Political Work

Wear the 'Honor Wall on Your Chest' in Accordance with Regulations, and Let Decorations Return to Honor Itself

依规佩戴“胸前的荣誉墙”，让勋表回归荣誉本身

PLA Daily (解放军报) 29 July 2026

Summary

A PLA political education article, prompted by a sergeant who was formally criticized during a military appearance and discipline inspection for deliberately wearing fewer ribbon bars than his decorations required — apparently to avoid outshining his squad leader — argues that such 'concealment of honor' (隐功藏锋) violates ribbon bar regulations and corrodes what the piece calls the 风清气正的政治生态 ('healthy and upright political ecology') of the force. The article is standard political work content; its value is as a record of how the institution frames the tension between informal rank-deference norms and formal honor-display requirements, not as evidence of a new policy line. It documents a recurring friction in PLA unit culture where soldiers subordinate regulatory compliance to interpersonal hierarchy management, and the institution's response is to reframe wearing decorations as a discipline obligation rather than a personal choice.

Translation

Recently I heard of a small matter: a sergeant was notified and criticized in a recent military appearance and discipline inspection for deliberately being 'low-key' by wearing fewer ribbon bars than required or omitting some altogether. It is understood that this sergeant had been commended on multiple occasions and had three more ribbon bars and miniature medals than his squad leader. To 'avoid suspicion' and keep fellow soldiers from thinking he 'liked to show off,' the sergeant resorted to this measure.

The matter seems trivial, yet it reflects a mistaken way of thinking among some officers and soldiers regarding the understanding of honor. Fearing that their number of ribbon bars might exceed that of their superiors and that they would be labeled as 'attention-seekers,' they proactively 'conceal their honors and hide their edge.'

This behavior appears modest, but in reality it discards the candor and confidence that a soldier should possess, and departs from the original intent of the ribbon bar system.

Ribbon bars are the vessel of a soldier's honor, bearing the soldier's footprints of struggle and supreme glory. Wearing ribbon bars in a standardized manner is both a rigid requirement for implementing regulations and rules, and an important measure for displaying a soldier's identity, demonstrating a soldier's honor, and honing the will to build a strong military. Equating compliance with regulations with 'deliberate ostentation' not only weakens the guiding role of honor incentives and dilutes officers' and soldiers' sense of honor, but over time will also damage the healthy and upright political ecology (风清气正的政治生态) of the military camp, and undermine the cohesion, unity, and combat effectiveness of the force.

Tracing this to its roots, there are three main causes. First, the weakening of the concept of honor. Some officers and soldiers place excessive weight on personal gain and loss while giving insufficient weight to responsibility and duty, and have failed to genuinely cherish, revere, and defend honor. Second, the influence of a worldly mentality. The pure comradely relationships and superior-subordinate relationships within the military camp are distorted into comparisons of rank and calculations of relationships; 'concealing honor' is mistakenly treated as 'keeping a low profile,' and 'not showing off' is regarded as 'showing respect.' Third, a weak sense of rules and discipline. Failing to wear ribbon bars in a standardized manner in accordance with regulations and rules, substituting personal preferences for institutional requirements, and harboring a non-compliant mentality of working around the rules.

To break this unhealthy tendency, the first priority is to strengthen ideological guidance—to clearly explain the connotations, requirements, and significance of the ribbon bar system, so that officers and soldiers understand that wearing ribbon bars is a basic requirement for performing one's duties in accordance with regulations, a legitimate right to display honor, and an important way to demonstrate the bearing of a soldier, and is absolutely not so-called 'seeking the limelight.' Officers and soldiers should be guided to set aside their ideological burdens, approach honor with candor, and display their achievements with confidence.

Second, it is necessary to cultivate an atmosphere of striving to be first, vigorously promoting the fine tradition of striving bravely to stand at the front of the ranks, and fostering a clear orientation of 'merit must be rewarded, and wearing honor is a glory,' so that every officer and soldier wears ribbon bars openly and with full justification, and so that honor becomes a powerful driving force motivating officers and soldiers to take on responsibilities and sharpen their military skills and capabilities.

Finally, inspection and supervision must be strengthened. Leaders at all levels who command troops should take the lead in consciously wearing ribbon bars in a standardized manner, and should incorporate the standardized wearing of ribbon bars into routine inspections, persisting in making this a regular and sustained effort, addressing it in fine detail and with concrete results, promptly correcting problems such as omitting ribbon bars, wearing fewer than required, or failing to wear them in accordance with regulations, and effectively upholding the seriousness and authority of the system.

Ribbon bars may be small, yet they carry the weight of a thousand jun (千钧); the matter of wearing them bears on conduct and work style. There should be fewer needless misgivings and more pure steadfastness; fewer worldly calculations and more of a soldier's candor, so that ribbon bars may return to honor itself.

Original Chinese

近日听说一件小事：一名中士因刻意“低调”，少戴、漏戴部分勋表，在最近的一次军容风纪检查中，被通报批评。据了解，这位中士曾多次受到表彰，所获勋表略章比其班长还多3枚。为了“避嫌”，不让身边战友觉得自己“爱显摆”，这名中士才出此下策。事情看似很小，却折射出部分官兵在荣誉认知上的思想误区。他们生怕自己的勋表数量多于上级，被扣上“爱出风头”的标签，于是主动“藏荣誉、避锋芒”。这种行为看似谦逊，实则丢掉了军人应有的坦荡与自信，背离了勋表制度的初衷。勋表是军人荣誉的载体，承载着军人的奋斗足迹和无上荣光。规范佩戴勋表，既是落实条令条例的刚性要求，也是彰显军人身份、展现军人荣誉、砥砺强军斗志的重要举措。把依规佩戴等同于“刻意张扬”，不仅弱化了荣誉激励的导向作用，淡化官兵的荣誉意识，长此以往，还将损害军营风清气正的政治生态，削弱部队的向心力、凝聚力和战斗力。究其根源，主要有三方面原因。一是荣誉观念弱化。部分官兵重个人得失、轻责任担当，未能真正做到珍惜荣誉、崇尚荣誉、捍卫荣誉。二是世俗心态作祟。把军营中纯洁的同志关系、上下级关系，异化为位次攀比与关系考量，错将“藏荣誉”当作“低调”，把“不显摆”视为“尊重”。三是规矩意识淡薄。不按条令条例规范佩戴，以个人想法代替制度规定，存在不合规的变通心态。破除这一不良倾向，首先要强化思想引导，讲清勋表制度的内涵、要求与意义，让官兵明白，佩戴勋表是依规履职的基本要求，是彰显荣誉的正当权利，是展现军人风采的重要方式，绝非所谓的“出风头”。引导官兵放下思想包袱，以坦荡之心对待荣誉，以自信之姿展现功绩。其次要浓厚争先氛围，大力弘扬奋勇争先站排头的优良传统，营造“有功必奖、戴誉为荣”的鲜明导向，让每名官兵佩戴勋表大大方方、理直气壮，让荣誉成为激励官兵担当作为、精武强能的强大动力。最后要加强检查督导，各级带兵人应带头自觉规范佩戴勋表，并将勋表规范佩戴纳入日常检查，坚持抓常抓长、抓细抓实，对漏戴、少戴，不按规定佩戴等问题及时纠治，切实维护制度的严肃性和权威性。勋表虽小，却重千钧；佩戴之事，关乎作风。应少一些无谓的顾虑，多一份纯粹的坚守；少一些世俗的考量，多一份军人的坦荡，让勋表回归荣誉本身。