Air Force Outstanding Unit Award — Military Decorations

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Medal and Ribbon Design Images

The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award comes with a unique service ribbon, which is worn on the recipient's uniform in situations where the full medal is not worn. If you have earned this decoration, you can wear the service ribbon on your ribbon rack.

What is the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Decoration?

The ribbon has a narrow red stripe, flanked by a thin white stripe, a wide blue stripe, a thin white stripe, edged with a narrow red stripe. A bronze V device is worn on the ribbon to denote award for combat or direct combat support actions.

A four foot long streamer of an identical design is permitted for use on unit guidons and flags.

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

How Do You Earn the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award?

The Outstanding Unit Award is awarded to any unit of the U.S. Air Force (including the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard) which performs exceptionally meritorious service, accomplishes specific acts of outstanding achievement, excels in combat operations against an armed enemy of the United States, or conducts with distinct military operations involving conflict with, or exposure to, a hostile action by any opposing foreign force.

Displaying the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

The Order of Precedence of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is 53, 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.

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.

Subsequent awards are denoted by the use of an oak leaf cluster appurtenance.

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Associated Branches

Air Force

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Associated Branches

Air Force

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and the Stolen Valor Act

The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 is a federal law that makes it illegal for any person to falsely claim to be the recipient of certain military awards, "with the intention of obtaining money, property, or other tangible benefit by convincing another that he or she received the award".This decoration is covered by the Stolen Valor act. Fraudulently claiming to have received a Air Force Outstanding Unit Award can result in punishment including a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both


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