The Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon is the informal collective name for three equivalent United States military awards for the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

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 ...

Space Force A space force is a military branch of a nation's armed forces that conducts military operations in outer space and space warfare. The world's first space force was the Russian Space Forces, established in 1992 as an independent military service. ...

, and

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 ...

recruits who graduate at the top of their basic training classes: The Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon, the Coast Guard Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon, and the Navy Recruit Honor Graduate Ribbon.

U.S. Navy

The Navy Recruit Honor Graduate Ribbon was created on 18 August 2015, when U.S. Secretary of the Navy

Ray Mabus Raymond Edwin Mabus Jr. (; born October 11, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2017. Mabus previously served as the State Auditor ...

released a statement authorizing the establishment of the Recruit Honor Graduate Ribbon. This ribbon is awarded to "initial accession enlisted personnel of the U.S. Navy who are designated as Honor Graduates." No more than three percent of each training group will be designated as honor graduates. Fifteen recruits at Recruit Training Command (RTC), Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, were first awarded the ribbon on 20 August 2015. No retroactive awards will be made. In the Navy's military award order of precedence, the ribbon is worn after the Navy Ceremonial Guard Ribbon and before the

Armed Forces Reserve Medal The Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) is a service medal of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1950. The medal recognizes service performed by members of the reserve components and is awarded to both officers and enlisted per ...

. Seaman Recruit Joseph Agbingpadua was the first recruit to receive the ribbon.

U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force

The Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon was established on 3 April 1976 by order of the Air Force Chief of Staff,

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

David Charles Jones. The ribbon is awarded to graduates of Air Force and Space Force basic training who have obtained an honor graduate designation and demonstrate excellence in all areas of academic and military training. An airman or guardian must achieve at least a 90% on their physical fitness level during the final AFBMT physical fitness test. The AFBMT physical fitness test has three parts: 1.5-mile run time (60%), number of sit ups in a minute (20%), and number of push ups in a minute (20%). If the trainee fails to reach a score of at least 90%, the airman or guardian is ineligible no matter how well they performed in other areas of basic training. Additionally, the airman or guardian must average over a 90 percent on all the written examinations, and never fail a graded inspection (graded inspections are conducted randomly after week #3). The airman or guardian must never receive a negative mark in a written evaluation. Current regulations limit the number of selectees to no more than ten percent of the graduating squadron. The Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon is a one-time award and may not be presented retroactively. Those awarded are entitled to wear the Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon for the rest of their U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force careers.

U.S. Coast Guard

The Coast Guard Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon was created on 3 March 1984, with the first presentation in April of that same year to Seaman apprentice Scott Woodard. The Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon is presented to the service member who graduates at the top of their basic training instruction class. Retroactive presentations of the Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon may be awarded upon application from the service member to the United States Coast Guard. In such cases, the award will be presented for basic training graduation prior to 1984, only with supporting documentation and a written request from the service member.

References

{{use American English, date=April 2016 Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard Awards and decorations of the United States Navy Awards and decorations of the United States Space Force Awards established in 1976 Awards established in 1984 Awards established in 2015 Military ribbons of the United States US Coast Guard ribbon symbolism

U.S. Navy

U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force

U.S. Coast Guard

See also

References