A inch star (9.7mm) is a miniature

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

five-pointed star A five-pointed star (☆), geometrically an equilateral concave decagon, is a common ideogram in modern culture. Comparatively rare in classical heraldry, it was notably introduced for the flag of the United States in the Flag Act of 1777 and s ...

that is authorized by the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

as a ribbon device to denote subsequent awards for specific

decorations Decoration may refer to: * Decorative arts * A house painter and decorator's craft * An act or object intended to increase the beauty of a person, room, etc. * An award that is a token of recognition to the recipient intended for wearing Other ...

of the

Department of the Navy Navy Department or Department of the Navy may refer to: * United States Department of the Navy, * Navy Department (Ministry of Defence), in the United Kingdom, 1964-1997 * Confederate States Department of the Navy, 1861-1865 * Department of the ...

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

Public Health Service In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

, and

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

. A gold star indicates a second or subsequent decoration, while a silver star is worn in lieu of five gold stars. A ( inch) silver star is not to be confused with representing a

Silver Star Medal The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an en ...

(Silver Star).

inch star usage

inch stars are worn on a medal suspension and

service ribbon A medal ribbon, service ribbon or ribbon bar is a small ribbon, mounted on a small metal bar equipped with an attaching device, which is generally issued for wear in place of a medal when it is not appropriate to wear the actual medal. Each cou ...

with one point of the star pointing up. Up to five stars can be worn on a ribbon. There are no higher degrees of stars authorized after five silver stars. On miniature medals, a special star is worn on the medal's suspension ribbon in lieu of a star. If the number of authorized stars exceeds five, a second service ribbon is worn after the first service ribbon. The second service ribbon counts as one additional personal award, after which more stars may be added to the second ribbon. If future awards reduce the number of stars worn on the first ribbon due to gold stars being replaced by a silver star, the second service ribbon is removed and the appropriate number of star devices are placed on the first service ribbon. When bronze or gold stars or bronze

oak leaf cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...

attachments are worn in addition to a silver star or silver oak leaf attachment, the bronze or gold stars (bronze oak leaf clusters) are arranged symmetrically on the ribbon in relation to the centered silver device. For example: The first star (cluster) to the wearer's right of the centered silver device; the second to the wearer's left, etc.United States Navy Uniform Regulations Manual
art. 5316.2.d.

Examples

The following are examples of the first through twenty-sixth awards of a

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to recei ...

with the gold and silver inch stars:

Authorized decorations

inch stars are authorized for wear on the following

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, and

decorations ( inch stars are not authorized for wear on non-decorations when a subsequent decoration is awarded to members of the seven

uniformed services Uniformed services is an abstract term that are generally bodies of people in employment of a state who wear a distinct uniform that differentiates them from the public and private sector. Their purpose is to maintain the peace, security, safety, ...

: the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

, Navy,

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The US Army and US Air Force use an

to indicate a subsequent decoration (oak leaf clusters are also authorized for wear on some non-decorations); a bronze oak leaf cluster is equivalent to a gold star and a silver oak leaf cluster is equivalent to a silver star.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:5 16 inch star Devices and accouterments of United States military awards Star symbols

inch star usage

Examples

Authorized decorations

See also

References

External links