Coast Guard Achievement Medal — Military Decorations

Coast Guard Achievement Medal Medal and Ribbon Design Images

The Coast Guard Achievement Medal 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.
Design of the Coast Guard Achievement Medal

The Coast Guard Achievement Medal is bronze. In its center is the Coast Guard seal surrounded by a laurel wreath. The laurel wreath is surrounded by a cable. The Coast Guard seal signifies that this is a Coast Guard decoration; the laurel wreath represents achievement, and the continuous cable refers to both naval service and the ideal of perfection. At the top of the reverse side of the medal, in two lines, the words “AWARDED TO;” at the bottom of the medal, also in two lines, the words “FOR ACHIEVEMENT.” Directly above the word “For” is a raised bar, above which the recipient’s name may be engraved.

What is the Coast Guard Achievement Medal Decoration?

The ribbon consists of a field of ?Irish green? with one white stripe in the center and a thin orange stripe situated inside each edge of the ribbon. The ribbon to the Coast Guard Achievement Medal is identical to that of the Navy Achievement Medal except that a white pinstripe has been added to the center of the ribbon.

The United States military sorts decorations into categories called Classes and Types. The Coast Guard Achievement Medal medal is classified as a Personal Decoration of the type Achievement Medal.

How Do You Earn the Coast Guard Achievement Medal?

The Coast Guard Achievement Medal was established on January 29, 1964, by Secretary of the Treasury Douglas Dillon. The award was initially established as the Coast Guard Commendation for Achievement Ribbon and was redesignated as the Coast Guard Achievement Medal on June 11, 1968. It is awarded for any member the Armed Forces serving alongside the Coast Guard whose service goes above and beyond the bounds of regular duty performance in a non-combat situation.

Displaying the Coast Guard Achievement Medal

The Order of Precedence of the Coast Guard Achievement Medal is 35, 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.

Subsequent awards are denoted by the usage of a bronze star appurtenance. The ribbon is worn after the Joint Service Achievement Medal and before the Commandants Letter of Commendation ribbon.

Coast Guard Achievement Medal Associated Branches

Coast Guard

Coast Guard Achievement Medal Associated Branches

Coast Guard

Coast Guard Achievement Medal 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 Coast Guard Achievement Medal can result in punishment including a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both


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