exclusively for field uniforms. This insignia is also important for orientation in the rank of a serviceman and what type of troops he belongs to.

Two stars of the Ministry of Emergency Situations

Employees of the Federal Border Service (FBS) and the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) have similar distinctive insignia on their shoulders. The main difference is the shape of the shoulder strap: it is round on one side and rectangular on the other. This applies to junior, middle and senior management. The color of the shoulder strap, like that of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is blue. Thus, among employees of these structures, two stars have:

1. Ensign of internal service.
2. Lieutenant of internal service.
3. Lieutenant Colonel of the Internal Service.
4. Lieutenant General of Internal Service.

What do you think about titles in the Russian Federation? We are waiting for your answers.