medals1

The Air Force Commendation Medal was established by the Secretary of the Air Force on March 28, 1958, for award to members of the armed forces of the United States who, while serving in any capacity with the Air Force after March 24, 1958, shall have distinguished themselves by For Heroism, Meritorious Achievement, or Meritorious Service. The degree of merit must be distinctive, though it need not be unique. Acts of courage which do not involve the voluntary risk of life required for the Soldier's Medal (or the Airman's Medal now authorized for the Air Force) may be considered for the Commendation award.

The medal is a bronze hexagon, with one point up, centered upon which is the seal of the Air Force, an eagle with wings spread, facing left, perched upon a baton. There are clouds in the background. Below the seal is a shield bearing a pair of flyer's wings and a vertical baton with an eagle's claw at either end; behind the shield are eight lightning bolts. Bronze V device worn to denote Valor/Heroism in Combat.

Ribbon The ribbon has a broad stripe of ultramarine blue in the center flanked on either side by a stripe of golden orange, a thin stripe of blue, a broad stripe of golden orange, and a blue border at the edge.

History: Originally established by the Secretary of War as only a ribbon award in 1945, the medal was added in 1949. Awarded to members of the US Air Force, on or after 7 DEC 41.

Presidential Unit Citation (Air Force and Army)

Presidential Unit Citation (Air Force and Army) was created by Executive Order 9075 on Feb. 26, 1942, and was superseded by Executive Order 9396 on Dec. 2, 1943, which authorized the Distinguished Unit Citation, and this executive order was superseded by Executive Order 10694, on Jan. 10, 1957 which redesignated the Distinguished Unit Citation as the Presidential Unit Citation.

Award: The Citation is conferred on units of the armed forces of the United States and of cobelligerent nations, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after Dec. 7, 1941. The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same that which would warrant award of the Distinguished Service Cross to an individual.
For subsequent awards of the Presidential Unit Citation, the individual is authorized to wear a bronze oak-leaf cluster on the ribbon. The same oak-leaf cluster in silver is worn in lieu of five bronze oak-leaf clusters.
An individual assigned or permanently attached to, and also present for duty with, a unit in the action for which the Presidential Unit Citation is awarded may wear the emblem as a permanent part of their uniform.

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

A Bronze V device is worn on the ribbon to denote award for combat or direct combat support actions.

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award was authorized by Department of the Air Force General Order 1, Jan. 6, 1954. It is awarded by the Secretary of the Air Force to units which have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service or outstanding achievement that clearly sets the unit above and apart from similar units.

Award: Award to units which have distinguished themselves by Exceptionally Meritorious Service or Outstanding Achievement that clearly above and apart from similar units, the services include; performance of exceptionally meritorious service, accomplishment of a specific outstanding achievement of national or international significance, combat operations against an armed enemy of the United States, or military operations involving conflict with or exposure to hostile actions by an opposing foreign force.

Design: The ribbon has a narrow red stripe, flanked by a thin white stripe, a wide blue stripe, a thin white stripe, edged with a narrow red stripe.

Air Force Good Conduct Medal

Air Force Good Conduct Medal was authorized by Congress on July 6, 1960, with the creation of the other medals of the Air Force. The medal was not created until June 1, 1963 when the Secretary of the Air Force established it.

Award: Awarded to Air Force enlisted personnel for exemplary conduct during a three-year period of active military service, (or for a one-year period of service during a time of war). Persons awarded this medal must have had character and efficiency ratings of excellent or higher throughout the qualifying period, including time spent in attendance at service schools, and there must have been no convictions of court martial during this period. Air Force personnel who were previously awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal and after June 1, 1963 qualified for the Air Force Good Conduct Medal could wear both medals.

Design: Designed by Joseph Kiselewski. On the obverse is an American eagle with wings displayed and inverted, standing on a closed book and a Roman sword. Encircling this are the words "Efficiency, Honor, Fidelity" at the medal's outer edge. The reverse has a five-pointed star above a blank scroll suitable for engraving the recipient's name and above the star are the words, "For Good" and below the scroll "Conduct." Is encircled by a wreath of laurel and oak leaves.

Ribbon The ribbon is predominantly light blue with a tin stripe of dark blue, thin stripe of white, thin stripe of red and a thin stripe of light blue at the edge.

National Defense Service Medal

National Defense Service Medal was authorized by Executive Order 10448, April 22, 1953, and amended by Executive Order 11256, Jan. 11, 1966.

Award: Awarded for honorable active military service as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States including the Coast Guard, between June 27, 1950 and July 27, 1954, (Korean War Period) and between Jan. 1, 1961 and Aug. 14, 1974 (Vietnam War Period). Members of the National Guard and Reserves were not usually eligible, however if any member of these units became eligible for the award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or the Vietnam Service Medal, between Jan. 1, 1961 and Aug. 14, 1974, the person would be eligible for this medal also.

