[Vhfcn-l] Wikipedia Air Medal Criteria

[Arnold B Christensen]

Thank you Gary!   What a pickle of a mess they 
made out of the existing mess we had ALMOST figured out .
Da Foot


.  At 08:55 AM 10/15/2019, Gary Thewlis via Vhfcn-l wrote:
>Air Medal The Air Medal is a military decoration 
>of the United States Armed Forces. It was 
>created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts 
>of heroism or meritorious achievement while 
>participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air 
>Medal was established by Executive Order 9158, 
>signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 11, 1942. 
>It was awarded retroactive to September 8, 1939 
>to anyone who distinguishes himself by 
>meritorious achievement while serving with the 
>Armed Forces in aerial flight. The original 
>award criteria set by an Army Policy Letter 
>dated September 25, 1942 was for one award of 
>the Air Medal per each naval vessel or three 
>enemy aircraft in flight confirmed destroyed. An 
>entire aircrew would be credited for the 
>destruction of a ship, but only the pilot or 
>gunner responsible would be credited for 
>destroying an enemy aircraft. per 25 operational 
>flights during which exposure to enemy fire is 
>expected. per 100 operational flights during 
>which exposure to enemy fire is not expected. 
>These criteria were altered by the commanding 
>generals of each numbered Air Force to fit the 
>conditions of their theater of operations and to 
>maintain morale. The Distinguished Flying Cross 
>would usually be awarded for roughly twice to 
>five times the requirements of the Air Medal. 
>This led to automatic "score card" awards of the 
>Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross for 
>completing a set number of operational missions 
>rather than distinguished service, meritorious 
>action, or bravery, as had been intended. On 
>August 5, 1943, such score card awards were 
>officially abolished by a Headquarters Army Air 
>Forces Awards Board memorandum due to the 
>embarrassment when airmen received the Air Medal 
>for "score carding" five missions or more but 
>were later removed from flying duties for "lack 
>of moral fibre". Commanders could still issue 
>the awards on those grounds, but the recipient 
>must perform exceptional or meritorious service 
>as well. Army Air Forces (1942­1947) During 
>World WWar II, the medal's award criteria varied 
>widely depending on the theater of operations, 
>the aircraft flown, and the missions 
>accomplished. In Europe, the airspace was 
>considered completely controlled by the enemy 
>and heavy air defenses were encountered, so the 
>criteria were altered from those of the original 
>medal. Bomber, photographic reconnaissance, or 
>observation crewmembers and air transport pilots 
>received it for five sorties, fighter pilots 
>received it for ten sorties, and individual 
>pilots or air crewmen received one award per 
>enemy aircraft shot down. Elsewhere in the 
>Pacific and the China Burma India Theater, the 
>pilots and crews flew mostly over uncontrolled 
>or contested airspace for long hours and lighter 
>air defenses were encountered, so much higher 
>criteria were used. Anti-submarine patrols from 
>the United States could qualify for the medal if 
>an airman logged 200 hours of flight time.[9] 
>Air Force (1947­present) The Air Medal may be 
>awardded to recognize either single acts of 
>merit or gallantry in combat or for meritorious 
>service in a combat zone. Award of the Air Medal 
>is primarily intended to recognize those 
>personnel who are on current crew member or 
>non-crew member flying status which requires 
>them to participate in aerial flight on a 
>regular and frequent basis in the performance of 
>their primary duties. However, it may also be 
>awarded to certain other individuals whose 
>combat duties require regular and frequent 
>flying in other than a passenger status, or 
>individuals who perform a particularly 
>noteworthy act while performing the function of 
>a crew member but who are not on flying status. 
>These individuals must make a discernible 
>contribution to the operational land combat 
>mission or to the mission of the aircraft in 
>flight.[10] Examples of personnel whose combat 
>duties require them to fly include those in the 
>attack elements of units involved in air-land 
>assaults against an armed enemy and those 
>directly involved in airborne command and 
>control of combat operations. Examples would be 
>transport performing supporting "Dustoff" 
>Medevac or resupply operations, or aircraft 
>involved in reconnaissance over hostile 
>airspace. Awards will not be made to individuals 
>who use air transportation solely for the 
>purpose of moving from point to point in a 
>combat zone. The Army may award the Air Medal 
>for peacetime service, but approval authority is 
>by general-grade officers at the group or 
>brigade level or higher. The Air Force does not 
>award the Air Medal for peacetime sustained 
>operational activities and flights. Non-combat 
>meritorious service is instead awarded the 
>Aerial Achievement Medal, instituted in 1988. 
