The Presidential Unit Citation () is a military unit award of the government of

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

that may be presented to South Korean and foreign military units for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic of Korea. In recognition of allied military service to South Korea during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, all United States military departments were authorized the unit award for that period. Officially,

South Korean Government The government of South Korea () is the national government of the Republic of Korea, created by the Constitution of South Korea as the executive, legislative and judicial authority of the republic. The president acts as the head of state and ...

does not have the term: 'Presidential Unit Citation (대통령 부대 표창)'. This is the one of 'Presidential Citation (대통령 표창)' which awarded to organizations such as local government, military unit, hospital and so on.

Appearance and wear

When the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is worn on the South Korea military uniform (right side) it is as a

ribbon A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mate ...

wide surrounded by a

gold frame A gold frame is an attachment to a military decoration which is issued by the militaries of some countries. The gold frame is designed to enclose an award ribbon and is usually a means of distinguishing the ribbon's special quality or denoting som ...

. The ribbon is white, with a red above blue Taeguk in the center. At the edge of the ribbon, on each side, are the following stripes: Hunter Green; White; Old Glory Red; white; Old Glory Red; white; Hunter Green. No ribbon devices are authorized for wear with this award, although a bronze service star on the ribbon can be observed on several portraits of Korean War veterans from the U.S. Armed Forces.

Smaller version

Foreign military unit members who are authorized to wear the award, either wear the award on the right side of the uniform (e.g. U.S. Army) with any other same size unit award emblems or wear the slightly smaller size version of the award on the left side of the uniform (e.g. U.S. Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force) with their other service ribbons.

Notable recipients

Post-Korean War

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 ...

for service in South Korea between 9 December 1999 to 24 April 2002. * 2nd Infantry Division was recognized in 2011, for its support of South Korea over the preceding 60 years. *

Seventh Air Force The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...

was recognized in October 2013 for longstanding achievements in operational readiness and force employment in South Korea. * U.S. Eighth Army was recognized on October 1, 2014, for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic of Korea. * U.S. Naval Forces Korea was recognized in September 2017 "outstanding contribution to the defense of the Republic of Korea." *

was recognized in October 2019 for contributions enhancing the national security of the Republic of Korea and for interoperability, combined operations and combat readiness. The United States Secretary of the Air Force did not approve the award, and Air Force members were not authorized to wear it. * U.S. Naval Forces Korea 2024.

Korean War

* 1st Marine Division (Reinforced) for operations from 26 October 1950 to 27 July 1953, including the

Inchon landing The Battle of Inchon (), also called Inchon landing, was an amphibious invasion and a battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations Command (UN). The operation involved some ...

Second Battle of Seoul The Second Battle of Seoul resulted in United Nations forces recapturing Seoul from the North Koreans in late September 1950 during the Korean War. Following the UN Battle of Inchon, counterattack at Inchon on 15 September, UN forces consolidat ...

and

Battle of Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of th ...

* 58th Engineer Treadway Bridge Company for its bridge-building efforts with the X Corps at the Chosin Reservoir and the Inchon landing in 1950. * 7th Infantry Division three times. The first was for service at Inchon, the second for service during the period of 1950–1953, and finally for deployment to the Korean Peninsula from 1945 to 1948 and from 1953 to 1971. * The French Battalion of the UNO under the operational control of the 23rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, 2nd U.S. Infantry Division receive two times the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. * One

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

unit, the "Ospedale da Campo n° 68" (Field Hospital no. 68) of "Corpo Militare della Croce Rossa Italiana" ( Military Corp of Italian Red Cross), was awarded this battle honour twice: October 6, 1952, and December 30, 1954. * One Turkish unit, Turkish Brigade, which repulsed a Chinese force three times its size during the battle of Kumyangjang-Ni (25–26 January) of the

, was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation from the President of Korea on July 11, 1951. * The U.S. Army's

65th Infantry Regiment The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers" during the Korean War for the original Arawak Native American name for Puerto Rico (Borinquen), is a Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army. The regiment's motto is ''Honor et ...

of the 3rd Infantry Division was awarded this battle honor twice during the Korean War. The first was for service in the Uijongbu Corridor in June 1951. The second was for service in the Iron Triangle at Hill 717 in July 1951. * One

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n unit, the

2 Squadron SAAF 2 Squadron is a squadron in the South African Air Force which was formed in 1940. The squadron has a long history, having been involved in every single combat action in which the SAAF has taken part. During the Second World War it made a name fo ...

was also awarded this battle honour. It was presented on November 1, 1951. It reads "This unit was dispatched from South Africa in support of the United Nations Forces in Korea. It was equipped with P-51 aircraft and has functioned continually in support of operations of the Eighth Army. Through all gallantry and devotion to duty of its personnel it has earned high praise and its losses in pilots have been heavy. It continued to meet cheerfully all tasks allotted to it, and gives a higher performance than is normally expected." * 16 Field Regiment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery. * A Dutch regiment (Van Heutsz) embedded into the US 2nd Infantry Division was awarded the U.S. Presidential Unit Citation in February 1951, for the capture of Hill 325, north of Manjong Station. The under-strength A Company, reinforced by personnel from B and heavy weapons companies, was ordered to recapture Hill 325 on 15 February 1951. At 0230 hrs the next morning, the Dutch were beaten back by heavy machine gun fire; at 0345 hrs, they tried again and this time advanced to within 300 meters of the crest before again being repulsed. Just before dawn, the exhausted Dutch, their ammunition almost expended, fixed bayonets and, shouting their battle cry, gained their objective. For these actions the Van Heutsz received its first U.S. Presidential Unit Citation. This came at a cost, however, as the battalion had suffered over a hundred casualties. * 17th Bombardment Wing, Light * The Greek Expeditionary Force as part of the United Nations multinational forces. * NORMASH

References

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/3932121/us-naval-forces-korea-awarded-rok-presidential-unit-citation/

External links

Army Regulation 600-8-22 Military Awards

Navy & Marine Corps Awards Criteria

Air Force Personnel Center Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation

english.watv.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Republic Of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Military awards and decorations of South Korea Commendations (South Korea)