| 5⁄16 Inch Star | |
|---|---|
  Gold and Silver 5⁄16 Inch Stars | |
| Awarded by United States | |
| Type | Ribbon device |
| Awarded for | Worn to denote subsequent decorations and awards.[1] |
| Status | Currently in use |
A 5⁄16 inch star is a miniature metal device worn by members of the seven uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons issued by the Department of the Navy, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to denote subsequent decorations and awards.[1][2][3][4] It is gold or silver in appearance, 5⁄16 inches in height. A gold star represents one additional award, while a silver star is worn in lieu of five gold stars.
The silver 5⁄16 inch star may be confused with the Silver Star medal, which is an individual decoration for gallantry in action.
Wear and examples[]
5⁄16 inch stars are worn with one point of the star pointing up. Up to five gold or silver stars can be worn on a service ribbon of a decoration or award. There are no higher degrees of 5⁄16 inch stars authorized after five silver 5⁄16 inch stars.[1] On miniature medals, a special 1⁄8 inch star is worn on the medal's suspension ribbon in lieu of a 5⁄16 inch star.[5] If the number of authorized 5⁄16 inch stars exceeds five, a second ribbon is authorized for wear and is worn after the first ribbon. The second ribbon counts as one additional award, after which more stars may be added to the second ribbon. If future awards reduce the number of stars worn on the first ribbon due to gold 5⁄16 inch stars being replaced by a silver 5⁄16 inch star, the second ribbon is removed and the appropriate number of devices is placed on the first ribbon. The sequence of gold and silver 5⁄16 inch stars for the first through twenty-sixth awards of a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal would be as follows:
| First award | 
|
| Second award |  |
| Third award | |
| Fourth award | |
| Fifth award | |
| Sixth award | |
| Seventh award | |
| Eighth award | |
| Ninth award | |
| Tenth award | |
| Eleventh award | |
| Twelfth award | |
| Thirteenth award | |
| Fourteenth award | |
| Fifteenth award |
|
| Sixteenth award | |
| Seventeenth award | |
| Eighteenth award | |
| Nineteenth award |
|
| Twentieth award | |
| Twenty-first award | |
| Twenty-second award | |
| Twenty-third award |
|
| Twenty-fourth award | |
| Twenty-fifth award | |
| Twenty-sixth award | |
Decorations and awards[]
When authorized, 5⁄16 inch stars may be worn on United States Navy, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration decorations and awards issued to service members of the following seven uniformed services: the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
| Navy and Marine Corps personnel[1] | Coast Guard personnel[2] | PHS personnel[3] | NOAA personnel[6] | Army and Air Force personnel[7][8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navy Cross | Navy Cross | Navy Cross | Navy Cross | Navy Cross |
| Commerce Gold Medal | ||||
| Navy or Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal | Navy or Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal | Navy, Coast Guard, or PHS Distinguished Service Medal | Navy, Coast Guard, or PHS Distinguished Service Medal | Navy or Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal |
| Silver Star Medal | Silver Star | Silver Star Medal | Silver Star Medal | |
| Commerce Silver Medal | ||||
| Legion of Merit | Legion of Merit | Legion of Merit | Legion of Merit | |
| Distinguished Flying Cross | Distinguished Flying Cross | Distinguished Flying Cross | Distinguished Flying Cross | |
| Navy and Marine Corps Medal and Coast Guard Medal | Navy and Marine Corps Medal and Coast Guard Medal | Navy and Marine Corps Medal and Coast Guard Medal | Navy and Marine Corps Medal and Coast Guard Medal | Navy and Marine Corps Medal and Coast Guard Medal |
| Bronze Star Medal | Bronze Star Medal | Bronze Star Medal | Bronze Star Medal | |
| Purple Heart Medal | Purple Heart Medal | Purple Heart | Purple Heart | |
| Commerce Bronze Medal | ||||
| Navy or Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal | Navy or Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal | Navy, Coast Guard, or PHS Meritorious Service Medal, or NOAA Administrator’s Award | Navy, Coast Guard, or PHS Meritorious Service Medal, or NOAA Administrator’s Award | Navy or Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal |
| Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal | Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal | |||
| Public Health Service Outstanding Service Medal | Public Health Service Outstanding Service Medal | |||
| Navy and Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Commendation Medal | Navy and Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Commendation Medal | Navy and Marine Corps, Coast Guard, PHS, and NOAA Commendation Medal | Navy and Marine Corps, Coast Guard, PHS, and NOAA Commendation Medal | Navy and Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Commendation Medal |
| Navy and Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Achievement Medal | Navy and Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Achievement Medal | Navy and Marine Corps, Coast Guard, PHS, and NOAA Achievement Medal | Navy and Marine Corps, Coast Guard, PHS, and NOAA Achievement Medal | Navy and Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Achievement Medal |
| Combat Action Ribbon | Combat Action Ribbon | Combat Action Ribbon | Combat Action Ribbon | |
| Presidential Unit Citation | ||||
| Public Health Service Citation and NOAA Director's Ribbon | Public Health Service Citation and NOAA Director's Ribbon |
Except for the awards specified above, the Army and Air Force use oak leaf clusters to indicate subsequent awards. Bronze oak leaf clusters are equivalent to gold 5⁄16 inch stars, while silver oak leaf clusters are equivalent to silver 5⁄16 inch stars.
See also[]
- Awards and decorations of the United States military
- United States military award devices
- Oak leaf cluster
- Service star
- Campaign star
- Battle star
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Department of Defense Manual 1348.33 Volume 3" (pdf). Defense Technical Information Center. Department of Defense. 23 November 2010. pp. 16, 52–53. http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134833vol3.pdf. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Medals and Awards Manual COMDTINST M1650.25D". [http://www.uscg.mil/directives United States Coast Guard CG-612 Directives and Publications Division website. May 2008. pp. 1–16. http://www.uscg.mil/directives/cim/1000-1999/CIM_1650_25D.pdf. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Commissioned Corps Instruction CC26.3.3 Wear of Ribbons and Medals" (pdf). Commissioned Corps Management Information System website. United States Public Health Service. 28 August 2008. p. 12. http://dcp.psc.gov/eccis/documents/ccpm26_3_3.pdf. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ↑ "NOAA Corps Directives, Chapter 12 PART 6 - Insignia, Medals, and Ribbon Bars". Commissioned Corps Personnel Center. http://www.corpscpc.noaa.gov/procedures/corps_directives/chapter_12/ncd_ch12part6.pdf. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ↑ Secretary of the Navy Instruction (SECNAVINST) 1650.1H, dated 22 August 2006, Subject: Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, paragraph 123.
- ↑ "NOAA Corps Directives Chapter 12 Part 7-Awards". Commissioned Corps Personnel Center. http://www.corpscpc.noaa.gov/procedures/corps_directives/chapter_12/ncd_ch12part7.pdf. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ↑ Army Regulation 600-8-22
- ↑ Air Force Instruction 36-2803
External links[]
- "Army Awards". Americal Division Veterans Association. 1995. http://www.americal.org/awards/. Retrieved 2006-12-12.[dead link]
The original article can be found at 5/16 inch star and the edit history here.