An international decoration is a military award which is not bestowed by a particular country, but rather by an international organization such as the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

. Such awards are normally issued as service medals, for participation in various international military operations, and not for specific acts of heroism or bravery. The first medal from an international organization accepted for wear by the United States Military was the United Nations Korea Medal in 1951. Subsequent acceptance of other

United Nations Medal A United Nations Medal is an international decoration awarded by the United Nations (UN) to the various world countries members for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, an ...

s did not come until 1964 with . Acceptance of the medals of other international multilateral organizations finally came with in 1969. Acceptance of these international decorations must be approved by not only the Secretary of Defense, but also the Secretary of State. The following is a list of the most commonly recognized international military decorations that has been or is currently awarded to members of the United States military. Such awards are always worn after all United States decorations, but before all Foreign decorations.

United Nations

The

Assistant Secretary of Defense Assistant Secretary of Defense is a title used for many high-level executive positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the U.S. Department of Defense. The Assistant Secretary of Defense title is junior to Under Secretary of Defe ...

approved a change to the policy of the wear of

s. Effective 13 October 1995, any US military personnel who is awarded a United Nations Medal may wear the ribbon of the first UN medal for which they qualify. Subsequent awards of the United Nations Medal for service in a different mission is noted by adding a bronze service star to the current ribbon. No more than one UN medal or ribbon may be worn at a time. Operations in which United States military personnel were awarded the United Nations Medal and authorized by the Department of Defense to accept and wear the medal are as follows: : United Nations Medal ribbon

United Nations Truce Supervision Organization The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) is an organization founded on 29 May 1948 for peacekeeping in the Middle East. Established amidst the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, its primary task was initially to provide the military c ...

(UNTSO) in Palestinian territories/United Nations Observation Group in Lebanon : UNMOGIP Medal bar

United Nations Observer Group in India and Pakistan : United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon

United Nations Korea Medal : UNSF UNTEA Medal bar

United Nations Temporary Executive Authority/UN Security Force in West New Guinea : ONZ Medal w Służbie Pokoju UNIKOM BAR

United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission The United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) was established on April 9, 1991 following the Gulf War by Security Council Resolution 689 (1991) and fully deployed by early May 1991. The task of joint military observers was to mo ...

United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara ( ar, بعثة الأمم المتحدة لتنظيم استفتاء في الصحراء الغربية; french: Mission des Nations Unies pour l'Organisation d'un Référendum au ...

United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia : United Nations Protection Force in Yugoslavia : UNTAC Medal bar

United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) ar, سلطة الأمم المتحدة الانتقالية في كمبوديا, italics=off zh, , italics=offfrench: Autorité provisoire des Nations unies au Cambodgerussian: Орг ...

United Nations Operation in Somalia II United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) was the second phase of the United Nations intervention in Somalia and took place from March 1993 until March 1995, following the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991. UNOSOM II carried on ...

United Nations Operation in Mozambique The United Nations Operations in Mozambique (ONUMOZ, pt, Operação das Nações Unidas em Moçambique) was a UN peace mission to Mozambique established in December 1992 under Security Council Resolution 797 with the assignment to monitor the i ...

United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia :

United Nations Mission in Haiti The United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) was a peacekeeping operation carried out by the United Nations between September 1993 and June 1996. The Mission was reestablished ('' MINUSTAH'') in April 2004, after a rebellion took over most of Ha ...

United Nations Support Mission in Haiti United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

United Nations Preventive Deployment Force The United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) was established on 31 March 1995 in Security Council Resolution 983 to replace the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in the Republic of North Macedonia. The mandate of UNPREDEP r ...

United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium : MINUGUA Medal bar

United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala : UNSSM

United Nations Special Service Medal The United Nations Special Service Medal (UNSSM) is presented to personnel with 90 days of service with a United Nations mission not covered by a specific United Nations Medal. United Nations Headquarters service is not eligible. Eligibility T ...

/ United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq :

Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo Medal ribbon

United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is the officially mandated mission of the United Nations in Kosovo. The UNMIK describes its mandate as being to "help the United Nations Security Council achieve an overall ...

United Nations Mission in East Timor The United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) was established by Security Council Resolution 1246 on 11 June 1999 for a period up to 31 August 1999. By Security Council Resolution 1257 of 3 August UNAMET was extended to 30 September 1999. ...

United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), ( pt, Administração Transitória das Nações Unidas em Timor Leste), was a United Nations mission in East Timor that aimed to solve the decades long East Timorese cri ...

