The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher

Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fift ...

or the Meritorious Service Medal. Each military service issues its own version of the Achievement Medal, with a fifth version authorized by the

U.S. Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, t ...

for joint military activity. The Achievement Medal is awarded for outstanding achievement or meritorious service not of a nature that would otherwise warrant awarding the Commendation Medal. Award authority rests with local commanders, granting a broad discretion of when and for what action the Achievement Medal may be awarded.

History

Navy and Marine Corps

The Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (NAM), is the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

and U.S. Marine Corps' version of the Achievement Medal. The U.S. Navy was the first branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to award such a medal, doing so in 1961, when it was dubbed the "Secretary of the Navy Commendation for Achievement Medal." This title was shortened in 1967 to simply, the "Navy Achievement Medal." On August 19, 1994, to recognize those of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

who had received the Navy Achievement Medal, the name of the decoration was officially changed to the "Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal". The award is still often referred to in shorthand speech as the "Navy Achievement Medal" or "NAM" for short.

Chain of Command approval

From its inception in the early 1960s to 2002, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal could not be approved by the commanding officers of ships, submarines, aviation squadron, or shore activities who held the rank of Commander (O-5). Awards for crewmembers had to be submitted to the Commodore or Air Wing Commander or the first appropriate O-6 in the

chain of command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. Military chain of command In a military context, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders ...

for approval, who then signed the award and returned it. This led to a dramatically lower awarding rate when compared to similar size units in the Army or Air Force awarding their own achievement medals, especially considering that those services did not establish their respective achievement medals until the 1980s. Since 2002 the commanding officers of aviation squadrons and ships have had the authority to award NAMs without submission to higher authority. This is in contrast to the Army, where battalion commanders or the first O-5 in a soldier's chain of command are the authorizing official.

Army, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard

The

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

created its own Coast Guard Achievement Medal in 1967; the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force issued their own versions of the award with the Army Achievement Medal (AAM) in 1981 and Air Force Achievement Medal (AFAM) in 1980. Effective 11 September 2001, the Army Achievement Medal may be awarded in a combat area. Since this change over sixty thousand Army Achievement Medals have been awarded in theaters of operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. On 16 November 2020, the Air Force Achievement Medal was renamed to the Air and Space Achievement Medal (ASAM) by the Secretary of the Air Force.

Joint Service Achievement Medal

The Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM) was created in 1983. This award was considered a Department of Defense decoration senior to the service department Achievement Medals.

Ribbon devices

The following devices may be authorized to be worn on the following achievement medals suspension ribbon and

service ribbon A medal ribbon, service ribbon or ribbon bar is a small ribbon, mounted on a small metal bar equipped with an attaching device, which is generally issued for wear in place of a medal when it is not appropriate to wear the actual medal. Each cou ...

: * All Achievement Medals "C" device, which signifies meritorious performance "under combat conditions" after January 2016 * Joint Service Achievement Medal (all service branches) for additional awards, oak leaf clusters * Army Achievement Medal for additional awards,

oak leaf cluster 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 ...

s * Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for additional awards, 5/16 inch stars * Air and Space Achievement Medal for additional awards, oak leaf clusters * Coast Guard Achievement Medal for additional awards, 5/16 inch stars * Coast Guard Achievement Medal

Operational Distinguishing Device The Operational Distinguishing Device ("O" device) is a miniature silver inch letter "O" that is authorized by the United States Coast Guard as a ribbon device which may be authorized for wear on certain awards and decorations of the United Stat ...

("O" device) * Coast Guard Achievement Medal Combat Distinguishing Device (Combat "V")

Former ribbon devices

The following ribbon devices were authorized in the past but have now been discontinued: * Air Force Achievement Medal

"V" Device A "V" device is a metal Letter case, capital Letter (alphabet), letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on #Decorations eligible for the "V" device, certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes a decoration award ...

until December 2016 * Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Combat Distinguishing Device (Combat "V") until December 2016

Notable recipients

Allison Black Colonel Allison K. Black is an American retired military officer. She was given the nickname "Angel of Death" as an AC-130H gunship officer in the United States Air Force during the War in Afghanistan. She was the second woman to ever serve as co ...

, U.S. Air Force officer * Donna L. Crisp, U.S. Navy officer *

William, Prince of Wales William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born during the reign of his pat ...

- 6 July 2008 *

JD Vance James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman, August2, 1984) is an American politician, author, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran who is the 50th vice president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republic ...

: United States Senator from Ohio and

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...

Tim Walz Timothy James Walz (; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician who has served since 2019 as the 41st governor of Minnesota. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States, vice pre ...

: Minnesota Governor and Democratic nominee for Vice president in the 2024 U.S. election

References

External links

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Citation Examples

{{USCG decorations Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force Awards and decorations of the United States Army Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard Awards and decorations of the United States Marine Corps Awards and decorations of the United States Navy Awards and decorations of the United States Space Force Awards established in 1961 Awards established in 1967 Awards established in 1981 Awards established in 1983 Awards established in 1994 1961 establishments in the United States 1967 establishments in the United States 1981 establishments in the United States 1983 establishments in the United States 1994 establishments in the United States