How often is a service stripe earned?

• A. Every 4 years
• B. Every 2 years
• C. Every 6 years
• D. Every 8 years

Answer: (A)

A service stripe represents time in service, with one stripe earned for every four years of active duty. It’s worn on the left sleeve as a gold diagonal hash mark, and the number of stripes grows by one for each four-year increment. So after four years you have one stripe; after eight years you have two; after twelve years three, and so on. That’s why the correct answer is four years per stripe.