Posted on May 8, 2023
Are Unit Awards only awarded for combat service?
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It says on HRC website that "U.S. unit decorations, in order of precedence, have been established to recognize outstanding heroism or exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services. Awards are made to organizations when the heroism displayed or meritorious service performed is a result of group effort. A unit award is given to an operating unit and is worn by members of that unit who participated in the cited action. Personnel who did not participate in the cited action, but who are assigned to the cited unit, are authorized temporary wear of some unit awards. All unit awards approved at HQDA will be announced and confirmed in Headquarters, Department of the Army General Orders (AGO). During wartime, commanders authorized to approve unit awards will announce awards in permanent orders of their headquarters and forward a copy of each order to Commander, USAHRC, ATTN: AHRC–PDP-A, Dept 480, Fort Knox, KY 40122-5408. A copy of the permanent orders will be sent to the U.S. Army Center of Military History, ATTN: DAMH–FPO, 103 Third Avenue, Fort McNair, DC 20319–5058. Permanent Orders published to announce the award of a unit decoration will contain the citation of the award, official designation of the unit or units, and inclusive dates. These awards will be confirmed in AGO." It doesn't mention if it has to be a deployed unit. I was just curious for my knowledge. PFC (Join to see) SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL LTC Stephen F. CPL Dave Hoover SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SSG (Join to see) MSG (Join to see) Lt Col Charlie Brown LTC (Join to see)
Unit Awards
Awards
Requirements
Knowledge
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
No, there have been numerous unit awards given for service during the Cold War and other non-combat operations and many "non-deployable" units (JCS, Defense Colleges, etc.) have been given awards.
There ARE some that are limited to combat actions (i.e., Presidential Unit Citation), but many do not have that restriction.
For example, the criteria under which a Joint Meritorious Unit can be awarded are:
(a) During action in combat with an armed enemy of the United States;
(b) In a declared national emergency situation;
(c) Under extraordinary circumstances that involve national interests.
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* https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/134833_vol3.PDF
* https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/134833_vol4.PDF
There ARE some that are limited to combat actions (i.e., Presidential Unit Citation), but many do not have that restriction.
For example, the criteria under which a Joint Meritorious Unit can be awarded are:
(a) During action in combat with an armed enemy of the United States;
(b) In a declared national emergency situation;
(c) Under extraordinary circumstances that involve national interests.
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* https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/134833_vol3.PDF
* https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/134833_vol4.PDF
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
COL Randall C. - I was there when it was still JFCC-NW. Got there end of 2009 after my second deployment and then left end of 2011. I think there was an email that got sent out about it for USCC and then I was at STRATCOM on a compassionate (but they had a slot too) in 2015-2018. Again an email went out about another JMUA.
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COL Randall C.
SFC Kelly Fuerhoff - Sounds like you might actually four JMUAs instead of two.
In addition to the ones above, STRATCOM was awarded a JMUA for the period of 16 NOV 13 through 3 NOV 16 and 4 NOV 16 through 31 JUL 19.
In addition to the ones above, STRATCOM was awarded a JMUA for the period of 16 NOV 13 through 3 NOV 16 and 4 NOV 16 through 31 JUL 19.
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SFC (Join to see)
I can also confirm you are right. I have two JMUAs from a joint unit entirely based on our support and unrelated to any combat and an ASUA from a non-deployable unit before that.
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As a side note, it does behoove Servicemembers to check the unit award pages every now and then to see if one of your former units was given an award for a period of service while you were assigned there.
DoD's Office of the Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness - https://prhome.defense.gov/M-RA/Inside-M-RA/MPP/OEPM/ (scroll to the bottom under "Military Decorations and Awards")
Army Unit Award Info page - https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Unit%20Award%20Info
Navy/Marines - All unit awards info is online through the BUPERS OnLine (BOL) NDAWS application under the "Search Awards" tab.
Air Force - Go to myPers and search "Unit Awards Database" to check your unit.
DoD's Office of the Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness - https://prhome.defense.gov/M-RA/Inside-M-RA/MPP/OEPM/ (scroll to the bottom under "Military Decorations and Awards")
Army Unit Award Info page - https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Unit%20Award%20Info
Navy/Marines - All unit awards info is online through the BUPERS OnLine (BOL) NDAWS application under the "Search Awards" tab.
Air Force - Go to myPers and search "Unit Awards Database" to check your unit.
Officer and Enlisted Personnel Management
The official website for the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
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SSG(P) (Join to see)
COL Randall C. yes sir. I go on the unit history page every so often, but my current unit's information is outdated. It says they only have a MUC, but they also have 2 VUAs, and a PUC.
