For other medals of the same name, see Commendation Medal (disambiguation).
Award
Commendation Medals
Five Commendation Medals are awarded by branch or service. From left to right: Joint Service, Army, Naval Service, Air and Space Forces, and Coast Guard.
Type
Military medal (decoration)
Awarded for
Heroism, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service
Presented by
United States Department of Defense United States Department of the Army[1] United States Department of the Navy[2] United States Department of the Air Force[3] United States Department of Homeland Security[4]
Eligibility
Military personnel only
Status
Currently awarded
Established
Naval Service: 1943 Coast Guard: 1943 Army: 1945 Air and Space Forces: 1958 Joint Service: 1963
Five Commendation ribbons are awarded by branch or service. Top row: Joint Service, Army. Bottom row: Naval Service, Air and Space Forces, Coast Guard.
Precedence
Next (higher)
Army, Naval Service, and Coast Guard: Air Medal Air and Space Forces: Aerial Achievement Medal
Next (lower)
Joint Service Achievement Medal
The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth version existing for acts of joint military service performed under the Department of Defense.
The Commendation Medal was originally only a service ribbon and was first awarded by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard in 1943. An Army Commendation Ribbon followed in 1945 and in 1949 the Navy, Coast Guard, and Army Commendation ribbons were renamed the "Commendation Ribbon with Metal Pendant". By 1960 the Commendation Ribbons had been authorized as full medals and were subsequently referred to as Commendation Medals.
Additional awards of the Army and Air and Space Commendation Medals are denoted by bronze and silver oak leaf clusters. The Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Coast Guard Commendation Medal are authorized gold and silver 5/16 inch stars to denote additional awards. The Operational Distinguishing Device ("O" device) is authorized for wear on the Coast Guard Commendation Medal upon approval of the awarding authority. Order of Precedence is following the Air Medal but before the Prisoner of War Medal and all campaign medals. Each of the military services also awards separate Achievement Medals which are below the Commendation Medals in precedence.
^"Army Regulation 600–8–22" (PDF). Department of the Army. December 11, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
^"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 18, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Production publication" (PDF). static.e-publishing.af.mil. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
^"Data" (PDF). media.defense.gov. 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
and 25 Related for: Commendation Medal information
The CommendationMedal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of...
receive the higher CommendationMedal or the Meritorious Service Medal. Each military service issues its own version of the Achievement Medal, with a fifth...
The Military CommendationMedal is a military decoration presented to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is presented for exemplary execution...
The Career CommendationMedal is awarded by the Central Intelligence Agency for exemplary service significantly above normal duties that had an important...
The Navy Civilian Service CommendationMedal is awarded to Department of the Navy and U.S. Marine Corps civilians who distinguish themselves by performing...
The Intelligence CommendationMedal is awarded by the Central Intelligence Agency for the performance of especially commendable service or for an act or...
Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation, a Canadian award given to military units CommendationMedal, a mid-level United States military decoration Commendation for Gallantry...
Intelligence Medal of Merit Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal Career Intelligence Medal Career CommendationMedal Intelligence CommendationMedal Exceptional...
The Department of the Army Civilian Service CommendationMedal (formerly the Commander's Award for Civilian Service) is an honorary award presented by...
Commendation Star was identical to the United States Army Citation Star which also was a 3⁄16 inch silver star worn on the World War I Victory Medal to...
Rivers is a Navy SEAL instructor who was awarded the Medal of Honor. The following are the medals and service awards fictionally worn by Lieutenant Rivers...
in the face of the enemy. Therefore, the Sena Medal also serves as a sort of general commendationmedal for the Indian Army. From 1 February 1999, the...
The Public Service CommendationMedal is the fourth highest public service decoration the United States Department of the Army can bestow upon a civilian...
Heroism Medal Alaska Distinguished Service Medal Alaska Legion of Merit Alaska Meritorious Service Medal Alaska Air Medal Alaska CommendationMedal Alaska...
are examples of the first through twenty-first awards of an Army CommendationMedal with the bronze and silver oak leaf clusters: Oak leaf clusters may...
the War in Afghanistan, he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps CommendationMedal for valor for his role in taking out an enemy missile battery. In...
His decorations include the Navy CommendationMedal, Presidential Unit Citation, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, and various other awards for his service...
The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious...
awards) United Nations Medal Navy CommendationMedal Meritorious Honor Award Joint Achievement Medal Naval Achievement Medals (2 awards) Tabach is highly...
Service Cross (upgraded from Silver Star), one Bronze Star Medal, one Army CommendationMedal, and one Purple Heart. Other sources[which?] and images report...
Chief of Naval Operations.[better source needed] The following are the medals and service awards fictionally worn by ADM Slattery. Russell "Russ" Jeter...
applicable in terms of receiving these commendations. The following decorations were designed for issuance with an approved medal, but were either never officially...
Commendation Medal with Valor device, Navy CommendationMedal, Navy Achievement Medal and Meritorious Unit Commendation. Faram, Mark (2020-08-31). "Decorated...
in Iraq, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and a second Army CommendationMedal. He returned to active duty in 2012 as a...
was renamed the Navy Commendation Medal and Navy and Marine Corps CommendationMedal. Additional awards of this medal are also denoted by gold and silver...
Global Information
