Criteria: Awarded to those enlisted members of the U.S. Navy having served as Recruit Division Commanders and who have completed a successful basic training tour under the Navy Bureau of Education and Training. The decoration is retroactive to October 1995 and for the purposes of awarding the decoration, a successful tour is deemed to be no less than three years of service, in command of no less than five divisions, free of disciplinary action or removal from authority for cause. Personnel assigned in a support capacity (company assistants, echelon supervisors, liaison officers, instructors, or other personnel attached to the Recruit Training Command) are not eligible for this ribbon. The award was created in March of 1998 by order of the Secretary of the Navy. Additional awards of the Navy Recruit Training Service Thin Ribbon are denoted by service stars.

Note: This service ribbon is one of the few awards issued by the military as a ribbon only. There is no accompanying medal.