One of the highlights of the new 07 military uniform issued by our army is some colored squares on the badge of seniority at the chest level, which symbolizes the honor and pride of the soldiers. The military rank diploma is an integral part of the medals worn by most troops in the world at present, and it is the richest information carrier in military uniforms.

Medal evolved from medal.

According to research, in 1642, the British army established a modern medal and medal awarding system. Initially, the medal consisted of a ribbon and a medal. Ribbon is a beautiful colored ribbon used to hang medals; Medals are usually precious metals, supplemented by precious minerals-rubies, sapphires and diamonds. Therefore, the medal is both a spiritual praise and a material reward. Due to frequent wars, there are not many medals on the uniforms of soldiers who have made more contributions. So, the British army folded the ribbon into a small square and fixed it in the upper left corner of the military uniform, symbolizing the glory of the past. These colorful squares are called "short chapters" or "merit tables". Different rewards are distinguished by stripes, colors (and sometimes some decorations), and each colored square has its own specific meaning.

The armies of most countries in the world have a complete medal system. Meritorious list is a rectangular strip with uniform scale, which usually includes four parts: grade chapter, annual chapter, merit medal and service chapter. The general rules of military ranks indicate the actual positions and ranks of soldiers; The annual brief reflects the service life of military personnel; Military achievements reflect the level and frequency of military achievements made by soldiers during their service; The service profile shows the services and weapons that soldiers serve and their training. The merit table is a comprehensive representation of medals, medals, badges and seniority badges. How many military achievements a soldier has made during his service, what rank and rank he has achieved, how long he has served, which unit he served in, what major military actions he has participated in, and even jumped several umbrellas and participated in several peacekeeping operations. You can tell at a glance by the merit watch he wears.

Four functions are highlighted in square inches.

In the history of world military development, the medal has shown its unique role more and more since its birth, and it has been favored by the armies of various countries. To sum up, there are four main functions:

Recognition and reward function. Since the army came into being, there has been a reward for the brave, which is almost in sync with the origin of the war. The military at all times and all over the world have thought of many ways to determine the nature of military rewards and make them exert greater influence and lasting effects. In ancient Rome, the victorious general wore a wreath made of oak leaves. Later, it was developed to put special signs on the clothes or weapons of officers and men who had made outstanding achievements in the war as a reward. Soldiers' meritorious service, honor, blood and sweat are concentrated in the square inch, making it visual and concrete, changing the phenomenon of "propaganda and commendation for a while, and the bottom of the box for a lifetime", which can greatly stimulate the soldiers' sense of honor and pride.

Guiding and inspiring functions. When obtaining and awarding medals, armies all over the world place special emphasis on outstanding contributions and outstanding achievements. For example, some troops clearly stipulate the scope of rewards: whether there are contributions beyond their own scope; The size of the meritorious service established and the degree of combat bravery; The size of the responsibility and the difficulty of the post, and so on. Awarding medals is the country's full affirmation of soldiers' brave behavior. The US Congress established the Medal of Honor in 1862. At the same time, the congressional law clearly stipulates that this is the highest honorary qualification granted by the state and can only be granted by the president himself. This affirmation is manifested in a prominent way, which is a direct incentive and reinforcement for the granter and has a strong appeal and demonstration effect for the people around him. Throughout the military history of China and foreign countries, the "Red Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal and Victory Medal" are awe-inspiring and inspire many soldiers to give their blood and lives for these "cards".

Self-restraint Merit table is also a special carrier of soldiers' self-psychological suggestion. As a soldier, watching it every day will always remind myself not to forget past honors, present responsibilities and future goals, and motivate myself to win more honors. Even if you encounter great difficulties and setbacks, you can't discredit your watch.

Supervise each other. The form of meritorious service can openly and transparently show the past achievements, experiences, progress and promotion of military personnel, especially middle and senior officers, and it is the embodiment of military values. It can promote mutual understanding between soldiers and provide objective conditions for mutual supervision. For example, whether your current performance insults your past honor, whether your experience meets the post requirements, and even whether there are false behaviors can be reflected through the merit list.

Development and perfection of our military medal system

Since our army was founded, it has emphasized the role of commendation and encouragement, and it is an important content of our army's political work to use spirit to encourage and improve combat effectiveness. As early as July 1933, the Revolutionary Military Commission of the Soviet Central Committee of China issued an order to award the "Red Star Medal" to those who made outstanding achievements in the revolutionary war. Later, in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and during the War of Liberation, hundreds of medals and medals were awarded by troops in various war zones, which played an important role in inspiring the ambition and sense of honor of commanders and soldiers, boosting morale and improving combat effectiveness. After the founding of New China, the awarding of medals by our army was gradually institutionalized. During the revolutionary war, the People's Heroes Medal was awarded twice on a large scale. 1955, the whole army awarded medals and medals to heroes during the revolutionary war for the first time. The second time was 1988, which re-implemented the rank system and awarded the China People's Liberation Army Meritorious Medal to retired cadres who joined the army or participated in revolutionary work during the revolutionary war. Until today, awarding medals and medals has become an important reward system of our army. China People's Liberation Army medals are divided into two types: hero model medals and meritorious service medals, and all medals are required to be worn on the upper left of military coats, and medals are worn at gatherings or major festivals, and only badges are worn at ordinary times.

This time, the 07-style military uniform reissued by our army is decorated with rectangular banners on the chest, which consists of the rank brief and the annual brief, including two of the four internationally accepted meritorious medals, so it is only called the rank seniority stamp. It has realized some functions of medal list, enhanced the aesthetic feeling of military uniforms and embodied the honor of soldiers. At the same time, it also shows that our army has taken a solid step towards regularization and modernization. We believe that our military medal system, which conforms to our actual situation and international practice, will be continuously improved and play a more comprehensive role.