Overview
Awards and decorations of the United States Military are the military awards including decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States Armed Forces. Together with military badges, such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career. - Wikipedia

The US Department of Defense has descriptions of the awards, pictures and lists of recipents, but the lists may be incomplete. - US Department of Defense

The top three awards are ranked:

1. Medal of Honor
2. Distinguished Service Cross; Navy Cross; Air Force Cross
3. Silver Star Medal

People who are recipients of the Medal of Honor or Purple Heart should be also be represented on the Roll of Honor Project

Medal of Honor (Roll of Honor)

WIA/Purple Heart (Roll of Honor)

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Current Awards

Ribbon/award name[1] Personal decorations   Medal of Honor Service cross medals.   Distinguished Service Cross (Army)   Navy Cross   Air Force Cross   Coast Guard Cross Distinguished service medals   Defense Distinguished Service Medal   Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal   Distinguished Service Medal (Army)   Navy Distinguished Service Medal   Air Force Distinguished Service Medal   Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Gallantry in action   Silver Star Medal   Defense Superior Service Medal   Legion of Merit   Distinguished Flying Cross Medals for non-combat heroism   Soldier's Medal   Navy and Marine Corps Medal   Airman's Medal   Coast Guard Medal Awarded for heroism or meritorious service in a combat zone   Bronze Star Medal Awarded for wounds suffered in combat   Purple Heart Meritorious service medals   Defense Meritorious Service Medal   Meritorious Service Medal (United States)   Air Medal   Aerial Achievement Medal Commendation medals   Joint Service Commendation Medal   Army Commendation Medal   Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal   Air Force Commendation Medal   Coast Guard Commendation Medal Achievement medals   Joint Service Achievement Medal   Army Achievement Medal   Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal   Air Force Achievement Medal   Coast Guard Achievement Medal   Commandant's Letter of Commendation Combat Action Ribbons   Navy Combat Action Ribbon   Coast Guard Combat Action Ribbon   Air Force Combat Action Medal Unit awards Presidential Unit Citations   Army Presidential Unit Citation   Air Force Presidential Unit Citation   Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation   Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation Meritorious Uniit   Joint Meritorious Unit Award   Army Valorous Unit Award   Navy Unit Commendation   Air Force Gallant Unit Citation   Coast Guard Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendations   Army Meritorious Unit Commendation   Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation   Air Force Meritorious Unit Award   Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation   Army Superior Unit Award   Air Force Outstanding Unit Award   Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation Efficiency Awards   Navy "E" Ribbon   Air Force Organizational Excellence Award   Coast Guard "E" Ribbon Service awards   Prisoner of War Medal   Combat Readiness Medal (Air Force)   Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon   Air Force Recognition Ribbon   Coast Guard Enlisted Person of the Year Ribbon Good conduct medals   Army Good Conduct Medal   Navy Good Conduct Medal   Air Force Good Conduct Medal   Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal   Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal Reserve medals   Armed Forces Reserve Medal   Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal   Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal   Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal   Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal   Coast Guard Reserve Good Conduct Medal Continued on right column

