I will preface this post by admitting my experience and exposure to FW and militias is very limited, which is something I am aiming to start correcting soon. I have noticed a couple of things though.
It appears that the decorations you get for your rank in the militia only appear on your character information as long as you are currently enlisted and are stripped when you retire.
It also appears that if you enlist as an individual the presence of these rank decorations is the only way to tell someone is even currently enlisted in a militia.
I feel it would be helpful toward both of these issues being addressed if there were full disclosure and transparency of this information. Perhaps in the form of these decorations being persistent and the ranks page also stating whether you were currently enlisted or retired.
If I am incorrect on this matter I welcome any of you to provide me with accurate information.