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.
Ribbon/award namePersonal decorations Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross (Army)
Navy Cross
Air Force Cross
Coast Guard Cross Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (Army)
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (Air and Space Forces)
Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Soldier's Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Medal
Airman's Medal
Coast Guard Medal Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal Aerial Achievement Medal (Air and Space Forces) Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Coast Guard Commendation Medal Joint Service Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Coast Guard Achievement Medal Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon (Coast Guard) Navy Combat Action Ribbon
Combat Action Medal (Air and Space Forces)
Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon
Also see: Army combat badges Unit awards Presidential Unit Citation (Army)
Presidential Unit Citation (Navy and Marine Corps)
Presidential Unit Citation (Air and Space Forces)
Presidential Unit Citation (Coast Guard) 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 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 Army Superior Unit Award
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award Navy "E" Ribbon
Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award
Coast Guard "E" Ribbon+ Ribbon/award nameService awards (cont.) Prisoner of War Medal Combat Readiness Medal (Air and Space Forces) 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 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 Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon
Outstanding Guardian of the Year Ribbon
Coast Guard Enlisted Person of the Year Ribbon Air and Space Recognition RibbonService, expeditionary and campaign medals Navy Expeditionary Medal
Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal Antarctica Service Medal
Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Medal Mexican Border Defense Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal Air and Space Campaign Medal Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service MedalService and training awards 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 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 Coast Guard Restricted Duty Ribbon
Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon Air and Space Longevity Service Award 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) Navy Ceremonial Guard Ribbon
Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon
Air Force NCO PME Graduate Ribbon Navy Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
Coast Guard Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon Army Service Ribbon
Air and Space Training RibbonMarksmanship awardsOPNAVINST 3591.1F, Small Arms Training and Qualification , Chief of Naval Operations, dated 12 August 2009, last accessed 5 May 2013 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
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 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.
Ribbon/award namePersonal decorations Certificate of Merit Medal
Marine Corps Brevet Medal Specially Meritorious Service Medal Reserve Special Commendation Ribbon Army Wound RibbonDepartment of Transportation military awards Transportation Distinguished Service Medal Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award Coast Guard Bicentennial Unit Commendation19th and early 20th century Commemorative Medals West Indies Naval Campaign Medal (Sampson Medal) Battle of Manila Bay Medal (Dewey Medal) United States Antarctic Expedition Medal19th and early 20th century Campaign Medals Civil War Campaign Medal Indian Campaign Medal China Campaign Medal (Army)
China Relief Expedition Medal (Navy)Spanish–American War campaign and occupation medals Spanish Campaign Medal West Indies Campaign Medal Spanish War Service Medal Army of Cuban Occupation Medal Cuban Pacification Medal (Army)
Cuban Pacification Medal (Navy) Army of Puerto Rican Occupation MedalPhilippine–American War campaign medals Philippine Campaign Medal Philippine Congressional MedalNavy & Marine Corps expedition medals Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1912) Haitian Campaign Medal (1915 & 1920–1921) Dominican Campaign Medal (1916) Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1926–1930) Yangtze Service Medal Ribbon/award nameWorld War I and Pre-World War I service medals Mexican Service Medal Mexican Border Service Medal World War I Victory Medal Army of Occupation of Germany MedalWorld War II and Pre-World War II service medals China Service Medal American Defense Service Medal Women's Army Corps Service Medal American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal World War II Victory MedalPost World War II, Cold War Service, Occupation Medals Army of Occupation Medal
Navy Occupation Service Medal Medal for Humane Action National Defense Service Medal Korean Service Medal Vietnam Service MedalPost Cold War Campaign Medals Southwest Asia Service Medal Kosovo Campaign Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign MedalService and training decorations Naval Reserve Medal Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon Fleet Marine Force Ribbon Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal Air Force Military Training Instructor Ribbon Air Force Recruiter RibbonMarksmanship Navy Distinguished Marksman and Pistol Shot Ribbon Navy Distinguished Marksman Ribbon Navy Distinguished Pistol Shot Ribbon
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 namePersonal decorations Distinguished Warfare MedalCombat service decorations Combat Recognition Ribbon Ribbon/award nameGeneral 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.
Ribbon/award namePersonal valor decorations Four Chaplains' MedalPersonal commemorative decorations Cardenas Medal of Honor NC-4 Medal Ribbon/award nameExploratory commemorative decorations Peary Polar Expedition Medal Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal
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 nameCivil War decorationsKearny CrossKearny MedalButler MedalNo ribbonGillmore Medal Ribbon/award nameResearch 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
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.