Ribbon/award name[1] Campaign and service medals (cont.) Expeditionary medals   Navy Expeditionary Medal   Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal Occupation medals   Army of Occupation Medal   Navy Occupation Service Medal General service medals   National Defense Service Medal   Global War on Terrorism Service Medal   Korea Defense Service Medal   Armed Forces Service Medal   Humanitarian Service Medal   Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal Special service medals   Antarctica Service Medal   Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal   Air and Space Campaign Medal   Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal Campaign medals   Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal   Vietnam Service Medal   Southwest Asia Service Medal   Kosovo Campaign Medal   Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal   Afghanistan Campaign Medal   Iraq Campaign Medal Service and training awards   Army Sea Duty Ribbon   Army Overseas Service Ribbon   Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon   Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon   Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon   Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon   Navy Arctic Service Ribbon   Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon   Naval Reserve Sea Service Ribbon   Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon   Coast Guard Restricted Duty Ribbon   Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon   Coast Guard Overseas Service Ribbon   Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon   Air Force Longevity Service Award   Air Force Special Duty Ribbon Recruiting service ribbons   Navy Recruiting Service Ribbon   Air Force Recruiter Ribbon No longer awarded   Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon   Coast Guard Recruiting Service Ribbon Training service ribbons   Air Force Military Training Instructor Ribbon No longer awarded   Navy Recruit Training Service Ribbon   Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon    Marine Corps Combat Instructor Ribbon Guard ribbons   Navy Ceremonial Duty Ribbon   Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon Professional development Ribbons   Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon   Air Force NCO PME Graduate Ribbon   Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon   Coast Guard Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon   Navy Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon   Army Service Ribbon   Air Force Training Ribbon Marksmanship Awards   Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon Rifle   Coast Guard Distinguished Marksman Award   Coast Guard Silver Rifle Excellence-in-Competition Award   Coast Guard Bronze Rifle Excellence-in-Competition Award   Navy Expert Rifleman Ribbon   Coast Guard Expert Rifleman Ribbon   Navy Rifle Sharpshooter Ribbon   Coast Guard Rifle SharpshooterRibbon   Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon   Coast Guard Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon Pistol   Coast Guard Distinguished Pistol Shot Award   Coast Guard Silver Pistol Excellence-in-Competition Award   Coast Guard Bronze Pistol Excellence-in-Competition Award   Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal   Coast Guard Expert Pistol Shot Medal   Navy Pistol Sharpshooter Ribbon   Coast Guard Pistol Sharpshooter Ribbon   Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon   Coast Guard Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon

Obsolete Awards

With the exception of the Fleet Marine Force Ribbon , U.S. military personnel having received these awards have either been discharged or retired for a substantial length of time and/or are deceased.

Ribbon/award name Personal decorations   Certificate of Merit Medal   Marine Corps Brevet Medal   Specially Meritorious Service Medal   Reserve Special Commendation Ribbon   Army Wound Ribbon Department of Transportation military awards   Transportation Distinguished Service Medal   Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award   Coast Guard Bicentennial Unit Commendation 19th and early 20th century Commemorative Medals   West Indies Naval Campaign Medal (Sampson Medal)   Battle of Manila Bay Medal (Dewey Medal)   United States Antarctic Expedition Medal 19th and early 20th century Campaign Medals   Civil War Campaign Medal (Army)   Civil War Campaign Medal (Navy)   Indian Campaign Medal   China Campaign Medal (Army)   China Relief Expedition Medal (Navy) Spanish–American War campaign and occupation medals   Spanish Campaign Medal   West Indies Campaign Medal   Spanish War Service Medal   Army of Cuban Occupation Medal   Army of Cuban Pacification Medal   Army of Puerto Rican Occupation Medal Philippine-American War campaign medals   Philippine Campaign Medal   Philippine Congressional Medal

Ribbon/award name Navy & Marine Corps expedition medals (1920s and 1930s)   Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1912)   Dominican Campaign Medal   Haitian Campaign Medal (1917)   Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1933)   Haitian Campaign Medal (1921)   Yangtze Service Medal World War I and Pre-WWI service medals   Mexican Service Medal   Mexican Border Service Medal   World War I Victory Medal (United States)   Army of Occupation of Germany Medal World War II and Pre-WWII service medals   China Service Medal   American Defense Service Medal   American Defense Service Medal with Base Clasp   American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp   Women's Army Corps Service Medal   American Campaign Medal   European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal   Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal   World War II Victory Medal Post World War II service medals   Medal for Humane Action   Korean Service Medal Service and training awards   Naval Reserve Medal   Fleet Marine Force Ribbon   Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon Marksmanship   Navy Distinguished Marksman and Pistol Shot Ribbon   Navy Distinguished Marksman Ribbon   Distinguished Pistol Shot Ribbon

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Homeofheroes.com Retrieved 24 February 2008.