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COL Randall C.
For the Army list, make sure to read though all the text at the front of the list.
The consolidated list on HRC's site is a comprehensive collection of unit awards, however, if there wasn't a permanent order, it's possible they won't be listed. In fact, I wasn't able to find anything for the 489th, 420th, or 416th units in the list.
As the document states, another place you can look is the U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH - https://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/wotawards.html#awao), although that site is only current up to 13 October 2015, so any award approved after that date won't be on the site.
I was able to find the one of the VUAs* for the 489th Engineer Battalion on that site.
If you know the date you were supposed to have the award approved for the unit, you can look it up on the Army's General Orders page - https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/AGO.aspx
Finally, go the APD's site and do a content search of all documents (https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/ContentSearch.aspx) and punch in 420th and scroll through the results ... then 416th and look through them .. finally the 489th.
Doing this I was able to dig up another VUA on the 489th for the period of 25 April 2003 to 18 September 2003*. Which is strange considering the other VUA is for an overlapping period (neither units or individuals can get awards for overlapping periods of service).
I also found the MUC for the 489th for the period of 12 October 2013 to 10 May 2014*.
Finally, if nobody can give you a date timeframe to specifically look at the GO (it's POSSIBLE, but not likely, that there is a misspelling or something else), you didn't find anything on the list provided by HRC or at the CMH, and a search of the GOs for the unit (again, don't be specific .. 416 .. 420 .. 489), have your S1 submit a search request up to the Awards section at HRC to research it and give you the orders/memo.
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* 489th VUA (1 AUG 03 - 31 MAR 04) - https://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/HRC/2008/050-006_20080219_HRCMD.pdf
* 489th VUA (25 APR 03 - 18 SEP 03) - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/NOCASE-AGO_2010-16-000-WEB-0.pdf
* 489th MUC (12 OCT 13 - 10 MAY 14) - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN35001-AGO_2022-22-000-WEB-1.pdf
The consolidated list on HRC's site is a comprehensive collection of unit awards, however, if there wasn't a permanent order, it's possible they won't be listed. In fact, I wasn't able to find anything for the 489th, 420th, or 416th units in the list.
As the document states, another place you can look is the U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH - https://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/wotawards.html#awao), although that site is only current up to 13 October 2015, so any award approved after that date won't be on the site.
I was able to find the one of the VUAs* for the 489th Engineer Battalion on that site.
If you know the date you were supposed to have the award approved for the unit, you can look it up on the Army's General Orders page - https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/AGO.aspx
Finally, go the APD's site and do a content search of all documents (https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/ContentSearch.aspx) and punch in 420th and scroll through the results ... then 416th and look through them .. finally the 489th.
Doing this I was able to dig up another VUA on the 489th for the period of 25 April 2003 to 18 September 2003*. Which is strange considering the other VUA is for an overlapping period (neither units or individuals can get awards for overlapping periods of service).
I also found the MUC for the 489th for the period of 12 October 2013 to 10 May 2014*.
Finally, if nobody can give you a date timeframe to specifically look at the GO (it's POSSIBLE, but not likely, that there is a misspelling or something else), you didn't find anything on the list provided by HRC or at the CMH, and a search of the GOs for the unit (again, don't be specific .. 416 .. 420 .. 489), have your S1 submit a search request up to the Awards section at HRC to research it and give you the orders/memo.
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* 489th VUA (1 AUG 03 - 31 MAR 04) - https://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/HRC/2008/050-006_20080219_HRCMD.pdf
* 489th VUA (25 APR 03 - 18 SEP 03) - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/NOCASE-AGO_2010-16-000-WEB-0.pdf
* 489th MUC (12 OCT 13 - 10 MAY 14) - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN35001-AGO_2022-22-000-WEB-1.pdf
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CPT (Join to see)
COL Randall C. - Had I "enlisted" three days sooner I would have snuck in and picked up a unit MUC. They were just coming off deployment when I enlisted. Then I missed getting the overseas tour ribbon by three days (had I just took the flight home the following week).
So to your point sir, yea............ focus on the littlest of details.
So to your point sir, yea............ focus on the littlest of details.
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Most of my permanent unit awards were awarded for combat service, but both of my Army Superior Unit Awards were from my time in United States Army Recruiting Command. I could be wrong, but I do believe that only the Presidential Unit Citation and the Army Valorous Unit Award require a unit to be performing in combat conditions to merit them. The VUA is the equivalent to an individual earning the Silver Star, and the PUC is the equivalent to an individual earning the Distinguished Service Cross.
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