Air Force Gallant Unit Citation — Military Decorations

Air Force Gallant Unit Citation

Air Force Gallant Unit Citation

Air Force Gallant Unit Citation Medal and Ribbon Design Images

What is the Air Force Gallant Unit Citation Decoration?

The ribbon features scarlet, white, and royal blue stripes. It Is a symmetrical design of red edges, royal blue stripes, and a central pattern of a thinner red stripe flanked by two white stripes.

There is a four foot long streamer that follows the same pattern and design colour scheme.

The United States military sorts decorations into categories called Classes and Types. The Air Force Gallant Unit Citation medal is classified as a Unit Award of the type Presidential Unit Citation.

How Do You Earn the Air Force Gallant Unit Citation?

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 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.

Displaying the Air Force Gallant Unit Citation

The Order of Precedence of the Air Force Gallant Unit Citation is 46, and this precedence is used when placing the associated service ribbon on your uniform ribbon rack. You can see a full list of decorations in the order of precedence on the Decorations homepage.

The GUC shall be worn immediately before the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. Subsequent awards will be denoted by Oak Leaf Clusters. All members of the unit may wear the decoration, whether or not they personally participated in the acts for which the unit was cited. Only those assigned to the unit at the time of the action cited may wear the decoration as a permanent award.

Additional awards of the Navy Unit Commendation are denoted by  an Oak Leaf Cluster.

A four foot long streamer may be present upon unit flags who receive this distinction. Pennants are also authorised when designated appropriate.

Order this Ribbon