Achievement Medal

Achievement Medal
Five different versions of the Achievement Medal are awarded: one for Joint Service, Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard
Awarded by United States Department of Defense
Type	Medal (decoration)
Eligibility	Military personnel only
Awarded for	"Meritorious service or achievement in either combat or noncombat situations based on sustained performance or specific achievement of a superlative nature but which does not warrant a Commendation Medal or higher."
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps (1961) U.S. Coast Guard (1963) U.S. Army (1981) U.S. Air Force (1981) U.S. Joint Service (1983)
Precedence
Next (higher)	Commendation Medals
Next (lower)	Navy and Marine Corps: Combat Action Ribbon Army: Prisoner of War Medal Air Force: Combat Action Medal Coast Guard: Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon
Service ribbons for the Joint Service, Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Achievement Medals

The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize the contributions of junior officers and enlisted personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service Medal.

Each military service issues its own version of the Achievement Medal, with a fifth version authorized by the U.S. Department of Defense for joint military activity. The Achievement Medal is awarded for outstanding achievement or meritorious service not of a nature that would otherwise warrant awarding the Commendation Medal. Since the Achievement Medal is designated as an award solely for junior personnel, it is generally only awarded to officers in the pay grade of O-4 and below and enlisted personnel below the grade of E-7. Award authority rests with local commanders, granting a broad discretion of when and for what action the Achievement Medal may be awarded.

History

U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps

The Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (NAM), is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' version of the Achievement Medal. The United States Navy was the first branch of the United States Armed Forces to award such a medal, doing so in 1961, when it was dubbed the “Secretary of the Navy Commendation for Achievement Medal”. This title was shortened in 1967 to simply, the "Navy Achievement Medal". On 19 August 1994, to recognize those of the United States Marine Corps who had received the Navy Achievement Medal, the name of the decoration was officially changed to the "Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal". The award is referred to in shorthand speech as a "NAM."

Chain of Command approval

From its inception in the early 1960s to 2002, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal could not be approved by the commanding officers of ships, submarines, aviation squadron, or shore activities who held the rank of Commander (O-5). Awards for crewmembers had to be submitted to the Commodore or Air Wing Commander or the first appropriate O-6 in the chain of command for approval, who then signed the award and returned it. This led to a dramatically lower awarding rate when compared to similar size units in the Army or Air Force awarding their own achievement medals, especially considering that those services did not establish their respective achievement medals until the 1980s. Since 2002 the commanding officers of aviation squadrons and ships have had the authority to award NAMs without submission to higher authority.^[1] For the Army, battalion commanders (or the first O-5 in a soldier's chain of command) is the approving authority for the Army Achievement Medal.

U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force

The United States Coast Guard created its own Achievement Medal in 1967; the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force issued their own versions of the award with the Army Achievement Medal in 1981^[2] and Air Force Achievement Medal in 1980.^[3] Effective 11 September 2001, the Army Achievement Medal may be awarded in a combat area.^[4] Since this change over sixty thousand Army Achievement Medals have been awarded in theaters of operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan.^[5]

Joint Service Achievement Medal

The Joint Service Achievement Medal was created in 1983.^[6]^[7] This award was considered a Department of Defense decoration senior to the service department Achievement Medals.

Ribbon devices

The following devices may be authorized to be worn on the following achievement medals suspension ribbon and service ribbon:

Army Achievement Medal, for additional awards - oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal, for additional awards - oak leaf clusters
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, for additional awards - 5/16 inch stars
Coast Guard Achievement Medal, for additional awards - 5/16 inch stars
Joint Service Achievement Medal (all service branches), for additional awards - oak leaf clusters

Air Force Achievement Medal - "V" Device
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal - Combat Distinguishing Device (Combat "V")
Coast Guard Achievement Medal - Combat Distinguishing Device (Combat "V")
Coast Guard Achievement Medal - Operational Distinguishing Device ("O" device) ^[3]

References

↑ SECNAVINST 1650.1H - NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AWARDS MANUAL (PDF) (Report). United States Navy. August 22, 2006. p. 13. Retrieved August 2015.
↑ "Error". pentagon.mil.
1 2 "Factsheets : Air Force Achievement Medal". af.mil.
↑ 578.21 Army Achievement Medal
↑ Awards and Decorations Statistics by Conflict, Operation or Incident
↑ "Error". pentagon.mil.
↑ "Factsheets : Joint Service Achievement Medal". af.mil.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Achievement Medal.

