- Achievement Medal
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Achievement Medal
Five different versions of the Achievement Medal are awarded: one for Joint Service, Army, Air Force, Navy & Marine Corps, and the Coast GuardAwarded by United States Department of Defense Type Medal Eligibility Military Personnel Only Awarded for "Meritorious service or achievement in either combat or noncombat 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 Navy/Marine Corps - 1961
Coast Guard - 1963
Army - 1981
Air Force - 1981
Joint Service - 1983Precedence Next (higher) Commendation Medals Next (lower) Navy & Marine Corps - Combat Action Ribbon
Army - Prisoner of War Medal
Air Force - Combat Action Medal
Coast Guard - Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon
ribbons for Joint, Army, Air Force, Navy & Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Achievement MedalsThe Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States military. 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 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.
Contents
The first service to issue the Achievement Medal was the United States Navy in 1961. The medal was originally entitled the “Secretary of the Navy Commendation for Achievement Medal,” but this title was shortened in 1967 to the "Navy Achievement Medal." In 1994, to recognize United States Marines who had received the Navy Achievement Medal, the name of the decoration was officially changed to the "Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal." Nonetheless, the award is still referred to in shorthand as a 'NAM.' The 'NAM' is often issued to personnel for satisfactory performance of routine duties. [1]
Coast Guard, Army and Air Force
The United States Coast Guard created its own Achievement Medal in 1967; however, the United States 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]. The Joint Service Achievement Medal was created in 1983.[4] This award was considered a Department of Defense decoration senior to the service department Achievement Medals. Effective 11 September 2001, the Army Achievement Medal may be awarded in a combat area.[5]Since this change over sixty thousand Army Achievement Medals have been awarded in theaters of operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. [6]
Devices
Additional awards of the Achievement Medal are denoted by oak leaf clusters, except for the Navy and Coast Guard which issues award stars. Oak leaf clusters are awarded by all services for the Joint Services Achievement Medal. The Valor device may also be awarded for the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard versions of the Achievement Medal. The Operational Distinguishing Device may also be authorized for wear on the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, upon approval of the awarding authority.
Chain of command for approval
From its inception to 2002, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal could not be approved by ship or squadron captains who were the rank of Commander. Awards for crewmembers had to be submitted to the Commodore or 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. Since 2002 the commanders of squadrons and ships have the authority to award NAMs without submission to higher authority.
See also
- Awards and decorations of the United States government
- Awards and decorations of the United States military
- Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard
External links
References
Inter-service awards and decorations of the United States militaryFederal military decorations DoD decorations Defense Distinguished Service · Defense Superior Service · Defense Meritorious Service · Joint Service Commendation · Joint Service Achievement · Joint Meritorious UnitFederal service medals National Defense Service Medal · Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal · Humanitarian Service Medal · Outstanding Volunteer Service · Armed Forces Service Medal · Armed Forces Reserve · POW · Antarctica Service · Korean Service · Korea Defense Service · Vietnam Service · Southwest Asia Service · Kosovo Campaign · Afghanistan Campaign Medal · Iraq Campaign Medal · GWOT Expeditionary Medal · GWOT Service MedalDecorations Air Force Cross · Air Force Distinguished Service · Airman's Medal · Aerial Achievement · Air Force Commendation · Air Force AchievementService medals Unit awards 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 · Military Training Instructor · Air Force Recruiter · NCO PME Graduate · Basic Training Honor Graduate · Marksmanship · Air Force TrainingDecorations Distinguished Service Cross · Distinguished Service Medal · Soldier's Medal · Army Commendation · Army AchievementGood conduct Unit awards Service ribbons Meritorious medals Navy Cross · Navy Distinguished Service · Navy and Marine Corps Medal · Navy and Marine Corps Commendation · Navy and Marine Corps AchievementExpeditionary medals Good Conduct medals Unit awards _Presidential_Unit_Citation ·__ Presidential Unit Citation · Navy Unit Commendation · Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation · Navy E Ribbon Ribbons Marksmanship _Navy_Expert_Rifleman_Medal ·__ _ Navy_Sharpshooter_Rifle_Ribbon ·__ Navy Expert Rifleman Medal · _ Navy_Sharpshooter_Rifle_Ribbon ·__ Navy Sharpshooter Rifle Ribbon · Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon · _ Navy_Expert_Pistol_Shot_Medal ·__ _ Navy_Sharpshooter_Pistol_Shot_Medal ·__ Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal · _ Navy_Sharpshooter_Pistol_Shot_Medal ·__ Navy Sharpshooter Pistol Shot Medal · Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon Decorations Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal · Coast Guard Medal · Commendation Medal · Achievement Medal · Commandant's Letter of Commendation RibbonLifesaving Medals Unit Awards Conduct Medals Service Awards _Combat_Action_Ribbon _·__ 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 _·__ Overseas Service Ribbon · Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon · Recruiting Service Ribbon Marksmanship _Distinguished_Marksman_Ribbon _·__ _ Silver_Excellence_in_Competition_Rifle_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Bronze_Excellence_in_Competition_Rifle_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Expert_Rifle_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Sharpshooter_Rifle_Ribbon_ ·__ Distinguished Marksman Ribbon · _ Silver_Excellence_in_Competition_Rifle_Ribbon _·__ _ Bronze_Excellence_in_Competition_Rifle_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Expert_Rifle_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Sharpshooter_Rifle_Ribbon_ ·__ Silver Excellence in Competition Rifle Ribbon · _ Bronze_Excellence_in_Competition_Rifle_Ribbon _·__ _ Expert_Rifle_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Sharpshooter_Rifle_Ribbon_ ·__ Bronze Excellence in Competition Rifle Ribbon · _ Expert_Rifle_Ribbon _·__ _ Sharpshooter_Rifle_Ribbon_ ·__ Expert Rifle Ribbon · _ Sharpshooter_Rifle_Ribbon _·__ Sharpshooter Rifle Ribbon · Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon · _ Distinguished_Pistol_Shot_Ribbon _·__ _ Silver_Pistol_Excellence_in_Competition_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Bronze_Pistol_Excellence_in_Competition_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Expert_Pistol_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Sharpshooter_Pistol_Ribbon_ ·__ Distinguished Pistol Shot Ribbon · _ Silver_Pistol_Excellence_in_Competition_Ribbon _·__ _ Bronze_Pistol_Excellence_in_Competition_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Expert_Pistol_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Sharpshooter_Pistol_Ribbon_ ·__ Silver Pistol Excellence in Competition Ribbon · _ Bronze_Pistol_Excellence_in_Competition_Ribbon _·__ _ Expert_Pistol_Ribbon_ ·__ _ Sharpshooter_Pistol_Ribbon_ ·__ Bronze Pistol Excellence in Competition Ribbon · _ Expert_Pistol_Ribbon _·__ _ Sharpshooter_Pistol_Ribbon_ ·__ Expert Pistol Ribbon · _ Sharpshooter_Pistol_Ribbon _·__ Sharpshooter Pistol Ribbon · Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon Categories:- Military awards and decorations of the United States
- Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard
- Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force
- Awards established in 1961
- Awards established in 1994
- Awards established in 1967
- Awards established in 1981
- Awards established in 1983
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