Design: Designed by the Army of Heraldic Section. The obverse shows the American bald eagle, perched on a sword and palm. Above this, in a semicircle, is the inscription "National Defense." The reverse shows a shield, as it appears in the Great Scal of the United States; it is half encircled below with an oak leaf to left an laurel spray to the right, knotted in the center.

Ribbon: The ribbon has a wide yellow stripe in the center, flanked by narrow stripes of red, white, blue, white, wide red stripes. Service members who earned the medal during the first qualifying period and who again became entitled to the medal wear a bronze star on the ribbon to denote the second award of the medal.

Vietnam Service Medal

Award: Awarded to all service members of the Armed Forces who between July 4, 1965 and March 28, 1973, served in the following areas of Southeast Asia: In Vietnam and the contiguous waters and airspace; in Thailand, Laos or Cambodia or the airspace thereover or in the direct support of military operations in Vietnam.
Personnel previously awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for service in Vietnam between 1 July 1958 and 3 July 1965, may, upon request, exchange that medal for the Vietnam Service Medal; however, no one is authorized to wear both medals solely for services in Vietnam.
In effect, the authorized period of military service to quality for the Vietnam Service Medal spans 1 July 1958 through 28 March 1973. During this period, a military member who participated in combat or who served with a unit directly supporting a military operation or participating in combat in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam qualified for the medal. A military member serving at least 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days also earned the Vietnam Service Medal.

Design: Designed by Thomas H. Jones, a sculptor and former employee of the Institute of Heraldry, U.S. Army. Centered on the obverse of the medal is the figure of a dragon, behind a grove of bamboo trees. Below this design is the inscription, "Republic of Vietnam Service." On the reverse of the medal is a cross-bow (the ancient weapon of Vietnam), surmounted by a lighted torch. Below this, along the outer edge are the words, "United States of America" in raised letters.
The Vietnam Service Medal is worn with a suspension ribbon, and the ribbon bar are yellow with three vertical red stripes in the center. The yellow, traditionally the imperial color of Vietnam, also symbolizes the Buddhist belief, and the red stripes represent the three ancient Vietnamese empires, Tonkin, Annam, and Cochin China. A vertical green strip on each edge represents the Vietnamese jungles.

Ribbon: The ribbon has a thin stripe of red in the center, flanked on either side by a narrow stripe of yellow, thin stripe of red, wide stripe of yellow, and a narrow stripe of green at the edges, or predominately yellow with three red stripes at the center and green stripes at the edges. Campaign stars were worn on the ribbon to indicate the number of campaigns the recipients served in during their service in Vietnam.

History: There were 17 different campaign periods, but the first, which was called the Vietnam Advisory Campaign, covered the period from March 15, 1962 to March 7, 1964. During this time there were never more than a few thousand U.S. troops involved in Vietnam.

Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksman Ribbon

Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksman Ribbon was authorized by the Secretary of the Air Force on Aug. 28, 1962.

Award: Awarded to all U.S. Air Force service members who, after Jan. 1, 1963, qualify as "expert" in small-arms marksmanship with either the M-16 rifle or .38 caliber pistol. These rules will apply to the Air Force standard service small arms weapon selected. Qualifications as "expert" in both weapons after June 22, 1972, shall be denoted by a bronze service star worn on the ribbon.

Ribbon: The ribbon has a very wide center stripe of laurel green, flanked on either side by a thin yellow stripe, with a wide light blue stripe at the edges.

Republic Of Vietnam Gallantry Cross

Republic Of Vietnam Gallantry Cross was established on Aug. 15, 1950 by the Republic of Vietnam.

Award: Awarded for outstanding bravery by officers and enlisted men who distinguished themselves conspicuously by gallantry in action at the risk of life. It corresponds to the French Croix de Guerre (which design it resembles).

Design: The bronze cross has flared decorative edges and two crossed swords, points up, between the arms of the cross and superimposed on a decorative wreath-like design -- which is really two "dragon-like" figures. On the obverse in the center is a raised disk with a sprig of laurel at the bottom and a map of Vietnam in the center, which contains the inscription in Vietnamese, "In Remembrance of Work Well Done." The badge is suspended from an ornamental bronze plaque which is attached to the ribbon. The reverse of the cross is blank.

Ribbon: The ribbon is red with a wide center stripe of gold, which is divided by 16 very thin stripes of red.

Republic Of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Award: Awarded to all services members for six months service in the Republic of Vietnam between 1965 and 1973 or if wounded, captured or killed in action during that period of service.

Sgt. Robert Nichols

Air Force Commendation Medal