Bling.

This is coolbert:

Promotion to the higher levels or rank in the U.S. Army [for officers and enlisted both] being done by a totally [?] impersonal promotion board at the Department of the Army [DA] level that board of officers relying exclusively on the 201 file of those under consideration. That 201 file to include a posed photograph of the troop done in a professional manner by a professional photographer, according to a specific protocol.

That dress uniform as worn by the soldier in the photograph it being the case that more "bling" is a plus? The more badges, decorations, patches, tabs, hash marks, etc. being a positive, creating a more favorable impression. "Bling"!

"Bling - - 3. Gaudy over the top hideous and wholly unnecessary.."

Myself in conversation with an authority on the subject:

"And since the informal selection for promotion is done for the higher
  level of officer and enlisted both that military photo is very important?
  The more bling on the uniform the better when that panel evaluates the
  written record and the image both?"

Question 1: The photograph is of importance?

Question 2: The more "bling" the better?

The answer being:

"Yes and yes. We were always briefed that the promotion boards have less than a minute per file to determine who gets promoted and who doesn't. There is first a list of minimum requirements for each level of promotion: service schools, education, type of job and of course, OER level. At the time I was considered for promotion, anything less than a 9 out of a 1-to-9 scale was non-promotable. All OERs were 9s but for some really really bad guys [the OER was an eight!]"

Gaudy and overly ostentatious spectacle and the wearing of too much "bling" not desired but being often the case? That military official photograph the importance of which while not being minimized is often not well served by excessive decoration and "bling"

coolbert.