What device on a ribbon indicates additional awards received for participation in multiple campaigns?

Service stars are authorized for these United States expeditionary medals:

• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• Navy Expeditionary Medal
• Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
• Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) effective February 9, 2015, retroactive to September 11, 2001.[3] Each star represents a deployment in support of an approved GWOT operation. Four bronze service stars are authorized for five approved deployment operations (only one GWOT-EM is awarded for each operation). The five GWOT-EM-approved operations by inclusive dates are:[3]

Service medals

Service stars are authorized to denoted additional awards for these United States service medals:

• Prisoner of War Medal
• National Defense Service Medal
• Humanitarian Service Medal
• Air and Space Campaign Medal
• Armed Forces Service Medal
• Army Sea Duty Ribbon
• Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal[1]

For the National Defense Service Medal, the addition of bronze service stars to denote participation in four of the designated wartime conflicts would be shown as (the time span from the end of the Korean War era in 1954 to the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism era in 2001 is 47 years, so it is highly improbable that any individual qualified for all four National Defense Service Medals in each of four eras):[4]

Unit awards

Service stars are authorized for certain unit awards (The service ribbon itself indicates the first award, with a bronze service star being added to indicate the second and subsequent awards. If ever applicable, a silver service star is worn instead of five bronze stars.) such as the:

• Presidential Unit Citation (Navy and Marine Corps)
• Navy Unit Commendation (Navy and Marine Corps)

Campaign stars are authorized for these United States campaign medals (bronze and silver campaign stars are worn to denote participation in a designated campaign or campaign phase or period):[2]

• World War I Victory Medal
• American Defense Service Medal
• American Campaign Medal
• Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal
• European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
• Korean Service Medal
• Vietnam Service Medal
• Southwest Asia Service Medal*
• Kosovo Campaign Medal
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal
• Iraq Campaign Medal
• Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal

For each designated campaign participated in, one star is worn on the ribbon. For example, when a member is authorized to wear the Iraq Campaign Medal, the potential addition of bronze and silver service stars for the seven designated Iraq Campaign phases would be:[5][6][7]

For many of these awards, service stars are earned by participation in campaign phases and all eligible periods for the award fall within those defined phases. In these cases, the campaign medal cannot be earned alone, and is always to be worn with at least one campaign star.

Since February 26, 2004, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (GWOT-SM) are authorized to be awarded with bronze and silver battle stars for personnel who were engaged in specific battles in combat under circumstances involving grave danger of death or serious bodily injury from enemy action.[8][9] However, though authorized for wear, no battle stars have been approved for wear. Only a combatant commander can initiate a request for a battle star, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the approving authority,[9] which since January 2016 has been eliminated by the Department of Defense for the GWOT-SM.[10]

Only one award of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and one award of the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal may be authorized for any individual. No service stars were authorized for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary or Service Medal[9] until February 9, 2015, when the Department of Defense authorized service stars for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal retroactive to September 11, 2001.[3]

Service stars (were sometimes referred to as campaign stars or battle stars) were also authorized for the World War I Victory Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal. The specific manner of wear and symbolism of the stars varied from medal to medal. For example, an American Campaign Medal with a bronze service star indicated the service member had participated in an antisubmarine campaign. On other medals, bronze service stars were used on the medal's service ribbon for those recipients of medals in possession of authorized campaign clasps for those medals.

Navy warships

Historically, during World War II and the Korean War, commendations called "battle stars" were issued to United States Navy warships for meritorious participation in battle, or for having suffered damage during battle conditions. As an example, the USS Enterprise (CV-6) received 20 battle stars for her combat service in World War II, more than any other U.S. vessel during World War II. Similarly, during the Vietnam War and afterwards, the Battle Effectiveness Award ("Battle E") took the place of receiving "battle stars" for superior battle efficiency in place of combat operations.[citation needed]

• 5/16 inch star
• Awards and decorations of the United States military
• United States military award devices
• Oak leaf cluster

