What military medals are there?

What military medals are there? The United States military awards an extensive range of medals recognizing service, valor, and achievement across all branches of the armed forces.

Highest Military Honors

The Medal of Honor stands as America's highest military decoration, awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Each service branch has its own distinctive Medal of Honor design.

Service Cross Awards

The second-highest decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross (Army), Navy Cross (Navy and Marines), and Air Force Cross (Air Force). These medals recognize extraordinary heroism in combat situations.

Distinguished Service and Achievement Medals

Purple Heart

The Purple Heart honors those wounded or killed in action, making it one of the most recognized military medals among civilians.

Bronze and Silver Stars

The Silver Star recognizes gallantry in action, while the Bronze Star Medal acknowledges heroic or meritorious achievement in a combat zone.

Campaign and Service Medals

Military personnel receive various campaign medals for participation in specific operations, such as the Iraq Campaign Medal or Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Service ribbons denote completion of training, overseas service, or time in specific duty assignments.

Branch-Specific Recognition

Each military branch awards unique medals:

- Army: Distinguished Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal

- Navy/Marines: Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal

- Air Force: Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal

- Coast Guard: Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal

- Space Force: Space Force Commendation Medal

Unit and Achievement Awards

Additionally, unit citations recognize entire military units for exceptional performance, while achievement medals honor individual accomplishments in non-combat situations.

The complete military medal system encompasses over 100 different awards, each with specific criteria and significance. Understanding these distinctions helps appreciate the depth of military recognition and the diverse ways service members contribute to national defense.