Fact check: What countries militaries have pinning ceremonies?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, the United States military definitively conducts pinning ceremonies across multiple service branches. The evidence shows:

• U.S. Army conducts pinning ceremonies for promotions, as demonstrated by Sgt. Brielle Marman's promotion to staff sergeant in Ghana ^[1]
• U.S. Navy holds pinning ceremonies, specifically Chief Petty Officer Pinning Ceremonies, with 16 servicemembers receiving anchors at a ceremony for Navy Medicine in the National Capital Region ^[2]
• Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron 11 conducts traditional Expeditionary Warfare (EXW) pinning ceremonies with symbolic elements including helmet-passing traditions ^[3]
• Veterans ceremonies also include pinning elements, as evidenced by Vietnam pinning ceremonies for veterans ^[4]

The ceremonies serve multiple purposes including promotions, recognition of achievements, and honoring military traditions ^[5]. These events follow specific protocols and etiquette guidelines ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal significant gaps in coverage of international military practices:

• No other countries' militaries are specifically identified as having pinning ceremonies beyond the United States
• While Ghana is mentioned as a location where a U.S. Army pinning ceremony occurred ^[1], there is no evidence that Ghana's military itself conducts pinning ceremonies
• The sources focus heavily on U.S. military traditions and protocols ^[5] without providing comparative analysis of other nations' ceremonial practices
• European, Asian, African, and other military traditions regarding promotion and recognition ceremonies are completely absent from the analysis

This narrow focus suggests the available sources may be predominantly U.S.-centric, potentially reflecting the dominance of American military documentation and media coverage online.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains no inherent misinformation or bias - it is a straightforward factual inquiry about which countries' militaries conduct pinning ceremonies. However, the analytical response demonstrates significant bias:

• Overwhelming U.S.-centric bias in source selection, with all concrete examples coming from American military contexts ^{[1] [4] [3] [2]}
• Lack of international perspective fails to address the global scope of the question
• The analyses suggest either limited research methodology or inherent bias in available sources toward American military practices

The question itself is legitimate and unbiased, but the analytical framework appears insufficient to provide a comprehensive answer about global military ceremonial practices beyond the United States military system.