Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces

Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces

Service ribbons, ribbon devices, and badge awards displayed on a Command Master Chief Petty Officer's service uniform

Various medals, service ribbons, ribbon devices, and specific badges recognize military service and personal accomplishments of members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career.

U.S. military awards currently issued to service members

General order of precedence

The precedence of particular awards will vary slightly among the different branches of service. All awards and decorations may be awarded to any service member unless otherwise designated by name or notation.

<table><thead><tr><th>Ribbon/award name</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Personal decorations</td></tr><tr><td>Awarded for "Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty"   Medal of Honor</td></tr><tr><td>Service cross medals – Awarded for "extraordinary heroism in combat"   Distinguished Service Cross (Army)   Navy Cross   Air Force Cross   Coast Guard Cross</td></tr><tr><td>Distinguished service medals – Awarded for "exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility"   Defense Distinguished Service Medal   Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Distinguished Service Medal (Army)   Navy Distinguished Service Medal   Distinguished Service Medal (Air and Space Forces)   Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Awarded for "gallantry in action"   Silver Star Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Awarded for "superior or exceptionally meritorious service"   Defense Superior Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Legion of Merit</td></tr><tr><td>Awarded for "heroism or extraordinary achievement in aerial flight"   Distinguished Flying Cross</td></tr><tr><td>Medals for non-combat heroism   Soldier's Medal   Navy and Marine Corps Medal   Airman's Medal   Coast Guard Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Awarded for heroism in combat zone or meritorious service in a war zone   Bronze Star Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Awarded for wounds suffered in combatPH   Purple Heart</td></tr><tr><td>Meritorious service and aviation medals   Defense Meritorious Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Meritorious Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Air Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Aerial Achievement Medal (Air and Space Forces)</td></tr><tr><td>Commendation medals   Joint Service Commendation Medal   Army Commendation Medal   Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal   Air and Space Commendation Medal   Coast Guard Commendation Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Achievement medals   Joint Service Achievement Medal   Army Achievement Medal   Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal   Air and Space Achievement Medal   Coast Guard Achievement Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon (Coast Guard)</td></tr><tr><td>Combat action awards   Navy Combat Action Ribbon   Combat Action Medal (Air and Space Forces)   Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon Also see: Army combat badges</td></tr><tr><td>Unit awards</td></tr><tr><td>Presidential Unit Citations   Presidential Unit Citation (Army)   Presidential Unit Citation (Navy and Marine Corps)   Presidential Unit Citation (Air and Space Forces)   Presidential Unit Citation (Coast Guard)</td></tr><tr><td>  Joint Meritorious Unit Award   DHS Outstanding Unit Award   Valorous Unit Award (Army)   Navy Unit Commendation   Gallant Unit Citation (Air and Space Forces)   Coast Guard Unit Commendation</td></tr><tr><td>Meritorious Unit Commendations   Army Meritorious Unit Commendation   Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation   Meritorious Unit Award (Air and Space Forces)   Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation   Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation</td></tr><tr><td>  Army Superior Unit Award   Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award</td></tr><tr><td>Efficiency Awards   Navy "E" Ribbon   Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award   Coast Guard "E" Ribbon</td></tr><tr><td>Continued on right column</td></tr><tr><td>Ribbon/award name</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Service awards (cont.)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Prisoner of War Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Combat Readiness Medal (Air and Space Forces)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Good conduct medals   Army Good Conduct Medal   Navy Good Conduct Medal   Air Force Good Conduct Medal   Space Force Good Conduct Medal   Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal   Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon   Outstanding Guardian of the Year Ribbon   Coast Guard Enlisted Person of the Year Ribbon</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Air and Space Recognition Ribbon</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Service, expeditionary and campaign medals</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Reserve service medals   Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal   Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal   Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal   Coast Guard Reserve Good Conduct Medal   Armed Forces Reserve Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Navy Expeditionary Medal   Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Antarctica Service Medal   Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Global War on Terrorism Service Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Korea Defense Service Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Mexican Border Defense Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Armed Forces Service Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Humanitarian Service Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Air and Space Campaign Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Service and training awards</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Army Sea Duty Ribbon   Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon   Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon   Naval Reserve Sea Service Ribbon   Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon   Navy Arctic Service Medal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Overseas service ribbons   Army Overseas Service Ribbon   Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon   Coast Guard Overseas Service Ribbon   Air and Space Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon   Air and Space Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon   Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Coast Guard Restricted Duty Ribbon   Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Longevity ribbon   Air and Space Longevity Service Award</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Recruiting service and training service ribbons   Army Recruiting Ribbon   Navy Recruiting Service Ribbon   Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon   Coast Guard Recruiting Service Ribbon   Navy Accession Training Service Ribbon   Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon   Marine Corps Combat Instructor Ribbon   Developmental Special Duty Ribbon (Air and Space Forces)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Guard ribbons   Navy Ceremonial Guard Ribbon   Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Professional development Ribbons   Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon   Air Force NCO PME Graduate Ribbon</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Basic training honor graduate ribbons   Navy Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon   Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon   Coast Guard Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Training ribbons   Army Service Ribbon   Air and Space Training Ribbon</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Marksmanship awards</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>  Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Air and Space Forces)   Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon   Coast Guard Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon   Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon   Coast Guard Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Note: ^ The precedence of the Purple Heart was immediately before the Good Conduct Medals until changed to its current precedence in 1985.

