The Gallant Unit Citation (GUC), a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

unit award, was approved in March 2004 and is awarded to any Air Force unit which distinguishes itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in armed combat with an enemy force on or after 11 September 2001.

Award Description

The GUC requires a lesser degree of gallantry, determination and esprit de corps than that required for the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). The unit must have performed with marked distinction under difficult and hazardous conditions in accomplishing its mission so as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same conflict. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of the

Silver Star 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 e ...

to an individual. The GUC will normally be earned by units that have participated in single or successive actions covering relatively brief time spans. Only on rare occasions will a unit larger than a group qualify for the GUC. Extended periods of combat duty or participation in a large number of operational missions, either air or ground, is not sufficient. Additional awards of the Gallant Unit Citation are denoted by

oak leaf clusters 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 ...

Cited units

The only units to date that have received this award are the 385th Air Expeditionary Group,

352d Special Operations Group The 352nd Special Operations Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command currently stationed at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom. The unit's heritage dates back to 1944 as an air commando unit. The 352nd ...

, the

332d Air Expeditionary Group The 332d Expeditionary Operations Group is a provisional air expeditionary group of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command, currently active. It was inactivated on 8 May 2012 and reactivated 16 November 2014. The group forms part of ...

, the 16th Operations Group (redesignated as the 1st Special Operations Group in 2006), the

720th Special Tactics Group The 720th Special Tactics Group is one of the special operations ground components of the 24th Special Operations Wing, assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) of the United States Air Force. The group is headquartered at Hurlb ...

, and the

74th Fighter Squadron The 74th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The squadron is equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II ground attack aircr ...

,THUNDER: 74th EFS receives Gallant Unit Citation
/ref> as well as units subordinate to each during the cited time frame. ;Subordinate units to the 16th Operations Group receiving the award *

4th Special Operations Squadron The 4th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operates Lockheed AC-130J aircraft providing special operations capabilities. Mission The squadron plans, prepares and executes AC-13 ...

* 6th Special Operations Squadron *

8th Special Operations Squadron The 8th Special Operations Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The squadron is equipped with the Be ...

9th Special Operations Squadron The 9th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing (27 SOW) at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The squadron operates MC-130J Commando II aircraft in support of special operations. The 9th SOS specializes in the u ...

* 15th Special Operations Squadron * 16th Special Operations Squadron * 19th Special Operations Squadron * 20th Special Operations Squadron *16th Operations Support Squadron *16th Operations Group, Operating Location D * 919th Special Operations Group *

711th Special Operations Squadron The 711th Special Operations Squadron was part of the 919th Special Operations Wing at Duke Field, Florida. It was an Air Force Reserve Command unit that was operationally gained by Air Force Special Operations Command if called to active duty. ...

*919th Operations Support Squadron *

5th Special Operations Squadron The 5th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 919th Special Operations Wing. The 5th is based at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operates U-28 aircraft providing special operations capability. Mission The 5th Special Operations Squadron provi ...

*AFSOC Air Operations *Operating Location JM1 Air Force Element Medical *Air Force Element Medical DoD, Operating Location Special Operations Squadron

References

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