MyMilitaryMedals.com Blog
Coast Guard Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
July 24th 2010 - 12:09 pm
Both the Air Force and the Coast Guard offer medals of America as awards for exceptional recruits who graduate at the top of their basic training classes. The Coast Guard created their Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon in March of 1984. These US military medals are bestowed upon those service members who graduate in the top three percent of their basic training instruction class. These Coast Guard ribbons may be awarded retroactively upon application from a service member to the Coast Guard, but supporting documentation and a written request must be supplied for the request to be granted. These Coast Guard ribbons have no corresponding military medals. Due to the one-time-only nature of graduating from basic training, there are no provisions for additional awards of the Coast Guard Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon. These military ribbons are worn below the Coast Guard Restricted Duty Ribbon and above the Philippine Defense Medal in the general order of precedence established by the Coast Guard for display of all military awards. The Restricted Duty Ribbon is available as a lapel pin, and is often worn as a traditional slide on military ribbons. Nowadays however, more and more military service personnel are realizing the value to their career goals of always having their uniform decorations looking their best, and have turned to the slimmer and trimmer thin military medals and mini medals and the ultra thin ribbon racks to provide them with the smartest looking military award displays possible.
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon
July 17th 2010 - 9:09 pm
The Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon was created in June of 2003. These US military medals are bestowed upon any member of the Air Force who completes a standard contingency deployment. These medals of America represent either 45 consecutive days or 90 non-consecutive days in a deployed status. Temporary duty qualifies toward the 90 day requirement, but deployments exceeding the 45-90 day requirement for a single duty tour only qualify for a single issuance of this ribbon. The Air Force does not issue corresponding military medals in association with this award. A Gold Frame is available for these military ribbons for service members who serve in official combat zones while deployed, whether they participate in actual combat or not. This Gold Frame is a one-time decoration regardless of the number of combat operations in which a service member may be involved. The Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border may also be awarded to certain "over-the horizon" combat assignments, such as remotely piloted vehicle operators for employing a long-range weapon into a combat zone. Such personnel, however, must have first earned the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon before these Air Force ribbons can be upgraded with a Gold Frame. The Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon is worn below the Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon and above the Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon in the general order of precedence that the Air Force has established for the display of all military medals and ribbons. These military ribbons are available as retroactive awards to October of 1999, and additional awards are denoted by Oak Leaf Clusters. These Air Force awards are available as military ribbons and lapel pins, and are traditionally worn as slide-on military ribbons. Nowadays however, ever increasing numbers of Air Force service personnel are beginning to realize the value to their career goals of always having their uniform decorations looking their best, and have turned to the slimmer and trimmer ultra thin ribbon racks to provide them with the smartest looking military award displays possible.
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon
July 16th 2010 - 4:01 am
The Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon was created by the Air Force Chief of Staff in 1980. These US military medals were authorized in two grades designated Short Tour and Long Tour, respectively. These medals of America which honor the Long Tour are presented to Air Force personnel who serve tours of duty of more than two years in duration. Long tour credit is awarded for completion of a overseas long tour (2 years) prescribed by Air Force Instructions, or to any member assigned to a United States or overseas location who is subsequently sent under temporary duty orders (to include combat tours) for 365 or more days within a 3-year time frame. There are no corresponding military medals for this award. Additional awards of the Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon are denoted by Oak Leaf Clusters. Personnel are allowed to wear both the short and long tour ribbons simultaneously. The "A" device is authorized only on the short tour ribbon to any service member who performs a tour of duty at an arctic based Air Force facility. These Air Force ribbons are worn below the Air Force Overseas Short Tour Ribbon and above the Air Force Expeditionary Ribbon in the general order of precedence which the Air Force established for the display of all military medals and ribbons. They are generally available as Air Force ribbons and lapel pins which were traditionally worn as slide-on military ribbons. Nowadays however, ever increasing numbers of Air Force personnel are realizing the value to their career goals of always having their uniform decorations looking their best, and have turned to the slimmer and trimmer ultra thin ribbon racks to provide them with the smartest looking military award displays possible.