/ United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor : MONUC Medal bar

United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or MONUSCO, an acronym based on its French name , is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which was estab ...

United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or MONUSCO, an acronym based on its French name , is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which was estab ...

Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea Medal ribbon

United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) was established by the United Nations Security Council in July 2000 to monitor a ceasefire in the border war that began in 1998 between Ethiopia and Eritrea. First military troops Nethe ...

United Nations Mission in Liberia The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was a peacekeeping operation established in September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia following the resignation of President Charles Taylor and the conclusion of the Second Liberia ...

United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti The United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (french: Mission des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en Haïti), also known as MINUSTAH, an acronym of the French name, was a UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti that was in operation from 2004 t ...

United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (known by its acronym UNAMID) is a joint African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission formally approved by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1769 on 31 J ...

United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) was a United Nations peacekeeping mission established by the United Nations Security Council on September 25, 2007 to provide a multidimensional presence of up to 350 po ...

United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (also called MINUSCA, which is an initialism of its French name Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations unies pour la stabilisation en C ...

United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (, MINUSMA) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali. MINUSMA was established on 25 April 2013 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2100 to stabilise ...

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

United States military personnel may accept and wear NATO medals authorized by the

Secretary General of NATO The secretary general of NATO is the chief civil servant of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The officeholder is an international diplomat responsible for coordinating the workings of the alliance, leading NATO's international staff ...

and offered to the US Representative to NATO to recognize US service members who meet the eligibility criteria specified by NATO, so long as acceptance is approved by both the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State. NATO Medals may be awarded with a clasp that designates the operation for which the medal is awarded. United States military personnel may accept, but not wear the clasp. To date the following medals are the only NATO Medals authorized for acceptance and wear by US military personnel: :

NATO Meritorious Service Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium. B ...

: Yugoslavia service medal : Kosovo service : NATO Medal Eagle Assist ribbon bar

NATO Article 5 medal for Operation Eagle Assist : NATO Medal ribbon (Article 5)

NATO Article 5 medal for

Operation Active Endeavour Operation Active Endeavour was a maritime operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It operated in the Mediterranean Sea and was designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction. It had collateral benefit ...

Non-article 5 medal for

ISAF ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

NATO Medal non-article-5 Balkans ribbon bar

NATO Non-Article 5 medal for the Balkans : NATO Medal ISAF ribbon bar

Non-Article 5 medal for

NATO Training Mission – Iraq The NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I) was established in 2004 at the request of the Iraqi Interim Government under the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1546. The aim of NTM-I was to assist in the development of Iraqi security forc ...

Non-Article 5 medal for Africa Operations Allied Provider, Allied Protector, and Ocean Shield : NATO Medal ISAF ribbon bar

NATO Non-Article 5 medal for

Operation Unified Protector Operation Unified Protector was a NATO operation in 2011 enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 concerning the Libyan Civil War and adopted on 26 February and 17 March 2011, respectively. These resolutions imposed ...

NATO Non-Article 5 medal for

Operation Resolute Support Resolute Support Mission (RSM) or Operation Resolute Support was a NATO-led multinational mission in Afghanistan. It began on 1 January 2015 as the successor to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was completed on 28 Decem ...

Multinational Force and Observers

Multinational Force and Observers Medal The Multinational Force and Observers Medal is an international military decoration which was first created on March 24, 1982. The medal was established under the authority of the Director-General of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) wh ...

Inter-American Defense Board

Inter-American Defense Board Medal The Inter-American Defense Board Medal is an international decoration, international military award which was created on December 11, 1945, by the 91st session of the Inter-American Defense Board, a Pan-Americanism, Pan-American defense group devo ...

SICOFAA

The

System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces The System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces ( es, Sistema de Cooperación entre las Fuerzas Aéreas Americanas, SICOFAA) is an apolitical voluntary international organization among the North and South American air forces. SICOFAA's mi ...

awards the following decorations: :

SICOFAA Legion of Merit Gentleman The System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces ( es, Sistema de Cooperación entre las Fuerzas Aéreas Americanas, SICOFAA) is an apolitical voluntary international organization among the North and South American air forces. SICOFAA's mi ...

: SICOFAA Legion of Merit Officer : SICOFAA Legion of Merit Grand Cross

CSDP

Common Security and Defence Policy : CSDP ALTHEA Operations medal ribbon bar : CSDP ALTHEA Staff medal ribbon bar : CSDP EUTM MALI Medal for Extraordinary Meritorious Service ribbon bar