MyMilitaryMedals.com Blog
World War Medals
April 29th 2009 - 2:01 pm
World War I, also known as The Great War, was a global military conflict involving two opposing military alliances: The Entente Powers and The Central Powers. The Entente Powers included the Russian Empire, France, The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Italy, the Empire of Japan and the United States. The Central powers included the German Empire, the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria. Over 15 million people were killed in this war making it one of the most tragic conflicts of all time. With all this war going on, unfortunately, the chance to earn one of the World War medals was around every corner. The highest one of the World War medals that was bestowed by the American Government was the Medal of Honor. Of all the World War medals awarded, this one was usually given posthumously. The Medal of Honor is given to any member of the U.S. military for performance against an enemy of the United States while engaged in combat. This member must show true bravery and self-sacrifice and go above the call of duty in the line of action. There were 90 members who received this World War medal. The second highest-ranking of the World War medals is the Distinguished Service Cross. This World War medal is an award for valor in action not justifiable by the Medal of Honor. It may be worn by anyone who distinguishes him or herself by extraordinary heroism in connection to the military while engaged in combat with an enemy of the United States. There were over 6,000 of these World War medals awarded. The third highest-ranking of the World War medals was the Distinguished Service Medal. It was awarded by the President of the United States on the recommendation of the commanding officer but not in the name of Congress. It was awarded to an officer or enlisted member who has famed him or herself by exceptional service to the government in a duty of great responsibility or by astonishing heroism. There were over 1,800 of the World War medals awarded. Later, an Act of Congress recognized the need for different types and degrees of heroism for different areas of the military. This is one of the most unique of all the World War medals because it was change later. The happiest of all the World War medals would be the Victory Medal. This is the only one of the World War medals that was not created by an Act of Congress but instead was created through the service departments through general orders. The United States Army published orders for the Victory medal in April of 1919 and the United States Navy followed in June of that same year. This is one of the World War medals that was received and cherished by all.
United States Army Military Medals
April 26th 2009 - 1:50 pm
The United States Army is the land-based military branch of the United States Armed Forces. With over a million members the U.S. Army is a powerful force. Members of this branch have many opportunities to show bravery and courage and may be awarded one of the many US Army medals. One of the US Army medals awarded is the Army Good Conduct Medal, which is awarded to those members of the U.S. Army who have successfully completed 3 years of faithful service. Another one of the US Army medals is the Armed Forces Reserve Medal that is given to those members of the U.S. military who have completed 10 years of commendable service in the Army reserves. The Army Commendation Medal is one of the US Army medals that is typically awarded to a junior officer and enlisted personnel as an end-of-tour award. This award is presented for acts of praise in direct contact with an enemy force but of a lesser level than those receiving the Bronze Star. The Bronze star is one of the honorable US Army medals that is given to individuals who showed great amounts of bravery or acts of merit in combat. It is the fourth highest combat award and the ninth highest over military awards. The second-ranked of the U.S. Army medals is the Army Distinguished Service Cross Medal. These US Army medals are given for extreme valor and risk of life in actual combat with an enemy of the United States. Because of the nature of its criteria, this award is only given when a military member meets all other qualifications of every U.S. combat decorations except the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is the highest-ranked of all US Army medals and all other branches of the military. This award is usually given posthumously because of its high criteria. The United States army awards many other US Army medals for heroism, courage, bravery, expeditions and injury. The Soldiers Medal, The Distinguished Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit are just a few other US Army medals you could be awarded. Whether you are awarded one of the US Army medals for acts of bravery or you are awarded one of the US Army medals for 10 years of tremendous service to the U.S. Army, no medal goes overlooked and every medal is something to be proud of.
Wear your American Medals Proudly
April 15th 2009 - 3:10 pm
The United States Armed Forces offers many medals for all of the branches comprising its military. The five major components of the Armed Forces are the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Coast Guard. There are a number of awards given out for service and meritorious actions. These awards can represent years of faithful service, or act as commendation for one incredibly heroic deed. These American medals celebrate military performance and service. The most well-recognized of all American medals is the highly esteemed Medal of Honor. This medal is awarded to any military member that has performed the most heroic actions at the risk of his life and went well above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in combative action against an enemy of the United States. This military award is the highest military distinction and honor that is achievable. Some of the other most prestigious American medals include the Service Cross medals which have Navy, Army and Air Force equivalents. These medals are considered to be the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the U.S. military for extraordinary heroism and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy opponent of the United States. The successive medals are the Distinguished Service medals which can be awarded to service members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. A recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility. This award is reserved for higher ranking military officials that have devoted years of service and given the military only exceptional service. There are also American medals that have been awarded for performance and service during special circumstances, such as in times of war. Two of the most popular American medals are the Victory Medals of World War I and World War II. These medals were designed to honor military members that actively contributed to the wars. The World War I Victory Medal was awarded to any member of the U.S. military who had served in the armed forces during the First World War and were stationed in specific locations. The World War II Victory Medal honors military service members that served during World War II. This medal was awarded to any member of the United States military that served in the war between1941-1946.