>Ribbon devices The Air Force uses the aircraft 
>sortie designation as a tool, but uses Oak Leaf 
>Clusters rather than Strike / Flight Numerals to 
>indicate additional awards. A member's 
>individual flight management records will list 
>the sorties that are eligible for the award. 
>These sorties are designated Combat, Combat 
>Support, or Operational (Active Air Defense or 
>Hostile Reconnaissance). Only the first sortie 
>of the day counts. Armed aircraft crews require 
>ten sorties for each award, while all others 
>require twenty sorties. The United States 
>Secretary of the Air Force approved the "V" 
>Device for Air Medals awarded for heroism in 
>combat effective October 21, 2004. This applies 
>to all Air Force members (Active Duty, Air Force 
>Reserve, Air National Guard), retirees, and 
>veterans. The "V" device is not authorized for 
>wear on the medal for an earlier date. Variants 
>US Air Force The United States Air Force does 
>not utilize numeral devices on the Air Medal. 
>Subsequent awards are annotated with the 
>traditional oak leaf clusters (or OLCs). 
>Enlisted members are also awarded three points 
>toward promotion per award. Each ribbon carries 
>a maximum of 4 OLCs; the ribbon signifies the 
>first award, a bronze OLC equals one additional 
>award, and a silver OLC represents 5 additional 
>awards. If there were more than four OLC devices 
>awarded (like the 10th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 
>and 20th awards), extra Air Medal ribbons were 
>issued to wear the extra OLCs (although only one 
>Air Medal was awarded). Multiple Air Medals were 
>usually earned by aircrew with extensive flight 
>time and long meritorious service records, like 
>during World War II or Korea. The award of the 
>medal is sometimes denoted on a member's 
>gravestone with the abbreviation "AM" followed 
>by an ampersand and the number of oak leaf 
>clusters or "OLC". For example, "AM&5 OLC" means 
>Air Medal and 5 oak leaf clusters.[11] US Army 
>Air Medal [Army] (1947­1968) The United Statess 
>Army used the same criteria as the Air Force. 
>Oak Leaf Clusters were awarded on the Air 
>Medal's ribbon for additional awards ­ Bronze 
>OLCs for every additional award annd Silver OLCs 
>for every 5 additional awards. Extra ribbons 
>were worn to hold extra OLCs if the recipient 
>had earned more than 4 OLCs. One award was 
>credited per every 25 hours of combat assault 
>flights (any flight in which the aircraft was 
>directly involved in combat), 50 hours of combat 
>support flights (Visual Reconnaissance or 
>Resupply), or 100 hours of non-combat service 
>flights (Administrative or VIP flights). Flight 
>hours were calculated in 6-minute blocks. In 
>1968 numerals replaced the Oak Leaf Clusters to 
>simplify their display. Air Medal [Army] 
>(1968­“2006) During the Vietnam War, the US Army 
>awarded the Air Medal to Warrant Officer or 
>Commissioned pilots and enlisted aircrew for 
>actual flight time (awards were also made to 
>infantry troops who flew on combat assault 
>missions). This became a bureaucratic nightmare 
>to correctly log because of the short flight 
>time of typical helicopter flights. Later, an 
>equivalent "flight hours" conversion was created 
>and an award standard was set by individual 
>commands. This eventually was standardized in 
>theater to one award per every 24 "flight hours" 
>logged.[12] A simplified set time was awarded 
>depending on the type of mission, regardless of 
>the actual flight time.[12] Administrative or 
>VIP flights counted for 1/4 hour, regular duties 
>(such as Visual Reconnaissance or Resupply) 
>counted for 1/2 hour, and hazardous duties 
>(combat assaults or extractions) counted for 1 
>hour. Pilots and aircrew could log over 1,000 
>"flight hours" a year and earn a 40 or higher 
>numeral on their Air Medal ribbon. The "score 
>card" system was retained after the war. This 
>was changed on December 11, 2006 to an award for 
>every six months of meritorious service instead 
>of the number of flight hours. Air Medal [Army] 
>(2006­present) Currently (as per AR 600-8-22 
>[Decembber 11, 2006])[13] the medal can be 
>awarded for every six months of meritorious 
>service. The recipient must perform 
>flight-related duties while serving in a combat 
>zone. The number of flight hours logged is no 
>longer a criterion. The soldier must be assigned 
>as air crew with flight status (i.e., as a 
>pilot, navigator, or gunner). Soldiers without 
>flight status can be eligible if they help with 
>an aerial attack during general transport (e.g., 
>as a door gunner), serve as a combat controller 
>(e.g., as a Pathfinder or Forward Air 
>Controller) or the combat commander of an air or 
>land operation at the Group or Brigade level or 
>lower. Soldiers being transported by air as 
>passengers are not eligible for the meritorious 
>service award, but they may be eligible for the 
>gallantry award. Ribbon devices Subsequent 
>awards of the Air Medal are denoted in the U.S. 