The United States AF Short Tour Ribbon
July 15th 2010 - 6:56 am
The Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon was created by the Air Force Chief of Staff in 1980. These medals of America were authorized in two grades designated Short Tour and Long Tour, respectively. These US military medals honoring the Short Tour are presented to Air Force personnel who serve tours of duty of less than two years in duration. Normally, these Air Force ribbons are awarded for a permanent duty assignment of at least 181 consecutive days or, if stationed overseas, 300 days within an 18-month time span; such assignments are generally served unaccompanied by family members, though a short tour assignment need not be unaccompanied. Historically, most Short Tour Service Ribbons were awarded for service in South Korea, by far the most common short tour assignment in the USAF. There are no corresponding military medals for this award. Additional awards of the Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon are denoted by Oak Leaf Clusters. Air Force personnel are allowed to wear both of these medals of America simultaneously. The "A" device is authorized only on the short tour ribbon to any service member who performs a tour of duty at an arctic based Air Force facility. These military ribbons are worn below the Air and Space Campaign Medal and above the Air Force Overseas Long Tour ribbon in the general order of precedence that the Air Force has established for the display of all military medals and ribbons. They are generally available as Air Force ribbons and lapel pins, and were traditionally worn as slide on ribbons. Nowadays however, more and more military service personnel are realizing the value to their career goals of always having their uniform decorations looking their best, and have turned to the slimmer and trimmer ultra thin ribbon racks to provide them with the smartest looking military award displays possible.
Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon
July 9th 2010 - 11:12 am
The Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon was created in 1984. These US military medals are awarded to honor Coast Guard personnel who complete more than 12 consecutive months of sea duty on a Coast Guard cutter, in a Fleet Training Group, or aboard certain other Coast Guard craft under official Coast Guard orders. These military ribbons are sometimes awarded for service aboard a non-Coast Guard vessel that is under Coast Guard Control. Unlike most medals of America these ribbons have no corresponding military medals. When additional awards of this military ribbon are presented for a further three years of sea service, they are displayed as Service Stars on the previously awarded military ribbon. These military ribbons are worn after the Coast Guard Special Operations Medal and before the Coast Guard Restricted Duty Ribbon in the order of precedence for all military ribbons and medals. Like most Coast Guard awards, these military ribbons are available as traditional slide-on ribbons, lapel pins and a unit banner. Nowadays however, more and more military service personnel are realizing the value to their career goals of always having their uniform decorations looking their best, and have turned to the slimmer and trimmer ultra thin ribbon racks to provide them with the smartest looking military award displays possible.
Korean Defense Service Medal
July 3rd 2010 - 11:34 pm
President George W. Bush created The Korea Defense Service Medal in 2002 by issuing an Executive Order. These US military medals are authorized for service members who have served in the Republic of Korea to uphold the armistice since July of 1954. These military decorations are medals of America, and not foreign issued medals. These military medals and ribbons are the reward for serving at least thirty consecutive days in the Korean theater. They are also granted for 60 non-consecutive days of service which includes reservists on annual training in Korea. The time requirements are waived in the case of service persons that have participated in actual combat, were wounded, injured, or worked in flight crews who flew sorties which totaled more than 30 days of duty in Korean airspace. United States Service members from all five branches of the military who performed duties during October 1966 through June 1974 may be entitled to the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal as a simultaneous award. Only one presentation of the Korea Defense Service Medal is authorized for any one person. It is worn below the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and above the Armed Forces Service Medal in the general order of precedence which has been established for all military ribbons and medals. These military awards can be worn as traditional full size military medals, mini medals, military ribbons, and lapel pins. They are available as traditional slide-on, full size military medals, mini-medals, and slide-on military ribbons. Nowadays however, more and more military service personnel are realizing the value to their career goals of always having their uniform decorations looking their best, and have turned to the slimmer and trimmer thin military medals and mini medals and the ultra thin ribbon racks to provide them with the smartest looking military award displays possible.
