Editing Gallant Unit Citation

{{Infobox military award
| name = Gallant Unit Citation
| image = Gallant Unit Citation ribbon.svg
| caption = 
| presenter = the [[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/20181009034825/http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-2803/afi36-2803.pdf |archive-date=2018-10-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| type = Ribbon
| eligibility = Military Unit
| awarded_for = Extraordinary heroism while engaged in armed combat with an enemy of the United States
| status = Currently awarded
| firstawarded = 2005
| lastawarded = Ongoing
| total_awarded = 
| total_awarded_posthumously = 
| total_recipients = 6
| image2 = GUC Streamer.JPG
| image2_size = 250px
| caption2 = Gallant Unit Citation Streamer
| individual = [[Silver Star]]
| higher = [[Joint Meritorious Unit Award]]<ref name=orderofwear>{{cite web|title=Awards and Decorations |url=http://www.afpc.af.mil/library/awards/index.asp |work=[Air Force Personnel Center Library] |publisher=Air Force Personnel Center |access-date=14 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123005510/http://www.afpc.af.mil/library/awards/index.asp |archive-date=23 January 2013 }}</ref>
| same = Army: [[Valorous Unit Award]] <br/> Naval Service: [[Navy Unit Commendation]] <br/> Coast Guard: [[Coast Guard Unit Commendation]] <br/> Department of Transportation: [[Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award]]
| lower = [[Meritorious Unit Award]]<ref name=orderofwear/>
}}

The '''Gallant Unit Citation (GUC)''', a [[United States Air Force]] and [[United States Space Force]] unit award, was approved in March 2004 and is awarded to any Air Force or Space Force unit which distinguishes itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in armed combat with an enemy force on or after 11 September 2001.

==Award Description==
The GUC requires a lesser degree of gallantry, determination and esprit de corps than that required for the [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]] (PUC). The unit must have performed with marked distinction under difficult and hazardous conditions in accomplishing its mission so as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same conflict. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of the [[Silver Star]] to an individual. The GUC will normally be earned by units that have participated in single or successive actions covering relatively brief time spans. Only on rare occasions will a unit larger than a group qualify for the GUC. Extended periods of combat duty or participation in a large number of operational missions, either air or ground, is not sufficient. Additional awards of the Gallant Unit Citation are denoted by [[oak leaf clusters]].

==Cited units==<!--add additional units in inverse chronological order of the date of issue of the citation, not the dates cited (e.g. newest awards come first)-->
The only units to date that have received this award are the [[621st Contingency Response Wing]],<ref>[https://www.expeditionarycenter.af.mil/Portals/11/621%20CRG%20GUC%20Program_1.pdf - Expeditionary Center]</ref> 385th Air Expeditionary Group,[[352d Special Operations Group]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/PubAffairs/release/2007/3/UnitAwards.asp |title=AFPC – Air Force Personnel Center<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-05-04 |archive-date=2007-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070508201848/http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/pubaffairs/release/2007/3/UnitAwards.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> the [[332d Fighter Group|332d Air Expeditionary Group]],<ref>[http://www.920rqw.afrc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-061002-009.pdf October2006.indd<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130226093220/http://www.920rqw.afrc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-061002-009.pdf |date=2013-02-26 }}</ref> the [[1st Special Operations Wing|16th Operations Group]] (redesignated as the 1st Special Operations Group in 2006),<ref name="citation">{{Cite web |url=http://www2.hurlburt.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070124-035.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816093304/http://www2.hurlburt.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070124-035.pdf |archive-date=2007-08-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the [[720th Special Tactics Group]],<ref>{{cite web|last=McKeen|first=1st Lt. Gina Vaccaro|title=16 Air Force units win 2008-2009 AF unit awards|url=https://www.afpc.af.mil/News/story_print/id/123186773/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212210629/http://www.afpc.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?id=123186773|url-status=live|archive-date=12 December 2012|work=[Air Force Personnel Center News]|access-date=29 November 2012}}</ref> [[74th Fighter Squadron]] and the 79th Fighter Generation Squadron,<ref>[https://www.dvidshub.net/news/314440/thunder-74th-efs-receives-gallant-unit-citation THUNDER: 74th EFS receives Gallant Unit Citation]</ref> as well as units subordinate to each during the cited time frame.

;Subordinate units to the 16th Operations Group receiving the award
*[[4th Special Operations Squadron]]
*[[6th Special Operations Squadron]]
*[[8th Special Operations Squadron]]
*[[9th Special Operations Squadron]]
*[[15th Special Operations Squadron]]
*[[16th Special Operations Squadron]]
*[[19th Special Operations Squadron]]
*[[20th Special Operations Squadron]]
*16th Operations Support Squadron
*16th Operations Group, Operating Location D
*[[919th Special Operations Wing|919th Special Operations Group]] <!--While deployed, this unit fell under the 16 OG, see citation for more information-->
*[[711th Special Operations Squadron]]<!--While deployed, this unit fell under the 16 OG, see citation for more information-->
*919th Operations Support Squadron<!--While deployed, this unit fell under the 16 OG, see citation for more information-->
*[[5th Special Operations Squadron]]<!--While deployed, this unit fell under the 16 OG, see citation for more information-->
*AFSOC Air Operations
*Operating Location JM1 Air Force Element Medical
*Air Force Element Medical DoD, Operating Location Special Operations Squadron<ref name="citation" />

[[816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron]] and [[385th Expeditionary Airlift Group]] in support of [[Operation Allies Refuge|Operation ALLIES REFUGE]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{USAF decorations}}

[[Category:Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force]]
[[Category:Awards and decorations of the United States Space Force]]
[[Category:Awards established in 2004]]