| Joint Meritorious Unit Award | |
|---|---|
  JMUA with Army-style frame (above) with Navy/Marine Corps/Air Force/Space Force/Coast Guard-style frame (below) | |
| Type | Ribbon |
| Eligibility | Military units |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Statistics | |
| Established | June 4, 1981 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Presidential Unit Citation |
| Next (lower) |
Army: Valorous Unit Award[1] Naval Service: Navy Unit Commendation[2] Air and Space Forces: Gallant Unit Citation[3] Coast Guard: Department of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award[4] |
 award streamer | |
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA) is a US military award that was established on June 4, 1981, by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982. The Joint Meritorious Unit Award was made retroactive to January 23, 1979.[5]
History[]
Authorized by the Secretary of Defense on June 10, 1981, this award was originally called the Department of Defense Meritorious Unit Award. It is awarded in the name of the Secretary of Defense to joint activities for meritorious achievement or service, superior to that which is normally expected, for actions in the following situations; combat with an armed enemy of the United States, a declared national emergency, or under extraordinary circumstances that involve national interests.[6]
The first organization to receive the Joint Meritorious Unit Award was the "Electronic Warfare During Close Air Support Joint Test Force" which was awarded the decoration on September 30, 1982.[7] The JMUA was also awarded to U.S. Marines and the U.S. Navy who served in Somalia in the early 1990s.[8]
It was awarded for Operation Praying Mantis in 1988. Returning Navy units were to receive a Presidential Unit Citation, but it was downgraded after Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down by USS Vincennes.[citation needed]
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a ribbon, enclosed in a gold frame. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard recipients wear a different, smaller frame than do U.S. Army, as the latters' unit awards are displayed at a different location on the uniform.[9][10][11] The ribbon is very similar to the Defense Superior Service Medal, indicative of it signifying that the unit must have performed service of a character comparable to it, which, if performed by an individual, would warrant the award of the medal.
Subsequent decorations of the Joint Meritorious Unit Award are annotated with oak leaf clusters.[12]
References[]
- ↑ "Unit Awards". United States Department of the Army. http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Catalog/HeraldryList.aspx?CategoryId=9147&grp=4&menu=Decorations%20and%20Medals.
- ↑ "Navy Awards Precedence Chart". United States Navy. http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/uniforms/uniformregulations/Pages/NavyAwardsPrecedenceChart.aspx.
- ↑ "Awards and decorations". United States Air Force. http://www.afpc.af.mil/library/awards/.
- ↑ "COMDTINST M1650.25E Medals and Awards Manual". US Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard. pp. Enclosure 22. https://media.defense.gov/2017/Mar/29/2001723556/-1/-1/0/CIM_1650_25E.PDF.
- ↑ Department of Defense Manual NUMBER 1348.33, Volume 1 (23 November 2010), DTIC Online, date accessed 201-04-05.
- ↑ "Awards and decorations". Air Force Personnel Center. United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ↑ Joint Meritorious Unit Award – Approved DoD Activities, Department of Defense OEPM, date accessed 2011-04-05
- ↑ "Publication". http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/NAVMC%202922%20dtd%209AUG12.pdf.
- ↑ "Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Army Frame". https://www.usamilitarymedals.com/products/joint-meritorious-unit-award-with-army-frame.
- ↑ "Joint Meritorious Unit Award with NAVY/AF/MC/CG Frame". https://www.usamilitarymedals.com/products/joint-meritorious-unit-award-with-navy-af-mc-cg-frame.
- ↑ "Joint Meritorious Unit Award (Small Frame) - Navy Medals & Ribbons". http://www.flyingtigerssurplus.com/joint-meritorious-unit-award-small-frame.html.
- ↑ Fact Sheet: Joint Meritorious Unit Award Archived 2011-06-16 at the Wayback Machine., Air Force Personnel Center, date accessed 2011-04-05.
External links[]
The original article can be found at Joint Meritorious Unit Award and the edit history here.