Final answer:
When a soldier progresses in rank and enters the NCO Corps, stripes are added to the Army Blue Service Uniform, symbolizing their new status and level of responsibility.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rite of passage for a soldier progressing in rank and entering the Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Corps involves the addition of stripes to the Army Blue Service Uniform. As members ascend within the military hierarchy, these stripes signify their new status and level of responsibility. Transitioning into the NCO Corps is a significant event in a soldier's career, entailing greater leadership duties, and the stripes become a visual symbol of this advancement. This practice is part of the military's tradition of instilling new rules, creating strong bonds among soldiers through shared experiences such as basic training, following structured schedules, keeping their living areas inspection-ready, marching in correct formations, and saluting superiors.