Chart of United States Military Decorations

All five branches of the United States military issue a number of medals and decorations to servicemembers to recognize various accomplishments, achievements, and service rendered. Military-Ranks.org maintains a full list of all national decorations awarded by the military.

On this page, awards are in displayed in the Order of Precedence. This is the relative importance of decorations as they relate to each other, and determines the order in which they are displayed on a service ribbon rack. You can also use the links above to view lists of decorations sorted by class, type, or military branch.

List of United States Military Medals By Precedence

This list contains all decorations and awards in the military in order of precedence. These decorations can be earned members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Air Force.

Order	Ribbon	Decoration Name	Issuing Branches
1		Medal of Honor
2		Distinguished Service Cross (Army)
3		Navy Cross
4		Air Force Cross
5		Coast Guard Cross
6		Defense Distinguished Service Medal
7		Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal
8		Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)
9		Navy Distinguished Service Medal
10		Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
11		Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal
12		Silver Star
13		Defense Superior Service Medal
14		Legion of Merit
15		Distinguished Flying Cross
16		Soldier's Medal
17		Navy and Marine Corps Medal
18		Airman's Medal
19		Coast Guard Medal
20		Bronze Star Medal
21		Purple Heart
22		Defense Meritorious Service Medal
23		Meritorious Service Medal
24		Air Medal
25		Aerial Achievement Medal
26		Joint Service Commendation Medal
27		Army Commendation Medal
28		Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
29		Air Force Commendation Medal
30		Coast Guard Commendation Medal
31		Joint Service Achievement Medal
32		Army Achievement Medal
33		Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
34		Air Force Achievement Medal
35		Coast Guard Achievement Medal
36		Commandant's Letter of Commendation
37		Navy Combat Action Ribbon
38		Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon
39		Air Force Combat Action Medal
40		Army and Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
41		Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation
42		Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation
43		Joint Meritorious Unit Award
44		Army Valorous Unit Award
45		Navy Unit Commendation
46		Air Force Gallant Unit Citation
47		Coast Guard Unit Commendation
48		Army Meritorious Unit Commendation
49		Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
50		Air Force Meritorious Unit Award
51		Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation
52		Army Superior Unit Award
53		Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
54		Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation
55		Navy "E" Ribbon
56		Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
57		Coast Guard "E" Ribbon
58		Prisoner of War Medal
59		Army Good Conduct Medal
60		Navy Good Conduct Medal
61		Air Force Good Conduct Medal
62		Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
63		Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal
64		Combat Readiness Medal (Air Force)
65		Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon
66		Coast Guard Enlisted Person of the Year Ribbon
67		Air Force Recognition Ribbon
68		Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal
69		Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal
70		Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal
71		Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal
72		Coast Guard Reserve Good Conduct Medal
73		Armed Forces Reserve Medal
74		Navy Expeditionary Medal
75		Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
76		Army of Occupation Medal
77		Navy Occupation Service Medal
78		National Defense Service Medal
79		Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
80		Korea Defense Service Medal
81		Armed Forces Service Medal
82		Humanitarian Service Medal
83		Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
84		Antarctica Service Medal
85		Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal
86		Air and Space Campaign Medal
87		Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
88		Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
89		Vietnam Service Medal
90		Southwest Asia Service Medal
91		Kosovo Campaign Medal
92		Afghanistan Campaign Medal
93		Iraq Campaign Medal
94		Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal
95		Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
96		Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
97		Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon
98		Army Sea Duty Ribbon
99		Naval Reserve Sea Service Ribbon
100		Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon
101		Navy Arctic Service Ribbon
102		Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon
103		Coast Guard Overseas Service Ribbon
104		Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
105		Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon
106		Army Overseas Service Ribbon
107		Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon
108		Coast Guard Restricted Duty Ribbon
109		Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon
110		Air Force Special Duty Ribbon
111		Air Force Longevity Service Award
112		Navy Recruiting Service Ribbon
113		Air Force Recruiter Ribbon
114		Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon
115		Coast Guard Recruiting Service Ribbon
116		Air Force Military Training Instructor Ribbon
117		Navy Recruit Training Service Ribbon
118		Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon
119		Marine Corps Combat Instructor Ribbon
120		Navy Ceremonial Guard Ribbon
121		Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon
122		Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon
123		Air Force NCO PME Graduate Ribbon
124		Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
125		Coast Guard Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
126		Navy Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon
127		Army Service Ribbon
128		Air Force Training Ribbon
129		Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
130		Coast Guard Distinguished Marksman Award
131		Coast Guard Silver Rifle Excellence-in-Competition Award
132		Coast Guard Bronze Rifle Excellence-in-Competition Award
133		Navy Expert Rifleman Medal
134		Coast Guard Expert Rifleman Medal
135		Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon with Sharpshooter Device
136		Coast Guard Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon with Sharpshooter Device
137		Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon
138		Coast Guard Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon
139		Coast Guard Distinguished Pistol Shot Award
140		Coast Guard Silver Pistol Excellence-in-Competition Award
141		Coast Guard Bronze Pistol Excellence-in-Competition Award
142		Navy Expert Pistol Shot Award
143		Coast Guard Expert Pistol Shot Award
144		Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with Sharpshooter Device
145		Coast Guard Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with Sharpshooter Device
146		Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon
147		Coast Guard Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon
148		United Nations Medal
149		Multinational Force and Observers Medal
150		Inter-American Defense Board Medal
151		NATO Medal (Yugoslavia)
152		NATO Medal (Kosovo)
153		NATO Medal (Macedonia)
154		Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
155		Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
156		Aeronautical Merit Cross (Peru)
157		The Honour Cross (Germany)
158		Khalifiyyeh Order of Bahrain
159		Military Merit Order (United Arab Emirates)
160		Order of the Crown of Thailand
161		Order of the Date Palm (Iraq)
162		Order of May (Argentina)
163		Order of Merit (Germany)
164		Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
165		Order of National Security Merit (Korea)
166		Order of the Rising Sun (Japan)
167		Order of the Southern Cross (Brazil)

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