Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force. It was established in 1954 and was the first independent Air Force decoration created (to this point, Air Force personnel were routinely awarded Army decorations). The Air Force Longevity Service Award would follow in 1957 with most of the standard Air Force awards (including the Air Force Good Conduct Medal) established in the early to mid 1960s.

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

Outstanding Unit Award ribbon

Ribbon with "V" Device (discontinued 1 January 2014)
TypeRibbon and Streamer
Awarded forExceptionally meritorious service, accomplishes specific acts of outstanding achievement, excels in combat operations against an armed enemy of the United States, or conducts with distinct military operations involving conflict with, or exposure to, a hostile action by any opposing foreign force
Presented bythe Department of the Air Force[1]
EligibilityAir Force, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard units
StatusCurrently awarded
First awarded1954
Last awardedOngoing
Streamer
Precedence
Next (higher)Air Force Meritorious Unit Award[2]
EquivalentArmy – Superior Unit Award
Navy – None
Coast Guard – Meritorious Team Commendation
Next (lower)Air Force Organizational Excellence Award[2]

The Outstanding Unit Award is awarded to any unit of the U.S. Air Force (including the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard) which performs exceptionally meritorious service, accomplishes specific acts of outstanding achievement, excels in combat operations against an armed enemy of the United States, or conducts with distinct military operations involving conflict with, or exposure to, a hostile action by any opposing foreign force.

Multiple awards of the Outstanding Unit Award are denoted by bronze oak leaf clusters, and silver oak leaf clusters, as applicable, on the ribbon.

Until 2004, the Outstanding Unit Award was the senior most unit award in the U.S. Air Force. It now ranks directly below the Meritorious Unit Award, which was established in March 2004, and above the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award in the precedence of Air Force awards and decorations. It is awarded to personnel who were assigned or attached to the unit receiving the award during the period it was awarded for. Non-USAF personnel (e.g., USN, USMC, USCG) personnel assigned to USAF units awarded the Outstanding Unit Award are also eligible to wear the ribbon on their uniforms. However, the ribbon does not come in the larger size of unit awards common to the U.S. Army.

References
  1. "Production publication" (PDF). static.e-publishing.af.mil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  2. "Air Force Awards and Decorations". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
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