Editing Commendation Medal (section)

{{short description|United States military decoration}}
{{for|other medals of the same name}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox award
|name=Commendation Medals
|image=[[File:Joint Service Commendation Medal.jpg|75px]] [[File:Army-commendation-medal.png|75px]] [[File:NCOM.jpg|75px]] [[File:Air Force Commendation Medal.jpg|75px]] [[File:Coast Guard Commendation Medal.jpg|75px]]
|caption=Five Commendation Medals are awarded by branch or service. From left to right: Joint Service, Army, Naval Service, Air and Space Forces, and Coast Guard.
|presenter= [[United States Department of Defense]]<Br/>[[United States Department of the Army]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://govdocs.rutgers.edu/mil/army/r600_8_22.pdf |title=Army Regulation 600–8–22 |date=11 December 2006 |publisher=Department of the Army |access-date=2018-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111110243/http://govdocs.rutgers.edu/mil/army/r600_8_22.pdf |archive-date=2018-01-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br/>[[United States Department of the Navy]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://awards.navy.mil/awards/webdoc01.nsf/(vwDocsByID)/DL060927142728/$file/1650.1H.pdf |title=SECNAV Instruction 1650.1H |website=U.S. Navy Awards |access-date=2018-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918020113/https://awards.navy.mil/awards/webdoc01.nsf/(vwDocsByID)/DL060927142728/$file/1650.1H.pdf |archive-date=2010-09-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br/>[[United States Department of the Air Force]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-2803/afi36-2803.pdf |title=Production publication |website=static.e-publishing.af.mil |access-date=2018-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127192422/http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-2803/afi36-2803.pdf |archive-date=2018-01-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br/>[[United States Department of Homeland Security]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://media.defense.gov/2017/Mar/29/2001723556/-1/-1/0/CIM_1650_25E.PDF |title=Data |date=2017 |website=media.defense.gov |access-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-date=September 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904105203/https://media.defense.gov/2017/Mar/29/2001723556/-1/-1/0/CIM_1650_25E.PDF |url-status=dead }}</ref>|type= Military medal (decoration)
|eligibility= Military personnel only
|awarded_for= Heroism, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service
|campaign=
|status= Currently awarded
|description=
|clasps=
|established= Naval Service: 1943<br />Coast Guard: 1943<br />Army: 1945<br />Air and Space Forces: 1958<br />Joint Service: 1963
|firstawarded=
|lastawarded=
|total_awarded=
|total_awarded_posthumously=
|total_recipients=
|individual=
|higher= Army, Naval Service, and Coast Guard: [[Air Medal]]<br />Air and Space Forces: [[Aerial Achievement Medal]]
|same=
|lower= [[Achievement Medal#Joint Service|Joint Service Achievement Medal]]
|related=
|image2=[[File:Joint Service Commendation ribbon.svg|124px]] [[File:Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|124px]]<br />
[[File:Navy and Marine Corps Commendation ribbon.svg|124px]] [[File:Air Force Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|124px]] [[File:Coast Guard Commendation ribbon.svg|124px]]
|caption2=Five Commendation ribbons are awarded by branch or service.<br />Top row: Joint Service, Army.<br />Bottom row: Naval Service, Air and Space Forces, Coast Guard.
}}

The '''Commendation Medal''' is a mid-level [[Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces|United States military decoration]] presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the [[United States Armed Forces]] issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth version existing for acts of joint military service performed under the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]].

The Commendation Medal was originally only a [[service ribbon]] and was first awarded by the [[U.S. Navy]] and [[United States Coast Guard|U.S. Coast Guard]] in 1943. An Army Commendation Ribbon followed in 1945 and in 1949 the Navy, Coast Guard, and Army Commendation ribbons were renamed the "Commendation Ribbon with Metal Pendant".  By 1960 the Commendation Ribbons had been authorized as full medals and were subsequently referred to as Commendation Medals.

Additional awards of the Army and Air and Space Commendation Medals are denoted by bronze and silver [[oak leaf clusters]]. The Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Coast Guard Commendation Medal are authorized gold and silver [[5/16 inch star]]s to denote additional awards. The [[Operational Distinguishing Device]] ("O" device) is authorized for wear on the Coast Guard Commendation Medal upon approval of the awarding authority. Order of Precedence is following the [[Air Medal]] but before the [[Prisoner of War Medal]] and all campaign medals. Each of the military services also awards separate [[Achievement Medal]]s which are below the Commendation Medals in precedence.
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[[File:Florencio Rivera Jr Commendation Medal V Device.jpg|thumb]]