The Special Operations Service Ribbon is a service award of the
United States Coast Guard which was first created 1 July 1987 by order of Commandant of the Coast Guard,
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Paul A. Yost Jr.
Paul Alexander Yost Jr. (January 3, 1929February 9, 2022) was an admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 18th commandant from 1986 to 1990.
Early life and career
He was a native of St. Petersburg, Florida. He graduated from th ...
The award is authorized for certain acts of non-combat meritorious service, for which no other service medal or ribbon is authorized.
The four main areas of eligibility, for the presentation of the Special Operations Service Ribbon, are listed as follows:
* Coast Guard operations of a special nature involving multiple agency involvement pertaining to national security or law enforcement.
* Coast Guard operations of a special nature in support of special events drawing large media interest and public attention.
* Coast Guard operations or involvement with foreign government in all areas of saving life and property at sea.
* Coast Guard operations of assistance for friendly and/or developing nations.
Initially a one-time award precluded from the use of
service stars, multiple awards of the Special Operations Service Ribbon are now denoted by
service stars.
The
Commandant of the Coast Guard has also periodically authorized award of the Special Operations Service Ribbon to certain warships, aviation squadrons and other selected units of the
U.S. Navy, primarily for support of USCG-led counter-narcotics (CN) and drug interdiction operations and to
U.S. Navy and
U.S. Air Force units assisting in search-and-rescue and/or natural disaster operations in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.
See also
*
Awards and decorations of the United States military
The United States Armed Forces awards and decorations are primarily the medals, service ribbons, and specific badges which recognize military service and personal accomplishments while a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. Such awards are a means t ...
References
Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard
Awards established in 1987
US Coast Guard ribbon symbolism
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