Navy Unit Commendation

Navy Unit Commendation. It is a prestigious unit award presented by the United States Department of the Navy to recognize units of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard for outstanding heroism or exceptionally meritorious service. The award is comparable to the Army Superior Unit Award and ranks below the Presidential Unit Citation in the order of precedence. It honors collective actions that distinguish a unit above and beyond the call of duty during combat or non-combat operations.

Award criteria

The award is granted to any unit of the Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard that performs service of a character comparable to that which would merit the award of a Silver Star to an individual. This includes extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy, but not involving actual combat, or exceptionally meritorious service in support of military operations. The service must be accomplished with distinction, setting the unit apart from other units performing similar service, and can be awarded for actions during events like the Battle of Iwo Jima, the Vietnam War, or Operation Enduring Freedom. The commendation requires a degree of achievement above that normally expected, contributing materially to the success of a major Department of Defense mission or campaign.

Award description

The award consists of a ribbon and a gold-colored medal pendant. The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of a central stripe of Navy Blue flanked on either side by stripes of Gold, Scarlet, and Emerald Green. The medal is a bronze pendant, 1 1/4 inches in diameter, depicting a naval column with sails set, encircled by the words "UNIT COMMENDATION" above and "UNITED STATES NAVY" below. The reverse is blank for engraving the unit's name. Personnel assigned to a cited unit during the period of the recognized action wear a Navy Unit Commendation ribbon on their uniform, and may also wear an approved Service ribbon device. The design was created by the Navy's Institute of Heraldry and is consistent with the aesthetics of other awards like the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

History

The award was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944, during the final years of World War II. It was created to provide recognition for units that displayed outstanding performance but did not meet the higher criteria for the Presidential Unit Citation. Early awards were made retroactively for actions during campaigns such as the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Battle of Okinawa. The authority was later extended to include the Coast Guard when operating under the Navy. Over the decades, it has been awarded for service in conflicts including the Korean War, the Gulf War, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, becoming a standard measure of collective unit valor and service.

Notable recipients

Numerous distinguished units have been honored, spanning from World War II to modern conflicts. Notable recipients include the crew of the USS *Samuel B. Roberts* (FFG-58) for actions during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, elements of the 1st Marine Division for the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, and the SEAL Team Six for missions during Operation Enduring Freedom. Ships like the USS *Cole* (DDG-67) and the USS *The Sullivans* (DDG-68) have been cited, as have aviation squadrons such as Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 5 and units involved in the Mayaguez incident. The award has also been presented to Coast Guard cutters like the USCGC *Hamilton* (WHEC-715) for maritime interdiction operations.

Order of wear

In the order of precedence for unit awards, it is worn after the Presidential Unit Citation and before the Meritorious Unit Commendation. On a service member's uniform, the corresponding ribbon is placed in sequence with other unit awards on the right side of the chest, above the wearer's pocket flap. When multiple unit awards are authorized, they are worn in order of precedence from the wearer's right to left. This placement is governed by regulations from the United States Department of Defense and specific directives from the Navy and Marine Corps.

Category:United States Navy awards Category:Unit awards of the United States military