Shoulder mark A shoulder mark , < nowiki > also called a < / nowiki > shoulder board , shoulder loop , shoulder slide , rank slide , shoulder strep , epaulette sleeve , or an epaulette , is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform . It may bear rank or other insignia . Sources disagree as to whether a shoulder board and an epaulette are the same thing . Australia . The newer Auscam uniform design lacks shoulder epaulettes , instead opting for a sleeve on the front of the chest region of the uniform . Rank insignia tags are slipped onto this sleeve . Unlike the older uniform designs , there are slip - ons for every rank in the Australian Defence Force . The older Auscam uniform designs featured shoulder straps , upon which slip - on rank insignia of Commissioned Officers could be affixed , and non - commissioned officers in the Air Force and Navy only . No shoulder - strap slip - ons are available for enlisted members of the army whereas the other two services had appropriate slip ons , who have rank patches sewed onto the uniform arms . This older design is no longer issued , but may still be seen on personnel whose most recent uniform issue pre - dates the use of the new design . Canada . In the Canadian Forces , slip - ons are worn on the shoulder straps of the No . 3 Service Dress shirt , overcoat , raincoat , and sweater ; CANEX parka and windbreaker ; Naval Combat Dress jacket and shirt ; Military Police Operational Patrol Dress shirt and jacket ; and the old olive - drab Combat Uniform jacket and shirt . The slip - ons are worn on a similar - style strap located in the centre of the chest ( and sometimes centre of the back as well ) of the CADPAT shirt , jacket , parka , and raincoat . Slip - ons are not worn on the Service Dress jacket , or with Mess Dress . Canadian Forces slip - ons include : United States . Military . Based on the shoulder boards used by the United States Navy , the United States Army and Air Force developed the shoulder mark , a cloth tube with embroidered or pinned rank insignia . Army officer shoulder marks are black with a 1 / 8 - inch gold stripe below the embroidered grade insignia ( the end far from the collar ) . In the Air Force , a similar stripe is limited to senior officers ( majors and above ) . Air Force general officer s have an additional stripe at the near end . Enlisted and Air Force junior officer shoulder marks lack these distinctions . These are worn on all class B uniform shirts . US Navy officers wear shoulder boards on Summer White and Service Dress White uniforms , and wool overcoats and reefers . " Soft shoulder boards " ( shoulder marks ) are worn on long sleeve white shirts and on black sweaters worn with Service Khaki or Service Dress Blue uniforms . The Coast Guard wears Naval style shoulderboards on all class B uniform shirts . Service dress uniforms in the U . S . air and land forces also have a different style of shoulder board , a firm material with an underlying longitudinal strap . The corresponding jacket shoulder has two small loops traversing from rear to front , and the open end of the shoulder board ' s strap is drawn through the two loops and affixed to the underside of the board . This effectively hides all the means of attachments , leaving a firm , finished surface . This particular style is what U . S . Air Force personnel call a " shoulder board " . The shoulder sleeve is called an epaulette , and the two are never confused . On the United States Army Blue Service Uniform , officers wear embroidered rank insignia " shoulder straps " mounted lengthwise on the outside shoulder seams . These are 1⅝ inches wide by 4 inches / 3½ inches ( large size / small size ) long , and are sewn , snapped , or clipped onto each shoulder . Boy Scouts of America . The Boy Scouts of America uses colored shoulder loops worn on the shoulder straps to indicate the program level . Webelos Scouts wearing tan uniforms and all Cub Scout leaders wear blue loops , Boy Scouts and leaders wear forest green loops ( changed from red in 2008 ) , Varsity Scouts and leaders wear blaze ( orange ) loops , and Venturers and leaders wear emerald green loops . Adults or youth who hold a district , council , or section position wear silver loops ; those with area , regional , or national positions wear gold loops . United Kingdom . Rank slides are used by all of the UK Armed Forces , primarily in working dress uniforms . Royal Navy . Shoulder straps are worn by officers on working uniform and tropical dress uniform , bearing the same insignia carried on the cuffs of the dress uniform . Army . In the British Army , shoulder straps are worn with dress and service uniforms . In combat dress , however , rank insignia is displayed on ' rank slides ' worn on the chest . Royal Air Force . In the Royal Air Force , rank slides are worn by all ranks ( except Aircraftman , which has no insignia ) on the shoulders of working dress uniforms , and also on flying clothing and coveralls . Similar rank slides are also worn on a single tab on the chest of operational ( CS95 ) clothing . St . John Ambulance . As a ranked organisation , members of St . John Ambulance wear rank slides on all uniforms . Colours are used to differentiate between different health care professionals ( e . g . , green for paramedics , red for doctors ) .