380th Bomb Group

380th Bomb Group Association
World War II Veterans Group

MEDALS

The United States Armed Forces awards and decorations are primarily the medals, service ribbons, and specific badges which recognize military service and personal accomplishments while a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. Such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career.

USAF MEDALS

US ARMY MEDALS

Charts source: William Shek Jr.

Order of Precedence

While each service has its own order of precedence, the following general rules typically apply to all services:

  1. U.S. military personal decorations
  2. U.S. military unit awards
  3. U.S. non-military decorations and awards in the following order:
    1. Presidential awards (i.e., Presidential Medal of Freedom, Presidential Citizen's Medal)
    2. National Medals (i.e., National Security Medal, National Science Medal, Gold Lifesaving Medal, Silver Lifesaving Medal)
    3. U.S. non-military personal decorations of valor are not authorized
    4. U.S. non-military campaign, expeditionary and service (CE&S) awards are not authorized
    5. U.S. military society decorations and medals -- military societies covered by Title 10 US Code, Sec1123 (in order of receipt; if two or more from same society, then the applicable society precedence listing should be consulted)
      1. (a) A military service member who is a member of a military society originally composed of men who served in an armed force of the United States during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, or the Chinese Relief Expedition of 1900 may wear, on occasions of ceremony, the distinctive badges adopted by that society.
      2. (b) A military service member who is a member of the Army and Navy Union of the United States may wear, on public occasions of ceremony, the distinctive badges adopted by that society.
    6. State decorations and awards are not authorized when on Federal active duty status
    7. Federal agency decorations and awards (in order of receipt; if two or more from same agency, then the applicable agency precedence listing should be consulted)
  4. U.S. non-military unit awards
  5. U.S. military campaign, expeditionary and service medals
    1. Campaign medals
    2. Expeditionary medals
    3. Deployed service medals (e.g., Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Expeditionary Medal
    4. Individual service medals (e.g., GWOT Service Medal; National Defense Service Medal
  6. U.S. military service and training awards (ribbon-only awards)
  7. U.S. Merchant Marine awards and non-military service awards
  8. Foreign military decorations and awards (in order of receipt; if two or more from the same country, the applicable country precedence listing should be consulted)
    1. Foreign personal decorations (e.g., French Legion of Honour; NATO Meritorious Service Medal)
    2. Foreign military unit awards
    3. Non-U.S. service awards (e.g., United Nations, NATO, etc.)
    4. Foreign military service awards
  9. Marksmanship awards (Air Force, Navy & Coast Guard)
  10. Awards of non Title 10USC Sec1123 U.S. military societies and other organizations
  11. State awards of the National Guard (Army & Air Force only)

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awards_and_decorations_of_the_United_States_Armed_Forces

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Created 20 February 2020