Posted on Mar 27, 2015
Which badges or medals are more rare than the Medal of Honor?
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There are 325 triple CIB Infantrymen, and 3,471 Medal of Honor Recipients.
Are there any other medals or badges that have been awarded fewer times than the Medal of Honor?
Are there any other medals or badges that have been awarded fewer times than the Medal of Honor?
Medal of Honor
Medals
Badges
Awards
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 52
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There have only been 16 people who have ever qualified for the army's astronaut badge. This makes it the rarest award in the army at around 200 times as rare as the medal of honor.
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I'm not sure all of these are rarer than the Medal of Honor but here are some very rare Military Awards - most of which are no longer awarded.
Specially Meritorious Service Medal - Spanish American War - only 14 awarded
Marine Corps Brevet Medal - only 23 awarded
Dewey Medal
NC-4 Medal - about 20 awarded
Army Nuclear Reactor Operator Badges
Gold Lifesaving Medal
Tomb Guard Badge
Coast Guard Medal
Philippine Congressional Medal
Certificate of Merit Medal - only 361 awarded
Four Chaplains Medal - only 4 awarded
Byrd Expedition Medal
2nd Byrd Expedition Medal
United States Antarctic Expedition Medal
Wintered Over Clasp to Antarctic Service Medal
Wake Island Clasp to Navy and Marine Corps Expeditionary Medals - about 500 awarded
Vice Presidential Service Badge
Corrections and omissions appreciated
It should be kept in mind when evaluating the rarity of the Medal of Honor that about 2,000 Medals of Honor were awarded for actions before 1905 when the next oldest US Military medal was established. Thus, about 2/3rd of Medals of Honor were awarded when there was no other award to be had.
Specially Meritorious Service Medal - Spanish American War - only 14 awarded
Marine Corps Brevet Medal - only 23 awarded
Dewey Medal
NC-4 Medal - about 20 awarded
Army Nuclear Reactor Operator Badges
Gold Lifesaving Medal
Tomb Guard Badge
Coast Guard Medal
Philippine Congressional Medal
Certificate of Merit Medal - only 361 awarded
Four Chaplains Medal - only 4 awarded
Byrd Expedition Medal
2nd Byrd Expedition Medal
United States Antarctic Expedition Medal
Wintered Over Clasp to Antarctic Service Medal
Wake Island Clasp to Navy and Marine Corps Expeditionary Medals - about 500 awarded
Vice Presidential Service Badge
Corrections and omissions appreciated
It should be kept in mind when evaluating the rarity of the Medal of Honor that about 2,000 Medals of Honor were awarded for actions before 1905 when the next oldest US Military medal was established. Thus, about 2/3rd of Medals of Honor were awarded when there was no other award to be had.
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SGT Tony Clifford
16 of them have ever qualified. I'm not sure how many were active when the device was established.
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The rarest medal or badge currently awarded I believe is the Army Astronaut badge. It's awarded to any Army personnel who undergo astronaut training, AND have been on a space mission. Those who are astronauts and haven't flown a mission (and don't previously have an aviation badge) are awarded the standard Army Aviator Badge.
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There is one medal that is rarer than the Medal of Honor, but not quite as rare as the Chaplain's Medal of Honor (4) or the Marine Brevet Medal (23/20). And it is the lowest in precedence of ALL US Military Service decorations. That medal is the Congressional Space Medal of Honor with a total of 28 recipients. Seventeen of those posthumously.
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SSG (Join to see)
True but the Space Medal of Honor is a Civilian Award. It is extremely Rare though.
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You'll see various foreign awards which are rare because so few of us get them over a long period or very few were associated with the short operation. The later case in point was the New Zealand Special Service Medal (Erebus) for those who worked the recovery operation on the NZP Flight TE901, a DC-10 that flew into the side of Mt. Erebus, Antarctica on November 28, 1979. It was awarded to civilians as well.
There's a pretty long list of foreign awards that can be worn after all other US awards. I don't recall seeing this one on a list but haven't looked for many years.
There's a pretty long list of foreign awards that can be worn after all other US awards. I don't recall seeing this one on a list but haven't looked for many years.
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A triple award for a badge is still the same badge. Whether you have one ARCOM, or a hundred ARCOM's, you still just have an ARCOM, a very common award. Now the Tomb Guard badge, or the Astronaut badge, now THOSE are rare badges..
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SGT Jerrold Pesz
While it is very common now the ARCOM was not that common in the sixties. In my company they awarded 3 in 2 years. Many of the other common medals and ribbons of today did not even exist in those days. I never saw anyone get a medal for a PCS or ETS. Many people finished their "career" with a National Defense Medal and a Good Conduct Medal. A trip to Vietnam got you two more for a total of four.
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The Air Force Combat Action ribbon for enlisted. That's more rare than an elephant in Antarctica. And worth zero promotion points to boot.
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MSgt (Join to see)
Not as rare these days since every CAS pilot gets them along with a lot of our ground pounders.(TACP, CCT, PJ, Security Forces). Hell, the ACC Command Chief has one.
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SGT (Join to see)
As someone who has one, I can say they are rare, but certainly not rarer than the CMoH. Now wearing one on the Army Service Uniform... That makes me feel like one of a kind.
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LCDR (Join to see)
SGM Billy Herrington - way late and not quite the same, but there was a Flight Surgeon who had been assigned to the Blue Angels and was an astronaut (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_E._Brady_Jr.). At least for me, mind blown! Though there is a guy in training for NASA who's both an M.D. and a SEAL, and now about to be an astronaut.
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To be fair, it's only been awarded since 1941, and only to 1 MOS series. How many Triple Combat Medic Badges or CARs with 2+ Stars are there?
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SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA
True. I'm thinking in terms of absolute numbers in all of United States history, of course understanding that they haven't all been around the same length of time, and the criteria have changed for many.
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SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S.
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Triple CMB - 5 rumored and 2 verified.
I don't think the CAR has been around long enough for three distinct conflicts.
Triple CMB - 5 rumored and 2 verified.
I don't think the CAR has been around long enough for three distinct conflicts.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. It started in 1969 and backdated to '61.
Vietnam, Beirut, Grenada, Gulf 1, Somalia, OIF, OEF
I personally knew folks who had it from Gulf 1 & Somalia when I was in
Vietnam, Beirut, Grenada, Gulf 1, Somalia, OIF, OEF
I personally knew folks who had it from Gulf 1 & Somalia when I was in
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SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S.
CAB states "after 2001"
CAR states "retroactive to 1961"
So triple CARs are possible, but I don't think so for CAB.
CAR states "retroactive to 1961"
So triple CARs are possible, but I don't think so for CAB.
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