The Gallant Unit Citation (GUC), a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

and

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space force branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces, armed forces of the United States and one of the eight uniformed services of the Unite ...

unit award, was approved in March 2004 and is awarded to any Air Force or Space Force unit which distinguishes itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in armed combat with an enemy force on or after 11 September 2001.

Award Description

The GUC requires a lesser degree of gallantry, determination and esprit de corps than that required for the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). The unit must have performed with marked distinction under difficult and hazardous conditions in accomplishing its mission so as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same conflict. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

to an individual. The GUC will normally be earned by units that have participated in single or successive actions covering relatively brief time spans. Only on rare occasions will a unit larger than a group qualify for the GUC. Extended periods of combat duty or participation in a large number of operational missions, either air or ground, is not sufficient. Additional awards of the Gallant Unit Citation are denoted by

oak leaf clusters An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...

Cited units

The only units to date that have received this award are the 621st Contingency Response Wing, 385th Air Expeditionary Group,

352d Special Operations Group The 352nd Special Operations Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Special Operations Command currently stationed at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom. The unit's heritage dates back to 1944 as an air commando unit. The 352n ...

, the 332d Air Expeditionary Group, the

16th Operations Group 16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. It is the fourth power of two. In English speech, the numbers 16 and 60 are sometimes confused, as they sound similar. Mathematics 16 is the ninth composite number, and a sq ...

(redesignated as the 1st Special Operations Group in 2006), the 720th Special Tactics Group,

74th Fighter Squadron The 74th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23rd Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The squadron is equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II ground attack air ...

and the 79th Fighter Generation Squadron,THUNDER: 74th EFS receives Gallant Unit Citation
/ref> as well as units subordinate to each during the cited time frame. ;Subordinate units to the 16th Operations Group receiving the award *

4th Special Operations Squadron The 4th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operates Lockheed AC-130J aircraft providing special operations capabilities. Mission The squadron (aviation), squadron plans, prepare ...

* 6th Special Operations Squadron *

8th Special Operations Squadron The 8th Special Operations Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The squadron is equipped with the B ...

* 9th Special Operations Squadron * 15th Special Operations Squadron *

16th Special Operations Squadron The 16th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. It operates the AC-130W Stinger II aircraft in support of special operations. Mission Train and maintain its combat-read ...

19th Special Operations Squadron The 19th Special Operations Squadron is an Air Force Special Operations Command unit, part of the 492nd Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It conducts crew training for Lockheed AC-130, AC-130 and Lockheed MC-130 aircraft. His ...

* 20th Special Operations Squadron *16th Operations Support Squadron *16th Operations Group, Operating Location D * 919th Special Operations Group * 711th Special Operations Squadron *919th Operations Support Squadron *

5th Special Operations Squadron The 5th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 919th Special Operations Wing. The 5th is based at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operates U-28A, U-28 aircraft providing special operations capability. Mission The 5th Special Operations Squadro ...

*AFSOC Air Operations *Operating Location JM1 Air Force Element Medical *Air Force Element Medical DoD, Operating Location Special Operations Squadron

816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron The 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron was a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 385th Air Expeditionary Group, stationed at Al Udeid Air Base, Doha, Qatar. It was last engaged in combat operations in Southwest Asi ...

and 385th Expeditionary Airlift Group in support of Operation ALLIES REFUGE.

References

{{USAF decorations Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force Awards and decorations of the United States Space Force Awards established in 2004