Air Medal
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".During World War 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.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.Examples would be transport performing supporting "Dustoff" Medevac or resupply operations, or aircraft involved in reconnaissance over hostile airspace.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.Multiple Air Medals were usually earned by aircrew with extensive flight time and long meritorious service records, like during World War II or Korea.Pilots and aircrew could log over 1,000 "flight hours" a year and earn a 40 or higher numeral on their Air Medal ribbon.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.Description: A Bronze compass rose 111⁄16 inches circumscribing diameter and charged with an eagle volant carrying two lightning flashes in its talons.
United States Department of the ArmyUnited States Department of the NavyUnited States Department of the Air ForceUnited States Department of Homeland SecurityMeritorious Service MedalAerial Achievement Medalmilitary decoration of the United States Armed ForcesExecutive OrderFranklin D. RooseveltDistinguished Flying CrossChina Burma India TheaterMedevacOak Leaf ClustersUnited States Secretary of the Air Force"V" DeviceAir Force ReserveAir National GuardUnited States Air ForceUnited States ArmyU.S. ArmyNumeral devicesVietnam WarUnited States NavyUnited States Marine CorpsStrike/Flight numeralsCaptain (USN)Colonel (USMC)Combat "V"3⁄16 inch bronze stars5⁄16 inch gold starsUnited States Coast Guard5⁄16 inch starsValor DeviceCivil Air Patrolcompass rosefleur-de-lisWalker HancockBuzz AldrinIrv AndersonNeil ArmstrongHenry ArnoldRuss BakerKermit BeahanJohn BealChuck BednarikPro Football Hall of FamePhiladelphia EaglesLeo BermanEverett Ernest BlakelyFrederick C. BlesseLarry "Scrappy" BlumerRoy BoehmRichard BongBill BowerPatrick Henry Bradyaward numeralJesse L. BrownKenneth Cecil BunchGeorge H. W. BushBen Nighthorse CampbellJeffrey B. CashmanHoward CannonRoger ChaffeeDavid ChristianRaymond M. Clausen Jr.Robert L. Coffey Jr.Bruce P. CrandallRay CrawfordBenjamin O. Davis Jr.Bud DayMorton DeutschJohn A. B. DillardJimmy DoolittleWayne A. DowningThomas Andrews DrakeTammy DuckworthMichael DurantThomas FerebeeClark GableFrancis GabreskiJohn GlennGordon M. GrahamDavid E. Grange Jr.Gus GrissomDavid HackworthJoe R. HooperBob HooverRobert L. HowardJohn F. G. HoweJames D. HughesJohn E. HuntJack H. JacobsDaniel "Chappie" James Jr.Jonnie JohnsonRussell JohnsonBrian KeithJack KraynickBen KurokiClyde LassenCurtis LeMayJohn LevitowNancy Harkness LoveJim LovellAleda E. LutzWorld War IIDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the ArmyField Marshal of the PhilippinesWilliam J. Maddox JrGeorge MarrettBarry McCaffreyJohn McCainAnne McClainCharles McGeeAmy McGrathGeorge McGovernThomas McGuireEd McMahonEvan MechamJohn C. MeyerEdward S. MichaelWilliam MillikenHugh L. Mills Jr.Hal MooreRobin L. Moore Jr.Wayne Morris