1. ^ a b c d "Manual of Military Decorations and Awards, Volume 3" (PDF). Department of Defense. Paragraph 15e (Page 67). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
2. ^ a b "Manual of Military Decorations and Awards, Volume 3" (PDF). Department of Defense. Paragraph 15f-g (Page 67-68). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
3. ^ a b c "DoD Authorizes Service Stars on Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
4. ^ Air Force Personnel Center National Defense ServicePresidential Unit Citation (Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) Medal Archived 2014-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ "Afghanistan Campaign Medal or Iraq Campaign Medal". Awards and Decorations Branch Article. Army Human Resource Command. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
6. ^ Additional Phases Identified for Iraq Campaign Medal
7. ^ "News Release: Additional Phases Identified for Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals". Defense.gov. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
8. ^ "Manual of Military Decorations and Awards, Volume 3" (PDF). Department of Defense. Paragraph 15g (Page 68). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
9. ^ a b c "DoD Announces Criteria for Global War on Terrorism Medals". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 26 February 2004.
10. ^ item #29, Military Decorations and Awards Review Results, Department of Defense, January 2016

• United States award regulations for World War II (Navy)

Not to be confused with the Silver Star medal or service stars.

A 5⁄16 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 Health Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.[1][2][3][4] A gold star indicates a second or subsequent decoration, while a silver star is worn in lieu of five gold stars.

5⁄16 Inch Star (gold)

5⁄16 Inch Star (silver)

A (5⁄16 inch) silver star is not to be confused with representing a Silver Star Medal (Silver Star).[5]

5⁄16 inch stars are worn on a medal suspension and service ribbon with one point of the star pointing up. Up to five stars can be worn on a ribbon. There are no higher degrees of stars authorized after five silver stars.[1] On miniature medals, a special star is worn on the medal's suspension ribbon in lieu of a star.[6] If the number of authorized stars exceeds five, a second service ribbon is worn after the first service ribbon. The second service ribbon counts as one additional personal award, after which more stars may be added to the second ribbon. If future awards reduce the number of stars worn on the first ribbon due to gold stars being replaced by a silver star, the second service ribbon is removed and the appropriate number of star devices are placed on the first service ribbon. When bronze or gold stars or bronze oak leaf cluster attachments are worn in addition to a silver star or silver oak leaf attachment, the bronze or gold stars (bronze oak leaf clusters) are arranged symmetrically on the ribbon in relation to the centered silver device. For example: The first star (cluster) to the wearer's right of the centered silver device; the second to the wearer's left, etc.[7]

Examples

The following are examples of the first through twenty-sixth awards of a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with the gold and silver 5⁄16 inch stars:

5⁄16 inch stars are authorized for wear on the following United States Navy, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration decorations (5⁄16 inch stars are not authorized for wear on non-decorations[clarification needed] when a subsequent decoration is awarded to members of the seven uniformed services: the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The US Army and US Air Force use an oak leaf cluster to indicate a subsequent decoration (oak leaf clusters are also authorized for wear on some non-decorations[citation needed][clarification needed]); a bronze oak leaf cluster is equivalent to a gold star and a silver oak leaf cluster is equivalent to a silver star.

• Awards and decorations of the United States military
• United States military award devices
• Oak leaf cluster
• Service, battle, or campaign star

1. ^ a b c d "Department of Defense Manual 1348.33 Volume 3" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. Department of Defense. 23 November 2010. pp. 16, 52–53. Archived from the original (pdf) on 26 February 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
2. ^ a b "Medals and Awards Manual COMDTINST M1650.25D" (PDF). United States Coast Guard CG-612 Directives and Publications Division. May 2008. pp. 1–16. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
3. ^ a b "Commissioned Corps Instruction CC26.3.3 Wear of Ribbons and Medals" (PDF). Commissioned Corps Management Information System website. United States Public Health Service. 28 August 2008. p. 12. Archived from the original (pdf) on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
4. ^ "NOAA Corps Directives, Chapter 12 PART 6 - Insignia, Medals, and Ribbon Bars" (PDF). Commissioned Corps Personnel Center. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
5. ^ "Department of Defense Manual 1348.33 Volume 3" (PDF). Department of Defense Technical Information Center. 20 June 2019 [21 December 2016]. pp. 11–13. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
6. ^ Secretary of the Navy Instruction (SECNAVINST) 1650.1H, dated 22 August 2006, Subject: Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, paragraph 123.
7. ^ United States Navy Uniform Regulations Manual, art. 5316.2.d.
8. ^ "NOAA Corps Directives Chapter 12 Part 7-Awards" (PDF). Commissioned Corps Personnel Center. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
9. ^ Army Regulation 600-8-22 Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine
10. ^ Air Force Instruction 36-2803 Archived 2013-02-16 at the Wayback Machine

• "Army Awards". Americal Division Veterans Association. 1995. Archived from the original on June 4, 2004. Retrieved 2015-12-16.