Achievement Medal

Achievement Medal
Achievement Medal
Achievement.jpg
Five different versions of the Achievement Medal are awarded: one for Joint Service, Army, Air Force, Navy & Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard
Awarded 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 - 1983
Precedence
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
Us jointservachiev rib.svg Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg

Air Force Achievement ribbon.svg Navy and Marine Corps Achievement ribbon.svg
Coast Guard Achievement ribbon.svg
ribbons for Joint, Army, Air Force, Navy & Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Achievement Medals

The 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

Navy and Marines

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

External links

References


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