Military departments

• Inter-service • Army • Navy and Marine Corps • Air Force and Space Force • Coast Guard

To denote additional achievements or multiple awards of the same decoration, the United States military maintains a number of award devices which are pinned to service ribbons and medals.

Inactive and obsolete awards

Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces

U.S. military personnel having received these awards have participated within these areas of combat/conflict during the time these awards were given to U.S. service members. Such awards have since been discontinued or are no longer applicable in terms of receiving these commendations. Certain decorations remain inactive at this time (e.g. National Defense Service Medal) but may be reactivated at a later date in the future.

<table><thead><tr><th>Ribbon/award name</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Personal decorations</td></tr><tr><td>  Certificate of Merit Medal   Marine Corps Brevet Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Specially Meritorious Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Reserve Special Commendation Ribbon</td></tr><tr><td>  Army Wound Ribbon</td></tr><tr><td>Department of Transportation military awards</td></tr><tr><td>  Transportation Distinguished Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award</td></tr><tr><td>  Coast Guard Bicentennial Unit Commendation</td></tr><tr><td>19th and early 20th century Commemorative Medals</td></tr><tr><td>  West Indies Naval Campaign Medal (Sampson Medal)</td></tr><tr><td>  Battle of Manila Bay Medal (Dewey Medal)</td></tr><tr><td>  United States Antarctic Expedition Medal</td></tr><tr><td>19th and early 20th century Campaign Medals</td></tr><tr><td>  Civil War Campaign Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Indian Campaign Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  China Campaign Medal (Army)   China Relief Expedition Medal (Navy)</td></tr><tr><td>Spanish–American War campaign and occupation medals</td></tr><tr><td>  Spanish Campaign Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  West Indies Campaign Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Spanish War Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Army of Cuban Occupation Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Cuban Pacification Medal (Army)   Cuban Pacification Medal (Navy)</td></tr><tr><td>  Army of Puerto Rican Occupation Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Philippine–American War campaign medals</td></tr><tr><td>  Philippine Campaign Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Philippine Congressional Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Navy & Marine Corps expedition medals</td></tr><tr><td>  Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1912)</td></tr><tr><td>  Haitian Campaign Medal (1915 & 1920–1921)</td></tr><tr><td>  Dominican Campaign Medal (1916)</td></tr><tr><td>  Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1926–1930)</td></tr><tr><td>  Yangtze Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Ribbon/award name</td></tr><tr><td>World War I and Pre-World War I service medals</td></tr><tr><td>  Mexican Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Mexican Border Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  World War I Victory Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Army of Occupation of Germany Medal</td></tr><tr><td>World War II and Pre-World War II service medals</td></tr><tr><td>  China Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  American Defense Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Women's Army Corps Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  American Campaign Medal   Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal   European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  World War II Victory Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Post World War II, Cold War Service, Occupation Medals</td></tr><tr><td>  Army of Occupation Medal   Navy Occupation Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Medal for Humane Action</td></tr><tr><td>  National Defense Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Korean Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Vietnam Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Post Cold War Campaign Medals</td></tr><tr><td>  Southwest Asia Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Kosovo Campaign Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Afghanistan Campaign Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Iraq Campaign Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Service and training decorations</td></tr><tr><td>  Naval Reserve Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon</td></tr><tr><td>  Fleet Marine Force Ribbon</td></tr><tr><td>  Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Air Force Military Training Instructor Ribbon</td></tr><tr><td>  Air Force Recruiter Ribbon</td></tr><tr><td>Marksmanship</td></tr><tr><td>  Navy Distinguished Marksman and Pistol Shot Ribbon</td></tr><tr><td>  Navy Distinguished Marksman Ribbon</td></tr><tr><td>  Navy Distinguished Pistol Shot Ribbon</td></tr></tbody></table>

