Awards and decorations of the United States military - Definition and Overview

Since the American Civil War, the Armed Forces of the United States has sought to recognize military accomplishment with personal awards and decorations bestowed upon service members. Prior to that, decorations, particularly for officers, were rare, frequently seen as the trappings of royalty and empire, and considered contrary to the republican spirit present among the Founding Fathers of the United States [1] (http://www.history.navy.mil/medals/).

The following is a list of the Awards and decorations of the United States military. Together with military badges, such decorations recognize a service member's service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States military.

Medal of Honor

The original Medal of Honor was issued to members of the U.S. Army. In 1947, the U.S. Air Force began issuing its own version of the Medal of Honor. The U.S. Navy issues the Medal of Honor for members of the Navy and United States Marines. The only U.S. Coast Guard recipient of the Medal of Honor, Douglas Munro, received the Navy Medal of Honor, although a Coast Guard version of the Medal of Honor exists as a conjectural decoration.

The power to grant the Medal of Honor rests with the President upon approval from the Congress. The decoration is often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor because of this approval, but the official term for the award is simply the "Medal of Honor".

Department of Defense decorations

The following decorations are issued by the United States Department of Defense:

• Defense Distinguished Service Medal

• Defense Superior Service Medal

• Defense Meritorious Service Medal

• Joint Service Commendation Medal

• Joint Service Achievement Medal

Federal military decorations

The following decorations are common to all branches of service and awarded by senior field commanders or other officials of competent authority.

• Silver Star

• Legion of Merit

• Distinguished Flying Cross

• Bronze Star Medal

• Purple Heart

• Meritorious Service Medal

• Air Medal

Navy and Marine Corps decorations

The following decorations are issued by the United States Department of the Navy.

• Navy Cross

• Navy Distinguished Service Medal

• Navy and Marine Corps Medal

• Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal

• Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

Army decorations

The following decorations are issued by the United States Department of the Army

• Distinguished Service Cross

• Distinguished Service Medal

• Soldier's Medal

• Army Commendation Medal

• Army Achievement Medal

Air Force decorations

The following decorations are issued by the United States Department of the Air Force:

• Air Force Cross

• Air Force Distinguished Service Medal

• Airman's Medal

• Aerial Achievement Medal

• Air Force Commendation Medal

• Air Force Achievement Medal

Coast Guard decorations

The following decorations were previously issued under the authority of the United States Department of Transportation. As of 2003, the Department of Homeland Security has award authority of Coast Guard decorations.

• Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal

• Coast Guard Medal

• Gold Lifesaving Medal

• Silver Lifesaving Medal

• Coast Guard Commendation Medal

• Coast Guard Achievement Medal

Good Conduct and Reserve Medals

The following decorations are authorized for honorable and faithful service in the active duty military, reserve enlisted force, and military reserve as a whole.

Active enlisted

• Army Good Conduct Medal

• Air Force Good Conduct Medal

• Navy Good Conduct Medal

• Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal

• Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal

Military reserve

• Armed Forces Reserve Medal

Reserve enlisted

• Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal

• Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal

• Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal

• Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal

• Coast Guard Reserve Good Conduct Medal

Military Unit Awards

The following decorations are ribbon devices which are presented to a military member who is a member of a larger unit which is cited for a specific action.

Joint service

• Joint Meritorious Unit Award

Army service

• Presidential Unit Citation

• Valorous Unit Award

• Meritorious Unit Commendation

• Superior Unit Award

The U.S. Army mandates that all unit awards will be worn separate from individual awards on the opposite side of a military uniform. The Army is the only service to require this separation between unit and individual decorations. All Army unit awards are worn enclosed in a gold frame.

Navy and Marine Corps service

• Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation

• Navy Unit Commendation

• Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation

• Navy "E" Ribbon

Air Force service

• Presidential Unit Citation

• Gallant Unit Citation

• Air Force Meritorious Unit Award

• Outstanding Unit Award

• Organizational Excellence Award

Coast Guard service

• Coast Guard Unit Commendation

• Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation

• Meritorious Team Commendation

• Coast Guard "E" Ribbon

World War service medals

The following service medals were issued to military service members for participation in the First World War, Second World War, and the occupation duty that followed both conflicts.

