Awards and decorations of the United States military
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Beginning in the 19th century, and throughout the 20th and 21st century, the Armed Forces of the United States has sought to recognize military accomplishment with personal awards and decorations bestowed upon service members. The following is a list of the Awards and decorations of the United States military.
Medal of Honor
The highest award of the United States Military is the Medal of Honor. Although a single award, each service department issues the decoration separately and the design of the Medal of Honor varies slightly, depending on which service is bestowing the award.
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 of the United States upon approval from the United States Congress. Since the award must be approved by Congress, the decoration is often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. The proper military term for the award, however, is simply "Medal of Honor".
Department of Defense Decorations
The following decorations are issued by the United States Department of Defense
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.
Navy and Marine Corps Decorations
The following decorations are issued by the United States Department of the Navy.
Army Decorations
The following decorations are issued by the United States Department of the Army
Air Force Decorations
The following decorations are issued by the United States Department of the Air Force
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
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
Reserve Enlisted
Military Reserve
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
Army Service
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
Air Force Service
Coast Guard Service
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
Campaign Medals
Occupation Medals
Korean Service Medals
The following decorations are awarded for service during the Korean War and subsequent armistice.
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
Air Defense Service
Sea Service
Special Service
Vietnam Service
Gulf War Service
Balkans Peacekeeping Service
War on Terrorism Service
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.
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
Navy and Marine Corps Service
- Navy Recruiting Service Ribbon
- Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon
- Navy Recruit Training Service Ribbon
- Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon
Coast Guard Service
- Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
- Coast Guard Recruiting Service Ribbon
Air Force Service
- Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon
- Air Force Recognition Ribbon
- Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
- Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon
- Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon
- Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon
- Military Training Instructor Ribbon
- Air Force Recruiter Ribbon
- NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon
- Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
- Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
- Air Force Training Ribbon
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
- Certificate of Merit Medal
- Army Wound Ribbon
- Indian Campaign Medal
- Spanish War Service Medal
- Army of Cuban Occupation Medal
- Army of Cuban Pacification Medal
- Army of Puerto Rican Occupation Medal
- Philippine Congressional Medal
- China Campaign Medal
- Mexican Border Service Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Service
- Marine Corps Brevet Medal
- Specially Meritorious Service Medal
- Naval Reserve Medal
- Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon
- Reserve Special Commendation Ribbon
- West Indies Campaign Medal
- China Relief Expedition Medal
- China Service Medal
- Yangtze Service Medal
- Nicaraguan Campaign Medal
- Haitian Campaign Medal
- Dominican Campaign Medal
- Distinguished Marksman and Pistol Shot Ribbon
- Distinguished Marksman Ribbon
- Distinguished Pistol Shot Ribbon
Coast Guard Service
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
- Gillmore Medal
- Butler Medal
- Kearny Cross
- Chaplain's Medal for Heroism
- Texas Cavalry Service Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Service
- Dewey Medal
- Sampson Medal
- NC-4 Medal
Coast Guard Service
Special Service
- Perry Polar Expeditionary Medal
- Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal
- United States Antarctic Expedition Medal
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 Citizens Medal
NASA
- NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal
National Security Agency
- National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal
- National Intelligence Achievement Medal
Department of Transportation
- 9-11 Ribbon
Department of Health and Human Services
- Surgeon General's Medal
Pending Military Decorations
The following decorations have been approved for design, but have not yet been authorized for issuance to U.S. military personnel.
International Military Decorations
The following decorations are recognized as international awards authorized for wear on a U.S. military uniform.
- 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.
First World War
France
Second World War
United Kingdom
Belgium
France
Netherlands
Luxembourg
Poland
Morocco
Philippines
- Philippine Liberation Medal
- Philippine Independence Medal
Korean War
Vietnam War
- 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 Civil Actions Unit Citation
Gulf War
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
- "A" Device
- Airlift Device
- Arrowhead device
- Award numerals
- Award star
- Battle E device
- Campaign clasp
- Citation Star
- Combat Operations Insignia
- Enlistment Bar
- Gold frame
- Good Conduct Loop
- Hourglass Device
- Marksmanship Device
- Mobilization Device
- Navy Commendation Star
- Oak leaf cluster
- Operational Distinguishing Device
- Service star
- Strike/Flight numerals
- Valor device
- Wake Island Device
- Wintered Over Device
See also
Related Articles
- Military decoration
- List of military decorations
- State decoration
- List of prizes, medals, and awards
External links