Discontinued or proposed

The following decorations were designed for issuance with an approved medal, but were either never officially approved for presentation or were discontinued before a first award could be made.

Ribbon/award name
Personal decorations
Distinguished Warfare Medal
Combat service decorations
Combat Recognition Ribbon
Ribbon/award name
General service award
Cold War Victory Medal
Iraq Commitment Medal

Single service awards

Single service awards were official military decorations created as one time awards to recognize a single event. The first such single service award was issued during the Spanish–American War by the Revenue Cutter Service to honor the actions of the vessel USRC Hudson during the Battle of Cárdenas. The last single service award was issued in 1960 when Congress authorized the awarding of the Four Chaplains' Medal recognizing the Four Chaplains who died together during World War II. There have been no single service awards issued since by the U.S. military, mainly due to the decline and complications of awarding commemorative service medals.

<table><thead><tr><th>Ribbon/award name</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Personal valor decorations</td></tr><tr><td>  Four Chaplains' Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Personal commemorative decorations</td></tr><tr><td>  Cardenas Medal of Honor</td></tr><tr><td>  NC-4 Medal</td></tr><tr><td>Ribbon/award name</td></tr><tr><td>Exploratory commemorative decorations</td></tr><tr><td>  Peary Polar Expedition Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal</td></tr></tbody></table>

Unofficial decorations

Unofficial decorations are those military awards created and issued by local commanders. In most cases, unofficial awards were designed to commemorate a specific battle or engagement of a commander's unit. The most well known unofficial awards were issued during the American Civil War.

Ribbon/award name
Civil War decorations
	Kearny Cross
Kearny Medal
	Butler Medal
No ribbon	Gillmore Medal
Ribbon/award name
Research decorations
Walter Reed Medal

After the Civil War, stricter military regulations prohibited local commanders from issuing awards and the practice had fallen into disuse by the 20th century. Even so, the Department of Defense has stated that large numbers of unofficial medals were privately issued to members of the Armed Forces of the United States for many years after the Civil War, mostly to commemorate specific battles, events, or as private veteran memorabilia. One of the more well known is the Walter Reed Medal (recognized today as a Congressional Gold Medal), awarded for exploratory scientific achievement in the field of malaria treatment. While presented as a gold medallion, members of the military were reported to wear a red ribbon on their uniforms to denote the decoration.

Foreign and international awards

Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces

Foreign and international decorations are authorized for wear on United States military uniforms by the Department of Defense in accordance with established regulations for the receipt of such awards as outlined by the State Department. In the case of foreign decorations, the awards may be divided into senior service decorations (awarded only to high ranking U.S. officers), heroic decorations for valor, and foreign service decorations.

There are hundreds of foreign and international awards which have been approved for issuance to United States military personnel since World War I, the following being among the more common.

