Awards and decorations of the United States military
Beginning in the 19th century, and throughout the 20th and 21st century, the Armed Forces of the United States has sought to recognize military accomplishment with personal awards and decorations bestowed upon service members. The following is a list of the Awards and decorations of the United States military.
The highest award of the United States Military is the Medal of Honor. Although a single award, each service department issues the decoration separately and the design of the Medal of Honor varies slightly, depending on which service is bestowing the award.
The original Medal of Honor was issued to members of the U.S. Army. In 1947, the U.S. Air Force began issuing its own version of the Medal of Honor. The U.S. Navy issues the Medal of Honor for members of the Navy and United States Marines. The only U.S. Coast Guard recipiant of the Medal of Honor received the Navy Medal of Honor, although a Coast Guard version of the Medal of Honor exists as a conjectural decoration.
The power to grant the Medal of Honor rests with the President of the United States upon approval from the United States Congress. Since the award must be approved by Congress, the decoration is often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. The proper military term for the award, however, is simply "Medal of Honor".
The U.S. Army mandates that all unit awards will be worn separate from individual awards on the opposite side of a military uniform. The Army is the only service to require this separation between unit and individual decorations.