Victory medals

• World War I Victory Medal

• World War II Victory Medal

Campaign medals

• American Defense Service Medal

• American Campaign Medal

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

• Women's Army Corps Service Medal

Occupation medals

• Army of Occupation of Germany Medal

• Army of Occupation Medal

• Navy Occupation Service Medal

• Medal for Humane Action

Korean service medals

The following decorations are awarded for service during the Korean War and subsequent armistice.

• Korean Service Medal

• Korea Defense Service Medal

Modern service medals

The following decorations are issued for participation in military activites from the Vietnam War to the present. Such service decorations can be found on the uniforms of active duty military personnel.

General service

• National Defense Service Medal

• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

• Humanitarian Service Medal

• Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal

• Armed Forces Service Medal

Air Defense service

• Combat Readiness Medal

• Air and Space Campaign Medal

Sea service

• Navy Expeditionary Medal

• Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal

Special service

• Prisoner of War Medal

• Antarctica Service Medal

• Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal

Vietnam Service

• Vietnam Service Medal

Gulf War Service

• Southwest Asia Service Medal

Balkans peacekeeping service

• Kosovo Campaign Medal

War on Terrorism Service

• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

• Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

• Afghanistan Campaign Medal

Iraq War Service

• Iraq Campaign Medal

Marksmanship medals

The Navy and Coast Guard are the only two services to issue medals for weapons marksmanship. Medals are issued for Expert qualification only.

• Navy Pistol Expert Medal

• Navy Rifle Expert Medal

• Coast Guard Pistol Expert Medal

• Coast Guard Rifle Expert Medal

Service ribbons

The following is a list of awards and decorations for which no medal is authorized. In such cases, a recepiant is awarded a Service Ribbon.

Army service

• NCO Professional Development Ribbon

• Army Overseas Service Ribbon

• Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon

• Army Service Ribbon

• Combat Recognition Ribbon

Navy and Marine Corps service

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• Combat Action Ribbon

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• Fleet Marine Force Ribbon

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• Sea Service Deployment Ribbon

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• Arctic Service Ribbon

• Navy Ceremonial Guard Ribbon

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• Naval Reserve Sea Service Ribbon

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• Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon

Coast Guard service

Air Force service

National Guard decorations

Awards and decorations of the National Guard are issued under the authority of State governments by the State Adjutant Generals. Such awards are considered military decorations, but only on a state level when a service member is performing duty through the United States National Guard.

In the modern age, the United States Army Reserve and Air Force Reserve permit National Guard members to retain and display National Guard decorations when activated to a regular status in the United States Armed Forces. Such National Guard decorations are also entered in permanent service records.

The United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard do not permit service members, who have formerly served in the National Guard, to display National Guard decorations on any uniform. This is since there is no National Guard equivalent for any of the sea services.

Obsolete military decorations

The following decorations have been officially removed from U.S. military award precedence charts and are listed as Obsolete Military Decorations in military award publications and instructions. Most of the following decorations indicate service in military operations prior to 1935.

General service

• Civil War Campaign Medal

• Spanish Campaign Medal

• Philippine Campaign Medal

• Mexican Service Medal

Army service

Navy and Marine Corps service

Coast Guard service

• Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award

• Coast Guard Bicentennial Unit Commendation

Unofficial military decorations

The following decorations were authorized under military regulations for wear on active uniforms, however did not appear on official precedence charts. Such awards were thus listed as “unofficial” and were usually bestowed for a one time action or authorized under the authority of a local commander.

General service

• Cold War Victory Medal

• Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal

Army service

• Butler Medal

• Kearny Cross

• Walter Reed Medal

• Gillmore Medal

Navy and Marine Corps service

• Dewey Medal

• Sampson Medal

• NC-4 Medal

Coast Guard service

• Cardenas Medal of Honor

Special service

• Chaplain's Medal for Heroism

• United States Antarctic Expedition Medal

• Perry Polar Expeditionary Medal

• Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal (1930)

• Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal (1935)

Authorized civilian decorations

The following civilian decorations are authorized for wear on United States military uniforms due to the prestige and criteria involved in their bestowal. With the exception of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is worn immediately following the Medal of Honor, such decorations are worn after all U.S. military awards and before foreign decorations.

