Navy and Marine Corps Medal
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| Navy and Marine Corps Medal | |
|---|---|
 US Army Institute of Heraldry · Public domain · source | |
| Name | Navy and Marine Corps Medal |
| Presented by | United States Department of the Navy |
| Type | Decoration |
| Awarded for | Acts of heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | 7 August 1942 |
| First awarded | 1942 |
| Higher | Silver Star |
| Lower | Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) |
Navy and Marine Corps Medal The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the highest non-combat decoration awarded for heroism by the United States Department of the Navy to members of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Instituted during World War II in 1942, it recognizes acts of valor performed in life‑saving, rescue, or other hazardous circumstances outside direct enemy engagement. Recipients include sailors and Marines involved in incidents ranging from shipboard accidents to aviation mishaps and natural disaster rescues.
History
The medal was established on 7 August 1942 by an order of the United States Navy amid the expanding mobilization of World War II forces alongside contemporaneous awards like the Bronze Star Medal and the Legion of Merit. Early award actions paralleled events such as the Attack on Pearl Harbor aftermath and Battle of the Atlantic convoy operations where non-combat heroism occurred during peacetime and wartime support activities. Postwar revisions aligned its criteria with decorations like the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) and the Navy Cross within the evolving United States military awards system. Subsequent conflicts—Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan—saw the medal conferred for rescue actions during accidents, training mishaps, and humanitarian missions linked to agencies such as the United States Coast Guard and the United States Marine Corps Forces engaged in disaster relief after events like Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami relief efforts.
Criteria and Eligibility
Eligibility is limited to personnel of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps, including members serving in joint assignments under commands such as United States Fleet Forces Command, United States Pacific Fleet, and Marine Forces Pacific. The award honors acts of heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy, comparable in prestige to the Soldier's Medal of the United States Army and the Airman's Medal of the United States Air Force. Typical qualifying incidents involve lifesaving during surface ship emergencies like fires or explosions on vessels of the United States Navy, aviation rescues involving aircraft from units such as Carrier Air Wing Seven or Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 (VMM-261), and hazardous evacuations during natural disasters where units coordinate with Federal Emergency Management Agency task forces or United States Agency for International Development teams. Recommendations originate from commanding officers in chains including Commander, Navy Installations Command and Commandant of the Marine Corps and are reviewed alongside statutes codified by the United States Code governing decorations.
Description and Design
The medal's obverse depicts an eagle clutching an anchor and a trident, motifs associated historically with United States naval heraldry and symbols seen on insignia of institutions like the United States Naval Academy and the United States Merchant Marine Academy. The ribbon is predominantly blue with white stripes, consistent with color schemes used by decorations such as the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart. The design was created by artists affiliated with the United States Mint and the Bureau of Naval Personnel design offices during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. Devices for subsequent awards use authorized stars in the manner of other decorations like the Bronze Star Medal campaign devices.
Notable Recipients
Recipients include decorated individuals whose actions intersect with major events and institutions: sailors and Marines involved in the USS Forrestal (CV-59) fire, personnel who rescued civilians during the Hurricane Hugo response, and aviators from units such as HMX-1 conducting evacuations. Famous awardees have served alongside leaders from institutions like the United States Naval Observatory, Naval War College, and the Marine Corps University, and have been recognized in contexts with organizations such as the American Red Cross and Naval Sea Systems Command. Noted recipients have included enlisted heroes and officers who later held commands within United States Fleet Cyber Command, the Office of Naval Intelligence, and positions in joint commands like United States Central Command.
Awarding Process and Precedence
Recommendation for the medal follows formal submission through a service member's chain of command—examples include Fleet Marine Force, Pacific or Third Fleet—and review by boards analogous to those that consider awards such as the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross before final approval by the Secretary of the Navy. The Navy and Marine Corps Medal ranks below the Silver Star but above the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) in order of precedence displayed at ceremonies alongside decorations like the Navy Achievement Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal. Presentation ceremonies often occur at Naval Station Norfolk, Marine Corps Base Quantico, or aboard flagships transiting through ports such as San Diego and Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
Recipients' Benefits and Privileges
Awardees receive formal recognition in official military records maintained by the Bureau of Naval Personnel and may be cited in unit histories preserved by repositories like the Naval History and Heritage Command and the Marine Corps History Division. While the decoration itself carries no automatic financial stipend, recipients may gain consideration for assignments, promotion boards administered by entities like the Naval Personnel Command and Marine Corps Manpower Management, and eligibility for veteran programs through the Department of Veterans Affairs when qualifying service elements overlap with benefits tied to decorations such as the Purple Heart. Public honors often involve coverage from outlets such as Stars and Stripes and archival inclusion in collections at institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of the United States Navy.