Air Medal
Air Medal military decorations were created by Franklin D. Roosevelt with an Executive Order effective on May11, 1942, which also made provisions for retroactive awards to September 8, 1939. These medals of America are awarded to servicepersons in any branch of the United States Armed Forces, who distinguish themselves by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. These military medals are primarily intended to recognize those personnel who are on current crew member or non-crew member flying status requiring them to participate in aerial flight on a regular basis in the performance of their primary duties. Air Medals may recognize single acts of heroism, or meritorious service. In certain circumstances, servicepersons who make discernable contributions to the mission of the aircraft in flight while functioning as a crew member, but who are not on flying status, may also be awarded these military ribbons and medals.
A partial list of the many famous people who have received Air Medals includes Jimmy Doolittle, Clark Gable, James Stewart, Ed McMahon, Ted Williams, Gene Roddenberry, Chuck Yeager, George H. W. Bush, John McCain, Colin Powell, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Gus Grissom, and Jim Lovell.
Air Medals may be awarded multiple times, and each branch of service handles it their own way. During the Vietnam War, the number of Air Medals awarded by the U.S. Army became too large for the original Oak Leaf Clusters to represent, so they now issue Award Numerals. The U.S. Air Force still uses traditional Oak Leaf Clusters to denote multiple awards of the Air Medal. Both the Army and the Air Force have approved the Valor Device, awarded for acts of heroism, to be worn on the Air Medal, but in the Air Force, the Valor Device may only be worn on Air Medal decorations awarded after October 21, 2004.
There are two types of Air Medal awards made for U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine personnel. The individual Air Medal is presented for singular meritorious acts; and the strike/flight Air Medal is awarded for participation in sustained aerial flight operations. Subsequent awards of these US military medals are displayed differently, depending on when the awards were made. If the awards were made during the period between November 22, 1989 and September 27, 2006, Gold and Silver Stars were used to denote multiple awards. Gold Stars were used to indicate the second through fifth, and seventh through tenth presentations, while Silver Stars were used to denote six or eleven cumulative awards. Before November 22, 1989, and after September 27, 2006, Gold Numerals denote multiple awards for individual Air Medals, and Bronze Numerals indicate multiple awards for strike/flight Air Medals. Individual Air Medals may also display the Valor Device, when authorized.
Air Medals issued in the U.S. Coast Guard handle subsequent awards with Gold or Silver Stars, but have not authorized any additional devices for display on these military medals.
The Air Medal is worn below the Meritorious Service Medal and above the Aerial Achievement Medal in the general order of precedence which controls the proper display of all military medals and ribbons for the United States military services. They can be worn as full size military medals, military mini medals, military ribbons, and lapel pins. These military decorations are available as traditional slide-on, full size military medals or mini-medals, and traditional slide-on military ribbons; or in the newer, custom thin mini-medals and ultra thin military ribbons which are being embraced by members of the modern military who value their sleeker appearance as a competitive edge that promotes their advancement through the ranks of their respective services.
