2.5 The Army Awards and Decorations System (AR 600-8-22)
Key Takeaways
- AR 600-8-22 governs military awards; DA Form 638 is the recommendation form for most individual awards and DA Form 2442 is the Certificate of Achievement.
- The U.S. order of precedence runs Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart.
- The Purple Heart is the only Army award to which a Soldier is entitled rather than recommended, and it is awarded for wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States.
- Ribbons are worn in order of precedence from the wearer's right to left and top to bottom, with U.S. decorations first, then U.S. unit awards, then U.S. service medals, then foreign awards.
- Awards earn promotion points under AR 600-8-19 Table 3-5 and Table 3-6, where an Expert Infantryman, Expert Field Medical, or Expert Soldier Badge is worth 60 points and a combat badge is worth 30.
The Army Awards and Decorations System (AR 600-8-22)
Board Primer: Board members inspect your ribbons and then ask about them. AR 600-8-22 (Military Awards) is the governing regulation; the placement rules are in AR 670-1 and DA PAM 670-1; and the point values are in AR 600-8-19. A noncommissioned officer is expected to know how to recommend an award for a Soldier, not merely how to wear one.
1. Categories of Awards
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Decorations (individual) | Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal |
| Good conduct and reserve awards | Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal |
| Campaign and service medals | National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals, Korea Defense Service Medal |
| Service and training ribbons | Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon |
| Unit awards | Presidential Unit Citation, Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award |
| Badges and tabs | Combat and special skill badges, marksmanship badges, identification badges |
2. Order of Precedence
Ribbons are worn in order of precedence from the wearer's right to left, and top to bottom — that is, the highest award is closest to the heart and highest on the rack. The categories run in this order:
- U.S. military decorations
- U.S. unit awards
- U.S. non-military decorations
- Good conduct and reserve component achievement medals
- U.S. campaign and service medals
- U.S. service and training ribbons
- Foreign and international awards
Within U.S. military decorations, the top of the order is: Medal of Honor; Distinguished Service Cross; Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Distinguished Service Medal; Silver Star; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Distinguished Flying Cross; Soldier's Medal; Bronze Star Medal; Purple Heart; Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal; Air Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Joint Service Achievement Medal; Army Achievement Medal.
Two distinctions worth memorizing:
- Soldier's Medal is awarded for heroism not involving actual conflict with an armed enemy — for example, a rescue at grave personal risk. It outranks the Bronze Star Medal.
- Purple Heart is the only award to which a Soldier is entitled, not recommended. It is awarded for wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States that required treatment by a medical officer and were recorded in the Soldier's medical record.
3. Devices
| Device | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Oak leaf cluster | Second and subsequent awards of most Army decorations (bronze; a silver cluster represents five bronze) |
| "V" device | Acts of valor in direct contact with an enemy |
| "C" device | Meritorious service performed under combat conditions |
| "R" device | Direct and immediate impact on combat operations from outside the combat zone (e.g., remotely piloted operations, cyber) |
| Numerals | Subsequent awards of certain awards, such as the Air Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon |
| Service stars | Participation in designated campaigns on a campaign medal |
4. How an Award Is Recommended
- The first-line leader identifies the act or the period of service. This is a squad leader responsibility, not a personnel-office function.
- Prepare DA Form 638 (Recommendation for Award). Write achievement bullets in specific, quantified language — the same Action-Impact-Result discipline used for evaluations.
- Route through the chain of command. Each level endorses, recommends a higher or lower award, or disapproves.
- The approval authority acts. Approval authority rises with the level of the award; the regulation and local policy fix who may approve each one. A Certificate of Achievement (DA Form 2442) may be awarded by commanders or deputy commanders in positions authorized LTC or higher, by any general officer or GS-13-and-above civilian equivalent, and by brigade-level CSMs.
- The award is announced in permanent orders and posted to the Soldier's record in IPPS-A. If it does not post, the promotion points do not exist.
Timeliness
Recommendations for achievement and service awards should be submitted so that the award can be presented at the time of the event or departure — commonly two to three months before a permanent change of station, retirement, or separation. Valor awards are submitted as soon as the facts can be established.
5. Awards and Promotion Points
Awards feed directly into the promotion score under AR 600-8-19, paragraph 3-16, capped at 145 points for SGT and 165 for SSG:
| Award or badge | Promotion points |
|---|---|
| Soldier's Medal or higher; Bronze Star Medal with "V" | 35 |
| Bronze Star Medal; Purple Heart | 30 |
| Defense MSM; MSM; Air Medal with "V"; ARCOM with "V" | 25 |
| Air Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; ARCOM | 20 |
| AAM; Joint Service Achievement Medal; Good Conduct Medal; Army Recruiting Ribbon | 10 |
| Expert Infantryman / Expert Field Medical / Expert Soldier Badge | 60 |
| Combat Infantryman / Combat Medical / Combat Action Badge | 30 |
| Master Parachutist, Master EOD, Master Gunner, Master Recruiter | 20 |
| Senior Parachutist, Drill Sergeant Badge | 15 |
| Basic Parachutist, Air Assault, Pathfinder, Driver and Mechanic | 10 |
| Certificate of Achievement | 5 each, maximum 20 |
Two rules that catch candidates:
- Badges are not cumulative. A higher badge only adds the difference, so a Master Recruiter Badge is worth 20 total, not 35.
- The Army Recruiting Ribbon is capped at 40 points for four awards.
6. Common Board Questions
- "What is the difference between the Bronze Star Medal and the Soldier's Medal?" The Bronze Star Medal is awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement or service in connection with military operations against an armed enemy; the Soldier's Medal is awarded for heroism not involving conflict with an armed enemy, and outranks it in precedence.
- "Which award is a Soldier entitled to?" The Purple Heart.
- "What form do you use to recommend one of your Soldiers for an ARCOM?" DA Form 638.
- "Who can give a Certificate of Achievement?" Commanders and deputy commanders in LTC-or-higher positions, general officers, GS-13-and-above equivalents, and brigade CSMs — worth 5 promotion points each, up to 20.
- "Where do ribbons start?" Highest precedence at the wearer's right and top of the rack, worn 1/8 inch above the left breast pocket on the male service coat.
Which Army decoration is a Soldier ENTITLED to rather than recommended for?
Under AR 600-8-19, how many promotion points does an Expert Soldier Badge produce?
What form does a squad leader use to recommend one of their Soldiers for an Army Commendation Medal?
Which statement correctly distinguishes the Soldier's Medal from the Bronze Star Medal?