Inter-service awards and decorations of the United States military

Federal military decorations	Medal of Honor Silver Star Medal Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal

Department level military decorations	Defense Distinguished Service Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Defense Meritorious Service Joint Service Commendation Joint Service Achievement Joint Meritorious Unit

Federal service medals	Prisoner of War National Defense Service Medal Antarctica Service Korean Service Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Southwest Asia Service Kosovo Campaign Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Outstanding Volunteer Service Armed Forces Reserve

Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force

Decorations	Air Force Cross Air Force Distinguished Service Airman's Medal Aerial Achievement Air Force Commendation Air Force Achievement

Service medals	Air Force Combat Action Combat Readiness Good Conduct Air and Space Campaign Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal

Unit awards	Presidential Unit Citation Gallant Unit Citation Air Force Meritorious Unit Outstanding Unit Organizational Excellence

Service ribbons	Outstanding Airman of the Year Air Force Recognition Overseas Service Short Tour Overseas Service Long Tour Air Force Expeditionary Service Air Force Longevity Air Force Special Duty NCO PME Graduate Basic Training Honor Graduate Marksmanship Air Force Training

Awards and decorations of the United States Army

Decorations	Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Medal Soldier's Medal Army Commendation Army Achievement

Good conduct	Army Good Conduct Reserve Achievement

Unit awards	Presidential Unit Citation Valorous Unit Meritorious Unit Commendation Superior Unit

Service ribbons	Sea Duty NCO Professional Development Army Service Overseas Service Reserve Overseas Training

Military awards of the United States Department of the Navy

Personal decorations	Navy Cross Navy Distinguished Service Navy and Marine Corps Medal Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Combat Action

Unit awards	Presidential Unit Citation Navy Unit Commendation Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Navy E Ribbon

Good Conduct medals	Navy Good Conduct Marine Corps Good Conduct Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Selected Marine Corps Reserve

Expeditionary medals	Navy Expeditionary Marine Corps Expeditionary

Service ribbon awards	Overseas Service Sea Service Arctic Service Navy Recruiting Service Marine Corps Recruiting Service Navy Recruit Training Service Marine Corps Drill Instructor Marine Corps Security Guard Marine Corps Combat Instructor Navy Ceremonial Duty Navy Reserve Sea Service

Marksmanship	Navy Expert Rifleman Medal Navy Sharpshooter Rifle Ribbon Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal Navy Sharpshooter Pistol Shot Ribbon Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon

Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard

Decorations	Coast Guard Cross Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Medal Commendation Medal Achievement Medal Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon

Lifesaving Medals	Gold Lifesaving Medal Silver Lifesaving Medal

Unit Awards	Presidential Unit Citation Coast Guard Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation Meritorious Team Commendation Coast Guard E Ribbon

Conduct Medals	Good Conduct Medal Reserve Good Conduct Medal

Service Awards	Combat Action Ribbon Enlisted Person of the Year Ribbon Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal Special Operations Service Ribbon Sea Service Ribbon Restricted Duty Ribbon Overseas Service Ribbon Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon Recruiting Service Ribbon

Marksmanship	Distinguished Marksman Medal Distinguished Pistol Shot Medal Silver Excellence-in-Competition Rifle Medal Silver Pistol Excellence-in-Competition Medal Bronze Excellence-in-Competition Rifle Medal Bronze Pistol Excellence-in-Competition Medal Expert Rifle Medal Expert Pistol Medal Sharpshooter Rifle Ribbon Sharpshooter Pistol Ribbon Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon

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