<table><thead><tr><th>Ribbon/award name</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>World War I</td></tr><tr><td>  French Legion of Honor</td></tr><tr><td>  British Order of the Bath</td></tr><tr><td>  French Military Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  French Croix de guerre</td></tr><tr><td>  Belgian Croix de guerre</td></tr><tr><td>  Czechoslovak War Cross (1918)</td></tr><tr><td>Caribbean & Central America (1920s & 1930s)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of Abdon Calderón (Ecuador)</td></tr><tr><td>  Military Merit Medal (Haiti)</td></tr><tr><td>  Medal of Merit (Nicaragua)</td></tr><tr><td>World War II (Europe)</td></tr><tr><td>  French Croix de guerre</td></tr><tr><td>  Belgian Croix de guerre</td></tr><tr><td>  Luxembourg War Cross</td></tr><tr><td>  Czechoslovak War Cross (1945)</td></tr><tr><td>  Luxembourg War Cross (Unit Citation)</td></tr><tr><td>World War II (Pacific)</td></tr><tr><td>  Philippine Defense Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Philippine Liberation Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Philippine Independence Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Philippine Presidential Unit Citation</td></tr><tr><td>World War II (Senior Orders)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of Adolphe of Nassau (Luxembourg)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of the Aztec Eagle (Mexico)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of the British Empire (United Kingdom)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of the Crown (Belgium)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of Leopold (Belgium)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Morocco)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of Pao Ting (China)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of Virtuti Militari (Poland)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of the White Eagle (Poland)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of the White Eagle (Yugoslavia)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of William (Netherlands)</td></tr><tr><td>Korean War - South Korea and the United Nations</td></tr><tr><td>  United Nations Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Republic of Korea War Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation</td></tr><tr><td>Ribbon/award name</td></tr><tr><td>Vietnam War - Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Army Distinguished Service Order</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Navy Distinguished Service Order</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Air Force Distinguished Service Order</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Military Merit Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Gallantry Cross (with Palm)</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Air Gallantry Cross</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Navy Gallantry Cross</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Armed Forces Honor Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Civil Actions Medal (1st class)</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Staff Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Special Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Training Service Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Presidential Unit Citation</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with palm and frame</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Civil Actions Medal Unit Citation with palm and frame (1st class)</td></tr><tr><td>  RVN Campaign Medal with 1960- device</td></tr><tr><td>Persian Gulf War</td></tr><tr><td>  Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)</td></tr><tr><td>  Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)</td></tr><tr><td>International Awards (20th Century)</td></tr><tr><td>  United Nations Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Multinational Force and Observers Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  Inter-American Defense Board Medal</td></tr><tr><td>  NATO Medal (Yugoslavia)</td></tr><tr><td>  NATO Medal (Kosovo)</td></tr><tr><td>  NATO Medal (Non-Article 5)</td></tr><tr><td>Senior Military Awards (21st Century)</td></tr><tr><td>  Aeronautical Merit Cross (Peru)</td></tr><tr><td>  Cross of Honor (Germany)</td></tr><tr><td>  Khalifiyyeh Order of Bahrain</td></tr><tr><td>  Military Merit Order (United Arab Emirates)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of the Crown of Thailand</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of the Date Palm (Iraq)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of May (Argentina)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of the Sword (Sweden)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of Merit (Germany)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of Merit of the Italian Republic</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of National Security Merit (Korea)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of the Rising Sun (Japan)</td></tr><tr><td>  Order of the Southern Cross (Brazil)</td></tr></tbody></table>

During the First and Second World Wars, the Croix de Guerre medals of France and Belgium, as well as the French Military Medal and Luxembourg War Cross, were further issued as unit citation cords, known as Fourragère. Service members could receive both the individual award and the unit cord; in the case of the later, the unit citation could either be worn temporarily while a member of the unit or permanently if the service member was present during the actual battle which warranted the unit citation. A further unit citation cord of the Order of William of the Netherlands was also issued during World War II, and was far more commonly known as the "Orange Lanyard".

As of 2002, South Korea has again issued the Korean Presidential Unit Citation to certain units of the United States Marine Corps, thus placing this previously obsolete foreign award back on the active order of precedence for U.S. decorations. Apart from this one decoration, most 21st century foreign military awards are reserved for only the most senior flag and general officers and then only presented as "end of tour" decorations upon transfer from a major command.