The Air and Space Longevity Service Award (ASLSA) is a

military award Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medal ...

of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

and

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...

established as the Air Force Longevity Service Award by Air Force General Order 60, on 25 November 1957 by

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

Thomas D. White General Thomas Dresser White (August 6, 1901 – December 22, 1965) was the fourth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. Life and military career White was born in Walker, Minnesota, on August 6, 1901. His father was John Chanler Whi ...

, Air Force Chief of Staff. The award was primarily created as an air force equivalent to the

service stripe A service stripe is an embroidered diagonal stripe worn on the sleeve(s) of some military and paramilitary uniforms. In the case of the United States military, service stripes are authorized for wear by enlisted personnel on the lower part of the ...

s used by other branches of the

United States military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

to denote years of military service. The award is retroactive to the establishment of the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

as an independent service in September 1947. The ribbon is also retroactive for any service with the

U.S. Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War ...

U.S. Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

, or

U.S. Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...

prior to the creation of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service as long as the serviceman was on active duty on or after 18 September 1947. On 16 November 2020, the Air Force Longevity Service Award was renamed to the Air and Space Longevity Service Award by the Secretary of the Air Force.

Criteria

The Air and Space Longevity Service Award is awarded for completing four years of Active, Air Force Reserve, or Air National Guard service. For members of the

Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of comm ...

and

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

, creditable service must have been in a drilling status with regular attendance of at least minimum monthly weekend drills and annual training. Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard mobilized to full-time active duty continue to accrue eligibility in the same manner as active duty Air Force personnel. Service as a student at a United States service academy, typically the

USAF Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Unit ...

, is also creditable so long as the member graduated. The ribbon is awarded to both officers and enlisted personnel, in contrast to

s which are only provided to enlisted members of the military.

Appearance

The Air and Space Longevity Service Award is a ribbon-only award. It is ultramarine blue divided by four equal stripes of grotto blue.

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 speci ...

are worn on the ribbon to indicate subsequent awards of the Air Force Longevity Service Award.

References

{{USAF decorations Longevity Service Award Awards established in 1957 Longevity

Criteria

Appearance

See also

References