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Army Meritorious Unit Commendation

Army - Establishing Authority

The Meritorious Unit Commendation was originally established by War Department Circular 345 on August 23, 1944, as the Meritorious Service Unit Plaque. Change 12 to Army Regulation 672-5-1 dated April 6, 1966, changed this award from a patch to a scarlet ribbon worn inside a gold frame.

Effective Dates

The Meritorious Services Unit Plaque took effect on January 1, 1944 (the Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon was made retroactive to January 1, 1944).

Criteria

The Meritorious Unit Commendation is awarded to units for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services for at least six continuous months during a period of military operations against an armed enemy on or after January 1, 1944. Although service in a combat zone is not required, the unit's accomplishments must be directly related to the larger combat effort. The unit must display such outstanding devotion and superior performance of exceptionally difficult tasks as to set it apart from and above other units with similar missions. The degree of achievement required is the same as that which would warrant award of the Legion of Merit to an individual.

Only in rare cases will a unit larger than a battalion qualify for this award. For services performed during World War II, this award was limited to service units and was restricted to services performed between January 1, 1944 and September 15, 1946. Members of units that received the Plaque were entitled to wear on their right sleeve a two inch square of olive drab cloth on which appeared a golden yellow laurel wreath one and five-eighths inches in diameter. Effective March 1, 1961 the Meritorious Unit Commendation was authorized for units and/or detachments of the Armed Forces for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services for at least six months in support of military operations. Change 12 to Army Regulation 672-5-1 dated April 6, 1966, replaced the patch with a scarlet ribbon worn inside a gold frame.

Order of Precedence

The Meritorious Unit Commendation is worn after the Valorous Unit Award and before the Superior Unit Award.

Devices

Additional awards of the Meritorious Unit Commendation are denoted by oak leaf clusters.

1. Description: The Meritorious Unit Commendation emblem worn to represent award of the Meritorious Unit Commendation is 1 7/16 inches wide and 9/16 inch in height. The emblem consists of a 1/16 inch wide Gold frame with laurel leaves which encloses a Scarlet 67111 ribbon. The previously authorized emblem was a Gold color embroidered laurel wreath, 1 5/8 inches in diameter on a 2 inches square of Olive Drab cloth.

2. Criteria: The Meritorious Unit Commendation is awarded to units for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services for at least six continuous months during the period of military operations against an armed enemy occurring on or after 1 January 1944. Service in a combat zone is not required, but must be directly related to the combat effort. CONUS based units are excluded from this award as are other units outside the area of operation. The unit must display such outstanding devotion and superior performance of exceptionally difficult tasks as to set it apart and above other units with similar missions. The degree of achievement required is the same as that which would warrant award of the Legion of Merit to an individual. Only in rare cases will a unit larger than a battalion qualify for award of this decoration. For services performed during World War II, awards will be made only to service units and only for services performed between 1 January 1944 and 15 September 1946. Effective 1 March 1961, the Meritorious Unit Commendation was authorized for units and/or detachments of the Armed Forces of the United States for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services for at least six continuous months in support of military operations. Such service is interpreted to relate to combat service support type activities and not to the type of activities performed by senior headquarters, combat, or combat support units.

3. Component: The current components of the Meritorious Unit Commendation are the emblems awarded to members of the unit and the streamer for display on the unit flag/guidon.

a. Meritorious Unit Commendation Emblem: MIL-D-3943/32 (frame) and MIL-R-11589/92 (ribbon). NSN 8455-00-964-4210.

b. Streamer: MIL-S-14650/5. Manual requisition in accordance with Chapter 9, AR 840-10.

4. Background: a. The Meritorious Service Unit Plaque was established by War Department Circular No. 345, dated 23 August 1944. The circular provided that military personnel assigned or attached to an organization were entitled to wear the Meritorious Service Unit Insignia on the outside half of the right sleeve of the service coat and shirt, four inches above the end of the sleeve. Additional awards were to be indicated by a gold star to be placed on the plaque. War Department Circular No. 54, 1946, provided that additional awards would be indicated by placing a golden numeral inside the wreath.

b. DF, D/PA, Subject: Proposed AR 260-15, Unit Awards, dated 12 December 1946, stated "In order to enhance the prestige of an award to a meritorious service unit, the present Meritorious Service Unit Plaque has been eliminated, and in lieu thereof a Meritorious Service Unit Commendation has been established on a plane comparable to the Navy Unit Commendation and may be awarded to any type of unit for meritorious service during military operations which, if performed by an individual would warrant the award of a Legion of Merit.

