The Meritorious Unit Award or MUA is a mid level unit award of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

and

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space force branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces, armed forces of the United States and one of the eight uniformed services of the Unite ...

. Established in 2004, the award recognizes those units who demonstrate exceptionally meritorious conduct in direct support of combat operations. Eligible service is retroactive to 11 September 2001.

Criteria

Approved in March 2004 by the Secretary of the Air Force, the Meritorious Unit Award is awarded in the name of the Secretary to recognize squadrons, groups, or wings for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding achievement or service in direct support of combat operations for at least 90 continuous days during the period of military operations against an armed enemy of the United States on or after 11 September 2001. The recommended unit must display such outstanding devotion and superior performance of exceptionally difficult tasks as to set it apart and above other units with similar missions. The degree of achievement required is the same as that which would warrant award of the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

to an individual. Superior performance of the normal mission alone does not justify award of the MUC. Service in a combat zone is not required, but service must be directly related to the combat effort. The MUA is worn immediately after the Gallant Unit Citation (GUC) and before the Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA). Additional awards of the MUA are denoted by bronze oak leaf clusters. The MUA is not awarded to any unit or unit component that was previously awarded the Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award, the Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award (ASOEA), or unit awards from other service components for the same act, achievement, or service. The component commander will automatically consider all disapproved Meritorious Unit Awards for the Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award.

References

{{USAF decorations Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force Awards and decorations of the United States Space Force Awards established in 2004