DA PAM 670-1: 22-5. Order of precedence within categories of medals

22-5. Order of precedence within categories of medals

The following lists indicate the order of precedence within each category when two or more medals from each category

are worn at the same time:

a. U.S. military decorations. A decoration is an award given to an individual as a distinctively designed mark of

honor denoting heroism or meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. U.S. military decorations authorized

for wear on Army uniforms are listed below in order of precedence.

(1) Medal of Honor (Army, Navy, and Air Force).

(2) Distinguished Service Cross.

(3) Navy Cross.

(4) Air Force Cross.

(5) Coast Guard Cross.

(6) Defense Distinguished Service Medal.

(7) Distinguished Service Medal (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard).

(8) Silver Star.

(9) Defense Superior Service Medal.

(10) Legion of Merit.

(11) Distinguished Flying Cross.

(12) Soldier’s Medal.

(13) Navy and Marine Corps Medal.

(14) Airman’s Medal.

(15) Coast Guard Medal.

(16) Bronze Star Medal.

(17) Purple Heart.

(18) Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

(19) Meritorious Service Medal.

(20) Air Medal.

(21) Aerial Achievement Medal.

(22) Joint Service Commendation Medal.

(23) Army Commendation Medal.

(24) Navy Commendation Medal.

(25) Air Force Commendation Medal.

(26) Coast Guard Commendation Medal.

(27) Joint Service Achievement Medal.

(28) Army Achievement Medal.

(29) Navy Achievement Medal.

(30) Air Force Achievement Medal.

(31) Coast Guard Achievement Medal.

(32) Combat Action Ribbon (Navy and Marine Corps and Coast Guard).

(33) Air Force Combat Action Medal.

b. U.S. unit awards. A unit award is given to an operating unit and is worn by members of that unit who partici-

pated in the cited action. Personnel who did not participate in the cited action, but who are assigned in the cited unit,

are authorized temporary wear of some unit awards; only the unit awards specified in table 22–1 are authorized for

temporary wear. Personnel will not wear temporary unit awards for official photographs or for promotion or selection

boards. U.S. unit awards authorized for wear on Army uniforms are listed below in order of precedence.

(1) Presidential Unit Citation (Army and Air Force).

(2) Presidential Unit Citation (Navy and Marine Corps).

(3) Presidential Unit Citation (Coast Guard).

(4) Joint Meritorious Unit Award.

(5) Army Valorous Unit Award.

(6) Navy Unit Commendation.

(7) Air Force Gallant Unit Award.

(8) Coast Unit Commendation.

(9) Army Meritorious Unit Commendation.

(10) Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.

(11) Air Force Meritorious Unit Award.

(12) Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation.

(13) Army Superior Unit Award.

(14) Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

(15) Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation.

(16) Navy “E” Ribbon.

(17) Air Force Organizational Excellence Award.

(18) Coast Guard “E” Ribbon.

c. U.S. nonmilitary decorations. U.S. nonmilitary decorations authorized for wear on Army uniforms are listed

below in order of precedence. This list is not all-inclusive. Personnel will wear other U.S. nonmilitary (Federal agency)

decorations based upon date of receipt. If more than one decoration is awarded by the same agency, the decorations

are worn in the order of precedence as established by the awarding agency. Personnel will not wear U.S. nonmilitary

decorations that duplicate recognition for service or an act for which a military decoration has already been awarded.

Awards given by a jurisdiction inferior to the Federal Government are not authorized for wear on the Army uniform,

except as specified in paragraph 22–5j.

(1) Presidential Medal of Freedom.

(2) Presidential Citizen’s Medal.

(3) President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service Award.

(4) DoD Distinguished Civilian Service Award.

(5) Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom.

(6) Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award.

(7) Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award.

(8) Secretary Distinguished Service Award.

(9) National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.

(10) National Intelligence Superior Service Medal.

(11) National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal.

(12) Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal.

(13) National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Flight Medal.

(14) Public Health Service Commendation Medal.

(15) Public Health Service Achievement Medal.

(16) Department of State Distinguished Service Award.

(17) Department of State Distinguished Honor Award.

(18) Department of State Superior Honor Award.

(19) Department of State Meritorious Honor Award.

(20) Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service.

(21) Meritorious Civilian Service Award.

(22) Superior Civilian Service Award.

(23) Commander’s Award for Civilian Service.

(24) Achievement Medal for Civilian Service.

d. U.S. service (campaign) medals and service and training ribbons. U.S. service (campaign) medals and service

and training ribbons authorized for wear on the uniform are listed below in order of precedence. Personnel may wear

service medals and service and training ribbons awarded by other U.S. Services on the Army uniform, except for the

Air Force Longevity Service Award ribbon and Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard marksmanship medals and ribbons.

Personnel will wear service and training medals and ribbons awarded by other U.S. Services after U.S. Army service

and training ribbons and before foreign awards.

(1) Prisoner of War Medal.

