Captain shoulder marks are worn on garments manufactured with shoulder loops to accommodate their placement. In the past, this could lead to some confusion because shoulder marks were commonly referred to as “epaulets” or “epaulettes, ” but editions of DA PAM 670-1 between 2005 and 2017 also called the shoulder loops on the Black Unisex Cardigan and Black Pullover Sweaters “epaulets.” In addition to the sweaters, Captains wear shoulder marks featuring their rank insignia of two attached silver bars on the long- and short-sleeve Service uniform shirts (both AGSU and ASU) and ASU Maternity shirts (Captains wearing Maternity Tunics with the Maternity Shirt should place the Tunic's shoulder piece under the shoulder loop so the shoulder marks are clearly visible).
Shoulder marks are available in Large and Small sizes. Both sizes are 2.125” at the base, which tapers to 1.75” (Large) and 1.78125” (Small); the Small is an inch shorter than the Large (4.25”). The Army mandated the two sizes to ensure that personnel could select a shoulder mark that fit well on their particular garments because not all garment manufacturers produce shoulder loops with precisely the same dimensions. Although the most recent edition of DA PAM 670-1 (January 2021) still explicitly links the Large size to males and Small to females, all personnel are free to wear the size that is most appropriate for their uniform's dimensions.
More Army Captain Rank Insignias