c. In April 1947, D/PA approved a new design of the Meritorious Service Unit emblem that replaced the sleeve insignia to be effective 1 January 1949. On 11 April 1949, TAG advised D/PA that the stock position was such that it would not be exhausted prior to 1959. By Comment 2, 1 March 1960, DCSPER stated that for planning purposes the new Meritorious Service Unit emblem would be authorized for wear on or after 1 January 1961, with wear of the old one prohibited for wear after 30 June 1962. However, the stock level was still so high that it was not introduced into the supply system until 14 July 1966.

d. AR 260-15, dated 16 May 1947, announced the Meritorious Unit Commendation, provided for wearing of the Meritorious Unit Commendation emblem, and provided for the display of the Meritorious Unit Commendation streamer, which was scarlet with the name of the applicable theater of operations in white letters.

e. The emblem is worn by all members of a cited organization and is considered an individual decoration for persons in connection with the cited acts and may be worn whether or not they continue as members of the organization. Other personnel may wear this decoration while serving with an organization to indicate the unit has been awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

f. Order of precedence and wear policy for unit awards is contained in AR 670-1. Policy for awards, approving authority, and supply of the unit award emblem is contained in AR 600-8-22. The policy for display of unit awards on guidons and flags and supply of streamers is contained in AR 840-10.

Coast Guard - Establishing Authority

The Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation was established on November 13, 1973, by the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Chester R. Bender.

Effective Dates

The Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation has been in effect since November 13, 1973.

Criteria

The Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation may be awarded by the Commandant (or designated subordinate awarding authorities) to any unit of the Coast Guard for valorous or meritorious achievement or service in support of Coast Guard operations not involving combat. The performance of duty must render the unit outstanding when compared to other units performing similar service but not of such a nature to merit award of the Coast Guard Unit Commendation.

This award may be conferred by the Commandant upon units of other branches of the Armed Forces of the United States, provided they meet the standards established for Coast Guard units. To justify this award, the service performed must be comparable to that which would merit the award of at least the Coast Guard Achievement Medal to an individual.

Order of Precedence

The ribbon to the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation is worn after the Coast Guard Unit Commendation ribbon and before the ribbon to the Meritorious Team Commendation.

Devices

Additional awards are denoted by gold stars.

The Operational Distinguishing Device, a silver O, may be authorized.

Authorized by the Commandant of the Coast Guard on November 13, 1973, it is awarded by the Commandant of the Coast Guard to any unit of the Coast Guard or Coast Guard Reserve which has distinguished itself by valorous or meritorious service in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations. The Operational Distinguishing Device (silver letter "O") may be worn on this ribbon when authorized.

Navy - Establishing Authority

The Meritorious Unit Commendation was established on July 17, 1967, by Secretary of the Navy John T. McNaughton.

Effective Dates

The Meritorious Unit Commendation has been in effect since July 17, 1967.

Criteria

The Meritorious Unit Commendation may be awarded by the Secretary of the Navy to any unit of the Navy or Marine Corps that distinguishes itself under combat or noncombat conditions by either valorous or meritorious achievement which renders that unit outstanding compared to other units performing similar service, but not sufficient to justify the award of the Navy Unit Commendation.

It may also be awarded to units of the other branches of the Armed Forces of the United States as well as to units of foreign nations serving with U.S. Forces, provided they meet the same standards established for Navy and Marine Corps units.

To justify this award, the unit must perform service of a character comparable to that which would justify the award of the Bronze Star Medal, or achievement of like caliber in a noncombat situation, to an individual.

Order of Precedence

The Meritorious Unit Commendation is worn after the Unit Commendation ribbon and before the Navy "E" Ribbon.

Devices

Additional awards of the Meritorious Unit Commendation are denoted by bronze stars three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter.

Authorized by SECNAVNOTE 1650, on July 17, 1967, and awarded by the Secretary to any unit of the US Navy or Marine Corps which distinguished itself by either valorous or meritorious achievement considered outstanding when compared to other units performing similar service, but not sufficient to justify award of the Navy Unit Commendation. Awarded for combat or non-combat services.