Gold frame

A gold frame is an attachment to a |military decoration which is issued by the militaries of some countries. The gold frame is designed to enclose an award ribbon and is usually a means of distinguishing the ribbon’s special quality or denoting some additional achievement to the award's basic criteria.

The gold frame is normally an automatic attachment to a ribbon decoration. In certain cases, however, awards may be issued both with and without the gold frame depending upon the level of achievement. Such is the case in the United States Air Force which denotes the gold frame as a "gold border". The Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon may be presented with a gold border when the decoration is presented for service in a designated combat zone.

The gold frame and gold border is a device for ribbon awards only, and there are no provisions for issuing the attachment for medals.

United States

Active duty

Presidential Unit Citation (Army & Air Force.) (Air Force version may be issued without gold border)
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Valorous Unit Award (Army)
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)
Superior Unit Award (Army)
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (Air Force) (May be issued without gold border)
Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award (USCG; now obsolete)

National Guard

Alaska Governors Distinguished Unit Citation
California Governor's Outstanding Unit Citation
California Commanding General's Meritorious Unit Citation
Delaware National Guard Governor's Meritorious Unit Award
Delaware National Guard Unit Strength Award
Florida Governor's Meritorious Unit Citation
Georgia Distinguished Unit Ribbon
Idaho Governor's Outstanding Unit Citation
Idaho Adjutant General's Excellence Award
Iowa Outstanding Unit Award
Louisiana F.E. Herbert Meritorious Unit Commendation
Maryland Adjutant General's Distinguished Unit Ribbon
Massachusetts Meritorious Unit Citation
Nevada Governor's Outstanding Unit Award
New Jersey Governor's Unit Award
New Jersey Unit Strength Award
New Mexico Outstanding Unit Citation
North Carolina Governor's Unit Citation
North Carolina Meritorious Unit Citation
North Carolina Outstanding Unit Award
North Dakota State Outstanding Unit Citation
North Dakota Governor's Outstanding Unit Citation
Oklahoma Governor's Distinguished Unit Award
Oklahoma Commander’s Trophy Award Ribbon
Oregon Superior Unit Ribbon
Pennsylvania Governor's Unit Citation
Rhode Island Gubernatorial Unit Award
South Carolina Governor's Unit Citation
South Dakota Desert Storm Unit Citation
South Dakota Unit Citation
South Dakota Distinguished Unit Award
Tennessee Meritorious Unit Citation
Tennessee Distinguished Unit Citation
Tennessee Outstanding Unit Performance Commendation
Tennessee Volunteer Recruiting and Retention Unit Citation
Texas Governor's Unit Citation
Washington Unit Citation
West Virginia Distinguished Unit Award

Australia

Unit Citation for Gallantry
Meritorious Unit Citation

Vietnam

Presidential Unit Citation (Vietnam)
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (Vietnam)
Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation (Vietnam)

Other countries

Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)
Croix de Guerre unit award (Luxembourg)
Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines)

See also

Notes