(2) Good Conduct Medal. Good Conduct Medals from the other Services follow the Army Good Conduct Medal

(AGCM) in order of precedence. The Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal and equivalents awarded by

other Service Reserve Components follow the AGCM and Good Conduct Medals from the other U.S. Services in

order of precedence.

(3) American Defense Service Medal.

(4) Women’s Army Corps Service Medal.

(5) American Campaign Medal.

(6) Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.

(7) European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

(8) World War II Victory Medal.

(9) Army of Occupation Medal.

(10) Medal for Humane Action.

(11) National Defense Service Medal.

(12) Korean Service Medal.

(13) Antarctica Service Medal.

(14) Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

(15) Vietnam Service Medal.

(16) Southwest Asia Service Medal.

(17) Kosovo Campaign Medal.

(18) Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

(19) Iraq Campaign Medal.

(20) Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal.

(21) Global War on Terrorism-Expeditionary Medal.

(22) Global War on Terrorism-Service Medal.

(23) Korean Defense Service Medal.

(24) Armed Forces Service Medal.

(25) Humanitarian Service Medal.

(26) Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.

(27) Army Sea Duty Ribbon.

(28) Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM).

(29) NCO Professional Development Ribbon.

(30) Army Service Ribbon.

(31) Overseas Service Ribbon.

(32) Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon.

(33) Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon.

(34) Air Force Combat Readiness Medal.

(35) Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

e. U.S. Merchant Marine awards. U.S. Merchant Marine awards authorized for wear on the Army uniform are

listed below in order of precedence.

(1) Distinguished Service Medal.

(2) Meritorious Service Medal.

(3) Gallant Ship Citation.

(4) Mariner’s Medal.

(5) Combat Medal.

(6) Defense Medal.

(7) Atlantic War Zone Medal.

(8) Pacific War Zone Medal.

(9) Mediterranean-Middle East War Zone Medal.

(10) Victory Medal.

(11) Korean Service Medal.

(12) Vietnam Service Medal.

(13) Expeditionary Medal.

(14) Philippine Defense Ribbon.

(15) Philippine Liberation Ribbon.

f. U.S. nonmilitary unit awards. The Public Health Service Unit Award and the National Intelligence Meritorious

Unit Citation are authorized for wear on the Army uniform.

g. Foreign decorations. Personnel who are specifically authorized by law to accept decorations from foreign gov-

ernments may wear them in the order of their receipt after all U.S. decorations, the Good Conduct Medal, campaign

and service medals, and service and training ribbons (see AR 600 –8–22 for application procedures to request author-

ization to accept and wear foreign decorations). Personnel may not wear any foreign decorations on the uniform unless

at least one U.S. decoration or service medal is worn at the same time. Personnel will not wear foreign awards that do

not conform to the standard U.S.-sized ribbon bar or medal.

h. Foreign unit awards. The following foreign unit awards, listed in order of precedence, are authorized for wear

on the Army uniform when at least one U.S. decoration, service medal, or ribbon is worn at the same time (see AR

670–1 for permanent and temporary wear criteria).

(1) Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation.

(2) Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.

(3) Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation.

(4) Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation.

(5) Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation.

(6) Fourrageres (no order of precedence).

(a) French fourrageres.

(b) Belgian fourrageres.

(c) Netherlands orange lanyard.

i. Non-U.S. service awards. The following non-U.S. service awards, listed in order of precedence, are authorized

for wear on the Army uniform when at least one U.S. decoration, service medal, or ribbon is worn at the same time.

An individual may not wear any other foreign service medal, unless the wearer was awarded such medal while a bona

fide member of the armed forces of a friendly foreign nation and has received HQDA approval to wear the medal or

ribbon (see AR 600–8–22 for application procedures to request authorization to accept and wear foreign service med-

als or ribbons).

(1) Philippine Defense Ribbon.

(2) Philippine Liberation Ribbon.

(3) Philippine Independence Ribbon.

(4) United Nations Service Medal.

(5) Inter-American Defense Board Medal.

(6) United Nations Medal.

(7) North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal.

(8) Multinational Force and Observers Medal.

(9) Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

(10) Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia).

(11) Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait).

(12) Republic of Korea War Service Medal.

j. State awards for Army National Guard Soldiers. Under the provisions of Title 32, United States Code (32 USC),

Army National Guard (ARNG) personnel are authorized to wear State awards under applicable State laws or regula-

tions when assigned to the ARNG under the command and control of the governor or Adjutant General. The term

“State” includes the 50 states, U.S. territories (which include Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Puerto Rico, and the

District of Columbia. The following personnel statuses are included in this authorization: Active Guard Reserve; active

duty for training; active duty for special work; full-time National Guard duty for special work or training; annual

training; and inactive duty training (drill status), including periods when personnel may be attached to the Regular

Army or reserve of any Service, whether paid or unpaid. Personnel will wear such awards in the State order of prece-

dence after Federal and foreign awards. Under the provisions of 10 USC, Soldiers on active Federal service are au-

thorized to accept, but not wear State or territory awards.