>Army by Numeral devices displayed on the medal 
>and ribbon. The Army originally used Oak Leaf 
>Clusters to signify additional awards. However, 
>this was changed to numeral devices in September 
>1968, during the Vietnam War, when the number of 
>Air Medals awarded became too large to be 
>annotated on a single ribbon. Since February 29, 
>1964, the medal may be awarded with a "V" Device 
>for an act of heroism against an armed enemy 
>less than the criteria for the Distinguished 
>Flying Cross. US Navy/US Marine Corps The United 
>States Navy and United States Marine Corps have 
>two types of Air Medal awards: "Individual" for 
>singular meritorious acts and "Strike/Flight" 
>for participation in sustained aerial flight 
>operations. Ribbon devices As of September 27, 
>2006, gold Numeral devices are used to denote 
>the number of "Individual" Air Medals. (This is 
>a return to the standard used before November 
>22, 1989.) Bronze Strike/Flight numerals denote 
>the total number of Strike/Flight awards. 
>Sorties are missions or sustained operations 
>involving aircraft, like: delivering ordnance 
>against the enemy, landing or evacuating 
>personnel in an assault, or in which personnel 
>are engaged in search and rescue operations. 
>Strikes are combat sorties that encounter enemy 
>opposition. Flights are combat sorties that do 
>not encounter enemy opposition. Officers of 
>Captain (USN) or Colonel (USMC) rank and above 
>are not eligible for award of the Air Medal on a 
>Strike/Flight basis unless the sorties they fly 
>are required in the performance of their regular 
>duties. Since April 5, 1974, the Combat "V" may 
>be authorized for awards for heroism or 
>meritorious action in conflict with an armed 
>enemy. In the interval between November 22, 
>1989, and September 27, 2006, ​3⁄16 inch 
>bronze stars, ​5⁄16 inch gold stars, and 
>​5⁄16 inch silver stars denoted the number 
>of "Individual" Air Medals. A bronze star was 
>used to denote a first award. Gold stars were 
>used for the second through the fifth awards, 
>seventh through tenth awards, and so on. Silver 
>stars were used in lieu of five gold stars, and 
>denote the sixth and eleventh (and so on) 
>awards. For "Individual" Air Medals, the Combat 
>"V" may be authorized. Bronze Strike/Flight 
>numerals denoted the number of Strike/Flight 
>awards. They are authorized for operations in 
>hostile or disputed territory and count the 
>total number of Strikes (operations that faced 
>enemy opposition) and Flights (operations that 
>did not encounter enemy opposition) added 
>together. US Coast Guard The Commandant of the 
>United States Coast Guard may award the Air 
>Medal to any person in the Armed Forces of the 
>United States who distinguishes themselves by 
>heroic or meritorious achievement while 
>participating in aerial flight.[14] The Coast 
>Guard awards the "Individual" Air Medal but not 
>the Strike/Flight Award. Ribbon devices Gold and 
>silver ​5⁄16 inch stars are authorized for 
>wear to denote additional Air Medal awards. The 
>gold star denotes the second through fifth 
>awards of the Air Medal. Valor Device may be 
>authorized for wear if the award is for 
>performance of a heroic act or acts while 
>directly performing in conflict or combat with 
>an armed enemy.[14] Civil Air Patrol During 
>World War II, the Air Medal was also awarded to 
>members of the Civil Air Patrol who participated 
>in the CAP's anti-submarine patrol program.[15] 
>This was not made public at the time, since the 
>Federal government did not want to admit it was 
>arming civilian aircraft. 
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