Coast Guard Medals

Coast Guard Achievement Medal

Coast Guard Achievement MedalCriteria: Awarded for outstanding achievement or meritorious service not of a nature that would otherwise warrant awarding the Commendation Medal. Since the Coast Guard Achievement Medal is designated as an award solely for junior personnel, it is generally only awarded to officers in the pay grade of O-4 and below and enlisted personnel below the grade of E-7. Award authority rests with local commanders, granting a broad discretion of when and for what action the Achievement Medal may be awarded. The Coast Guard Achievement Medal may be awarded in a combat area, but for non-combat meritorious service. The Achievement Medal is the lower of the United States military’s meritorious service medals. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize the contributions of junior officers and enlisted personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service Medal. Additional awards are denoted by award stars. The Valor device may also be awarded and effective September 11, 2001, the Operational Distinguishing Device may also be authorized for wear on the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, upon approval of the awarding authority.Attachments: Gold Star Device - Mounted, Silver Star Device, Bronze Letter "V" Device.

Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal

Coast Guard Arctic Service MedalCriteria: Awarded to any member of the U.S. Coast Guard who performs twenty one days of cumulative duty in the polar waters of the Arctic Circle. The decoration is also authorized for personnel who serve on remote radio stations in certain areas of Alaska, Greenland, and Norway. For flight personnel, the decoration is authorized for twenty one flight days above the Arctic Circle. The Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal may also be awarded, on a case by case basis, to non-Coast Guard personnel who perform significant duties in support of Coast Guard missions within the Arctic region. The decoration is retroactive to 1946. The medal is also provided as a one time issuance only, and there are no devices authorized for additional periods of Arctic service beyond the minimum twenty one days. The United States Navy equivalent to the Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal is the Arctic Service Ribbon.Attachments: N/A.

Coast Guard Commendation Medal

Coast Guard Commendation MedalCriteria: A mid-level award presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Awarded by local commanders, allowing for a broad interpretation of the criteria for which the medal may be awarded. For actions where such performance was in direct contact with an enemy force, the Valor device ("V" device) is authorized as an attachment to the decoration. The U.S. Air Force began issuing its own Commendation Medal in 1958 with additional awards denoted by gold and silver award stars. The Operational Distinguishing Device is authorized for the Coast Guard Commendation Medal upon approval of the awarding authority.Attachments: Gold Star Device - Mounted, Silver Star Device, Bronze Letter "V" Device.

Coast Guard Expert Pistol Shot Medal

Coast Guard Expert Pistol ShotCriteria: Awarded for attainment of the minimum qualifying score for the expert level during prescribed shooting exercises with a pistol. The Coast Guard Marksmanship Ribbon are issued under the same criteria as the U.S. Navy. The Coast Guard issues two ribbons, known as the Coast Guard Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon and the Coast Guard Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon. The Marksmanship Device is awarded for qualification at the higher levels of sharpshooter and expert. Like the Navy, for those who receive an expert qualification, the Marksmanship Medal is awarded instead of the Marksmanship Ribbon.Attachments: N/A.

Coast Guard Expert Rifle Medal

Coast Guard Expert Rifle MedalCriteria: Awarded for attainment of the minimum qualifying score for the expert level during prescribed shooting exercises with a rifle. The Coast Guard Marksmanship Ribbon are issued under the same criteria as the U.S. Navy. The Coast Guard issues two ribbons, known as the Coast Guard Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon and the Coast Guard Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon. The Marksmanship Device is awarded for qualification at the higher levels of sharpshooter and expert. Like the Navy, for those who receive an expert qualification, the Marksmanship Medal is awarded instead of the Marksmanship Ribbon.Attachments: N/A.

Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal

Coast Guard Good Conduct MedalCriteria: Awarded to any enlisted member of the U.S. Coast Guard who completes three consecutive years of "honorable and faithful service. Such service implies that a standard enlistment was completed without any non-judicial punishments, disciplinary infractions, or court martial offenses. If a service member commits an offense, the three-year mark "resets" and a service member must perform an additional three years of discipline free service before the Good Conduct may be authorized. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was designed in 1923 and originally used enlistment bars as attachments, in the same manner as the Marine Corps and Navy Good Conduct Medal. In 1966, the Coast Guard began using service stars to denote additional awards of the Good Conduct Medal.Attachments: Bronze Star Device, Silver Star Device.

Coast Guard Reserve Good Conduct Medal

Coast Guard Reserve Good Conduct MedalCriteria: Awarded for outstanding proficiency, leadership, and conduct during three years of enlisted service in the Coast Guard Reserve. The decoration was created in 1963 and additional awards are denoted by service stars. Reserve Good Conduct Medals are typically intended only for enlisted personnel and are not eligible to be presented to officers. The primary difference between the regular Good Conduct Medal and the Reserve Good Conduct Medal is that the Good Conduct Medal is only issued for active duty service while the reserve equivalent is bestowed for reserve duties such as drill and annual training. The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is a similar decoration which is awarded for ten years of honorable reserve service and is presented to both officers and enlisted personnel.Attachments: N/A.