Army/Air Force Presidential Unit Citation

In February of 1942 the Distinguished Unit Citation was created for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, as the first version of a Presidential Unit Citation. The Distinguished Unit Citation was adopted as an award in the form of Air Force ribbons in 1947, after the Air Force was made a separate branch of service. Both the Army and the Air Force changed the name of these medals of America to the Presidential Unit Citation in November of 1966, and now these Air Force and the Army ribbons are shared by these two branches of our United States military services. The Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard share their version of the Presidential Unit Citation. The Presidential Unit Citation is the unit equivalent of the individual Army and Air Force Cross Medals, and may be awarded to US allies as well as US Armed Forces personnel for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. These US military medals are the most prestigious of all unit awards, and recipients must have shown gallantry, determination, and cohesiveness under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions so as to set its performance apart and above that of other units. In the Army and Air Force, every member of the unit at the time the actions take place for which these military medals are issued may wear these military ribbons weather or not they participated in the actual event. In the Army, the PUC is worn above the right pocket, while in the Air Force it is worn on the left pocket below all personnel awards. In the general order of precedence which has been established for the proper display of all military medals and ribbons, the Presidential Unit Citations are worn below Army and Air Force Achievement Medals and the Air Force Combat Action Medal and above Defense Joint Meritorious Unit Awards, Army Valorous Unit Awards, and Air Force Gallant Unit Citations. Some branches of service offer special clasps to commemorate specific events for which the Presidential Unit Citations are awarded. The Army and Air Force also each have their own unique unit streamer to represent receipt of Presidential Unit Citations. Presidential Unit Citations are generally available as Army and Air Force military ribbons, lapel pins and unit streamers.