Coast Guard Unit Commendation

Coast Guard Unit Commendation. The Coast Guard Unit Commendation is a prestigious unit award presented to commands of the United States Coast Guard for extraordinary heroism or exceptionally meritorious service. It is the second-highest unit decoration in the Coast Guard awards and decorations system, ranking directly below the Presidential Unit Citation. The award recognizes collective actions of distinction performed under conditions of great danger or difficulty, often during major operations like search and rescue missions, law enforcement operations, or environmental protection efforts.

Award criteria

The award is granted to any unit of the United States Coast Guard that distinguishes itself by extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy, or by exceptionally meritorious service not involving combat, but which is of a magnitude that clearly sets the unit apart. The service must be performed under conditions of grave danger or extreme difficulty, and must be of a character that is clearly exceptional when compared to similar achievements by other units. This can include sustained superior performance during a major national emergency like Hurricane Katrina, a complex international interdiction operation such as those conducted by the Joint Interagency Task Force South, or a prolonged and hazardous mission in a hostile environment. The authority to approve the award rests with the Commandant of the Coast Guard, typically upon recommendation from a major command like the Atlantic Area or Pacific Area.

Award appearance and wear

The award consists of a ribbon and a unit plaque. The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide, featuring a central stripe of Coast Guard blue flanked on either side by stripes of white, Navy blue, and gold. The unit plaque is a gold-colored medal pendant, which depicts the Great Seal of the United States surrounded by a ring inscribed “UNITED STATES COAST GUARD” at the top and “UNIT COMMENDATION” at the bottom. Personnel assigned to a unit during the period for which the award was made are authorized to wear the ribbon on their uniform. A gold service star is worn on the ribbon to denote subsequent awards. The streamer version of the ribbon is displayed on the unit's organizational flag.

Notable recipients

Numerous Coast Guard units have been honored for heroic actions during significant events. The crew of the USCGC *Boutwell* received the award for its role in the massive Alaska rescue and recovery operations following the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 1866 in 1971. The USCGC *Polar Star* was recognized for its exceptional service during Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica. Units involved in the prolonged and dangerous Vietnam War patrols, such as those under Coast Guard Squadron One, have also been decorated. More recently, cutters and air stations were cited for their extraordinary efforts during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response in the Gulf of Mexico and for lifesaving missions in the Bering Sea.

Order of precedence

Within the precedence of United States Coast Guard unit awards, the Coast Guard Unit Commendation ranks below the Presidential Unit Citation and above the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation. It is considered equivalent to the Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, and the Army Superior Unit Award. When worn on a uniform, it is placed accordingly among other unit awards in the sequence prescribed by uniform regulations.

See also

* United States Coast Guard * Coast Guard awards and decorations * Presidential Unit Citation (United States) * Navy Unit Commendation * Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation * Joint Meritorious Unit Award * Valorous Unit Award

Category:United States Coast Guard awards