The Achievement Medal is a military
decoration
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
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 the ...
. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher
Commendation Medal
The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...
or the
Meritorious Service Medal.
Each military service issues its own version of the Achievement Medal, with a fifth version authorized by the
U.S. 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. Award authority rests with local commanders, granting a broad discretion of when and for what action the Achievement Medal may be awarded.
History
U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps
The Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (NAM), is the
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
U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...
' version of the Achievement Medal. The U.S. Navy was the first branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to award such a medal, doing so in 1961, when it was dubbed the "Secretary of the Navy Commendation for Achievement Medal." This title was shortened in 1967 to simply, the "Navy Achievement Medal." On August 19, 1994, to recognize those of the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
who had received the Navy Achievement Medal, the name of the decoration was officially changed to the "Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal". The award is still often referred to in shorthand speech as the "Navy Achievement Medal" or "NAM" for short.
Chain of Command approval
From its inception in the early 1960s to 2002, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal could not be approved by the commanding officers of ships, submarines, aviation squadron, or shore activities who held the rank of Commander (O-5). Awards for crewmembers had to be submitted to the Commodore or Air 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, especially considering that those services did not establish their respective achievement medals until the 1980s. Since 2002 the commanding officers of aviation squadrons and ships have had the authority to award NAMs without submission to higher authority.
This is in contrast to the Army, where battalion commanders or the first O-5 in a soldier's chain of command are the authorizing official.
U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, and U.S. Coast Guard
The
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
created its own Coast Guard Achievement Medal in 1967; the
U.S. Army and
U.S. Air Force and
U.S. Space Force
The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...
issued their own versions of the award with the Army Achievement Medal (AAM) in 1981 and Air Force Achievement Medal (AFAM) in 1980.
Effective 11 September 2001, the Army Achievement Medal may be awarded in a combat area. Since this change over sixty thousand Army Achievement Medals have been awarded in theaters of operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. On 16 November 2020, the Air Force Achievement Medal was renamed to the Air and Space Achievement Medal (ASAM) by the Secretary of the Air Force.
Joint Service Achievement Medal
The Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM) was created in 1983. This award was considered a Department of Defense decoration senior to the service department Achievement Medals.
Ribbon devices
The following devices may be authorized to be worn on the following achievement medals suspension ribbon and
service ribbon:
* All Achievement Medals "C" device, which signifies meritorious performance "under combat conditions" after January 2016
* Joint Service Achievement Medal (all service branches) for additional awards, oak leaf clusters
* Army Achievement Medal for additional awards,
oak leaf clusters
* Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for additional awards,
5/16 inch star
A inch star (9.7mm) is a miniature gold or silver five-pointed star that is authorized by the United States Armed Forces as a ribbon device to denote subsequent awards for specific decorations of the Department of the Navy, Coast Guard, Public Hea ...
s
* Air Force Achievement Medal for additional awards, oak leaf clusters
* Coast Guard Achievement Medal for additional awards, 5/16 inch stars
* Coast Guard Achievement Medal
Operational Distinguishing Device ("O" device)
* Coast Guard Achievement Medal Combat Distinguishing Device (Combat "V")
Former ribbon devices
The following ribbon devices were authorized in the past but have now been discontinued:
* Air Force Achievement Medal
"V" Device
A "V" device is a metal capital letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes an award for heroism or valor in combat instead of for meritorious service or achievement. ...
until December 2016
* Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Combat Distinguishing Device (Combat "V") until December 2016[
]
See also
* Awards and decorations of the United States government
Awards and decorations of the United States government are civilian awards of the U.S. federal government which are typically issued for sustained meritorious service, in a civilian capacity, while serving in the U.S. federal government. Certain ...
* 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 ...
* Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard
References
External links
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Citation Examples
{{USCG decorations
Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force
Awards and decorations of the United States Army
Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard
Awards and decorations of the United States Marine Corps
Awards and decorations of the United States Navy
Awards established in 1961
Awards established in 1967
Awards established in 1981
Awards established in 1983
Awards established in 1994
1961 establishments in the United States
1967 establishments in the United States
1981 establishments in the United States
1983 establishments in the United States
1994 establishments in the United States