Types of Marine Medals
April 8th 2009 - 2:53 pm
The United States Marine Corps is a component of the U.S. Armed Forces that works closely with the Navy to provide military power projection from the sea. The Marines use amphibious warfare to launch combined air-ground plans of action. There are a number of Marine medals that may be awarded for service and meritorious accomplishments. Many of the medals are similarly issued by the United States Navy since the two branches of the military work cohesively together. The Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal may be awarded to reserve or active members of The United States Marine Corps that have completed three years of active service and have demonstrated above average aptitude in their service and training. The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is awarded to any service member including Marines that have competed ten years of honorable military service in the reserves. The next Marine medals that are available are the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, which is awarded to Marine Corps service members which have engaged in a landing on foreign territory or participated in combat against enemy forces for a specified amount of time. The Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal is awarded for commendable service in combat or non-combat situations. The Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal is awarded for exemplary acts of heroism and meritorious service that have taken place in a non-combative situation but that are still considered to be extremely heroic in nature. The more prestigious Marine Medals include the Distinguished Service Medal, which is awarded to members of either the Navy or Marine Corps that have demonstrated exceptional performance in their respective duty. This medal is commonly reserved for higher ranking members. The Navy Cross is the highest decoration awarded by the Department of the Navy and the second highest award available, next to the Medal of Honor. The Navy Cross may be awarded to any member serving with the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard who has participated in combative action against an opposing force. A Navy Cross recipient must have performed extreme acts of heroism in the presence of danger and must have gone above and beyond all service expectations. The highest military decoration is the Medal of Honor and this medal may be awarded to any member of the U.S. Military by the U.S. Government, including the Marines. The Medal of Honor is reserved for military members that have performed the most heroic of acts during combat.
Different Kinds of Air Force Medals
April 5th 2009 - 2:50 pm
The United States Department of the Air Force issues various medals and ribbons to service people for their service, conduct and merit. An Air Force medal is a prestigious representation of accomplishments that have been attained in training and in active duty. Below is a description of the Air Force Medals that the department may issue. There are two good conduct medals that are presented to Air Force service people, the first is the Air Force Reserve Good Conduct Medal which is issued by the United States Armed Forces to members of the Air Force Reserve and National Guard. The Air Force Good Conduct Medal is given to those who have demonstrated good conduct while serving as an active service member for a specified amount of time. Three Air Force service medals may be awarded to those deserving of recognition for their service in the Air Force. The first Air Force medal for service is the Air and Space Campaign Medal which is given to those that supported a significant U.S. military operation for a specific period of time. The next service medal is the Combat Readiness Medal which may be awarded to any member of U.S. Air Force or Air Force Reserve, for displaying combat mission readiness. The final and newest of the service medals is the Air Force Combat Action Medal which may be issued for a service member’s participation in combat activities. There are six meritorious medals that can be awarded for commendable action. The Achievement Medal recognizes the contributions of junior officers and enlisted personnel. The Commendation Medal is a military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. The Aerial Achievement Medal is presented to any member of the U.S. military who distinguishes themselves by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. The Airman’s Medal is an Air Force medal that is awarded to those service members who distinguish themselves by heroic actions in a non-combative situation. The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to any member of the Air Force who has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the U. S. Government in a duty of great responsibility. This award is designed for higher-ranking Air Force leaders. The Air Force Cross is the highest medal that can be awarded to Air Force members next to the Medal of Honor and is awarded to any service member that distinguishes him or herself by displaying extraordinary heroism in combat.
Ribbons of Achievement (Air Force)
April 2nd 2009 - 2:47 pm
There are many ribbons awarded to United Staes Air Force members, but the following are specifically awarded for achievement. The United States Air Force issues Air Force ribbons for achievements that are attained throughout an Air Force service member’s training and career. The Air Force Training Ribbon is the first attainable decoration of the United States Air Force since it is awarded to U.S. Air Force service members upon completion of initial accession training. The next Air Force ribbons available are the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, which is awarded for an expert qualification on the M-16 rifle, M-4 Carbine or the individual’s designated handgun weapon and the Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon which came out in 1976 and was designed to award the graduates of Air Force basic training who obtained an honor graduate designation and demonstrated superiority in all areas of academic and military training. The NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon is issued by the United States Air Force and is awarded for completion of arranged non-commissioned officer professional development programs that are beneficial to an air force service member’s training. The Air Force Recruiting Service Ribbon recognizes those military service members who have completed a predetermined amount of time spent as a military recruiter. The Air Force Basic Military Training Instructor Ribbon is awarded to any member of the Air Force who completes at least twelve consecutive months of duty as a military training instructor. The Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon is awarded for completing four years of Active, Reserve, or Air National Guard service. The Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon is awarded to any member of the Air Force who completes a standard contingency deployment. An Overseas Service Ribbon is a service award which recognizes those service members who have performed military tours of duty outside the borders of the United States of America. There are short tour service ribbons and long tour service ribbons that can be awarded. The Air Force Recognition Ribbon is a decoration of the United States Air Force which is intended to recognize those who have received awards for accomplishment and excellence while serving on active duty in the United States Air Force that can not be displayed upon the uniform, such as trophies. The ribbon is designed to represent the accomplishment that could not be worn on the uniform. The Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon is awarded to any member of the U.S. Air Force who is nominated by their Major Command, Field Operating Agency, or Direct Reporting Unit for competition in the Outstanding Airmen of the Year Program. This is the most prestigious award of all Air Force ribbons.