Executive Branch

• Presidential Medal of Freedom

• Presidential Citizens Medal

NASA

• Congressional Space Medal of Honor

• NASA Distinguished Service Medal

• NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal

• NASA Space Flight Medal

National Intelligence Agency

• National Security Medal

• National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal

• National Intelligence Achievement Medal

Department of Transportation

• Department of Transportation Distinguished Service Medal

• Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Achievement Medal

• Guardian Medal

• 9-11 Medal

• 9-11 Ribbon

Department of Health and Human Services

• Surgeon General's Medal

• Public Health Service Achievement Medal

International military decorations

The following decorations are recognized as international awards authorized for wear on a U.S. military uniform.

• United Nations Service Medal

• United Nations Medal

• NATO Medal (Yugoslavia)

• NATO Medal (Kosovo)

• Multinational Force and Observers Medal

• Inter-American Defense Board Medal

Foreign military decorations

The following is a listing of foreign decorations which were bestowed upon U.S. service members for participation in foreign conflicts. This list is by no means comprehensive, but does indicate the most commonly bestowed foriegn decorations to United States personnel.

First World War

France

• Croix de Guerre

Second World War

United Kingdom

• Order of the Bath

• Order of the British Empire

• Distinguished Flying Cross

• Africa Star

• Pacific Star

Belgium

• Order of Leopold

• Order of the Crown

• Croix de Guerre

France

• Legion of Honor

• Military Medal

• Croix de Guerre

• French Liberation Medal

Netherlands

• Order of William

• Order of Orange Nassau

Luxembourg

• War Cross

Poland

• Virtuti Militari

Czechoslovakia

• Order of the White Lion

Morocco

• Order of Ouissan Alaouite

Philippines

• Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

• Philippine Defense Medal

• Philippine Liberation Medal

• Philippine Independence Medal

Korean War

• Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation

• Korean War Service Medal

Vietnam War

• National Order of Vietnam

• Vietnam Military Merit Medal

• Vietnam Army Distinguished Service Order

• Vietnam Navy Distinguished Service Order

• Vietnam Air Force Distinguished Service Order

• Vietnam Army Meritorious Service Medal

• Vietnam Navy Meritorious Service Medal

• Vietnam Air Force Meritorious Service Medal

• Vietnam Special Service Medal

• Vietnam Gallantry Cross

• Vietnam Air Gallantry Cross

• Vietnam Navy Gallantry Cross

• Vietnam Wound Medal

• Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal (First Class)

• Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal (Second Class)

• Vietnam Staff Service Medal (First Class)

• Vietnam Staff Service Medal (Second Class)

• Vietnam Technical Service Medal (First Class)

• Vietnam Technical Service Medal (Second Class)

• Vietnam Civil Actions Medal (First Class)

• Vietnam Civil Actions Medal (Second Class)

• Vietnam Campaign Medal

• Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation

• Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation

• Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation

Gulf War

• Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)

• Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Prohibited decorations

The following awards and decorations are prohibited for wear on United States military uniforms:

• Unofficial Commemorative Medals not sponsored and approved by the Department of Defense
• Foreign military decorations which have not been authorized for United States military uniform display by the various service departments
• Medals and awards of United States military academies unless specifically serving as an Academy Cadet or Naval Midshipman
• Reserve Officer Training Corps awards unless specifically serving in a capacity as an ROTC Cadet or Naval ROTC Midshipman
• Civilian Cadet Corps awards, such as decorations bestowed by the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and the Cadet Corps of Texas A&M.
• Pseudo-military awards such as decorations bestowed by the Sea Cadets and the Civil Air Patrol
• Police and Law Enforcement decorations
• Civilian government awards which have not been approved for display on military uniforms by the Department of Defense
• Private corporation and private sector awards which are not issued by a government or military source

Award devices

The following devices are authorIzed for wear on United States military decorations to denote upgrades, combat distinction, or multiple bestowals of a given award

See also

• Military decoration
• List of military decorations
• State decoration
• List of prizes, medals, and awards

Official links

• The Institute of Heraldry, U.S. Army (http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/)
• U.S. Navy Service and Campaign Medals (http://www.history.navy.mil/medals/)
• Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia (http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r670_1.pdf) (in PDF format)
• Military Awards (U.S. Army) (http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r600_8_22.pdf) (in PDF format)