1.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
2.
United States Navy
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The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U. S. Navy is the largest, most capable navy in the world, the U. S. Navy has the worlds largest aircraft carrier fleet, with ten in service, two in the reserve fleet, and three new carriers under construction. The service has 323,792 personnel on duty and 108,515 in the Navy Reserve. It has 274 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 operational aircraft as of October 2016, the U. S. Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was effectively disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter. It played a role in the American Civil War by blockading the Confederacy. It played the role in the World War II defeat of Imperial Japan. The 21st century U. S. Navy maintains a global presence, deploying in strength in such areas as the Western Pacific, the Mediterranean. The Navy is administratively managed by the Department of the Navy, the Department of the Navy is itself a division of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the Secretary of Defense. The Chief of Naval Operations is an admiral and the senior naval officer of the Department of the Navy. The CNO may not be the highest ranking officer in the armed forces if the Chairman or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, the United States Navy is a seaborne branch of the military of the United States. The Navys three primary areas of responsibility, The preparation of naval forces necessary for the prosecution of war. The development of aircraft, weapons, tactics, technique, organization, U. S. Navy training manuals state that the mission of the U. S. Armed Forces is to prepare and conduct prompt and sustained combat operations in support of the national interest, as part of that establishment, the U. S. Navys functions comprise sea control, power projection and nuclear deterrence, in addition to sealift duties. It follows then as certain as that night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, the Navy was rooted in the colonial seafaring tradition, which produced a large community of sailors, captains, and shipbuilders. In the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, Massachusetts had its own Massachusetts Naval Militia, the establishment of a national navy was an issue of debate among the members of the Second Continental Congress. Supporters argued that a navy would protect shipping, defend the coast, detractors countered that challenging the British Royal Navy, then the worlds preeminent naval power, was a foolish undertaking. Commander in Chief George Washington resolved the debate when he commissioned the ocean-going schooner USS Hannah to interdict British merchant ships, and reported the captures to the Congress
3.
Vice admiral (United States)
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Vice admiral ranks above rear admiral and below admiral. Vice admiral is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant general in the uniformed services. U. S. Code of law explicitly limits the number of vice admirals that may be on active duty at any given time. The total number of active-duty flag officers is capped at 160 for the navy, for the navy, no more than 16. 7% of the services active-duty flag officers may have more than two stars. Some of these slots can be reserved by statute, officers serving in certain Defense Agency Director positions such as the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency, when filled by a naval officer, are vice admirals. The Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy is usually always a vice admiral, the President may also add vice admirals to the Navy if they are offset by removing an equivalent number of three-star officers from other services. Finally, all statutory limits may be waived at the Presidents discretion during time of war or national emergency, the three-star grade goes hand-in-hand with the position of office it is linked to, so the rank is temporary. Officers may only achieve three-star grade if they are appointed to positions that require the officer to hold such a rank and their rank expires with the expiration of their term of office, which is usually set by statute. The nominee must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate before the appointee can take office, the standard tour length for most vice admiral positions is three years but some are set four or more years by statute. Some statutory limits under the U. S. Code can be waived in times of emergency or war. Three-star ranks may also be given by act of Congress but this is extremely rare, other than voluntary retirement, statute sets a number of mandates for retirement. Three-star officers must retire after 38 years of service unless appointed for promotion or reappointed to grade to serve longer, otherwise all flag officers must retire the month after their 64th birthday. The Secretary of Defense, however, can defer a three-star officers retirement until the officers 66th birthday, flag officers typically retire well in advance of the statutory age and service limits, so as not to impede the upward career mobility of their juniors. Since there is a number of three-star slots available to each service
4.
United States Seventh Fleet
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The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Japan, with units based in Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet, at present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U. S. fleets, with 60 to 70 ships,300 aircraft and 40,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel. In 1994, 7th Fleet was assigned the responsibility as Commander. The Seventh Fleet was formed on 15 March 1943 in Brisbane, Australia, during the Second World War and it served in the South West Pacific Area under General Douglas MacArthur. The Seventh Fleet commander also served as commander of Allied naval forces in the SWPA, most of the ships of the Royal Australian Navy were also part of the fleet from 1943 to 1945 as part of Task Force 74. The Seventh Fleet—under Admiral Thomas C, kinkaid—formed a large part of the Allied forces at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history. After the end of the war, the 7th Fleet moved its headquarters to Qingdao, after the war, on 1 January 1947, the Fleets name was changed to Naval Forces Western Pacific. In late 1948, the Fleet moved its base of operations to the Philippines, where the Navy, following the war, had developed new facilities at Subic Bay. Peacetime operations of the Seventh Fleet were under the control of Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, on 19 August 1949 the force was designated as United States Seventh Task Fleet. On 11 February 1950, just prior to the outbreak of the Korean War, the force assumed the name United States Seventh Fleet, Seventh Fleet units participated in all major operations of the Korean and Vietnamese Wars. The first Navy jet aircraft used in combat was launched from a Task Force 77 aircraft carrier on 3 July 1950, the landings at Inchon, Korea were conducted by Seventh Fleet amphibious ships. The battleships Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri and Wisconsin all served as flagships for Commander, Seventh Fleet during the Korean War. Over the next decade the Seventh Fleet responded to numerous crisis situations including contingency operations conducted in Laos in 1959, during September 1959, in the autumn of 1960, and again in January 1961, the Seventh Fleet deployed multiship carrier task forces into the South China Sea. Once again the fleet moved into Southeast Asian waters, by the end of April 1961, most of the Seventh Fleet was deployed off the Indochinese Peninsula preparing to initiate operations into Laos. At the same time, shorebased air patrol squadrons and another three Marine battalion landing teams stood ready in Okinawa and the Philippines to support the afloat force, the contending Laotian factions concluded a cease-fire on 8 May 1961, but it lasted only a year. In June 1963 the Seventh Fleet held Flagpole 63, a joint naval exercise with the Republic of Korea, Seventh Fleet represented the first official entrance of the United States into the Vietnam War, with the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Between 1950 and 1970, the U. S, Seventh Fleet was known by the tongue-in-cheek nickname Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club since most of the fleets operations were conducted from the Tonkin Gulf at the time
5.
North Carolina State University
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North Carolina State University is a public research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, the university forms one of the corners of the Research Triangle together with Duke University in Durham and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The North Carolina General Assembly founded the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now NC State, on March 7,1887, Today, NC State has an enrollment of more than 34,000 students, making it the largest university in the Carolinas. NC State has historical strengths in engineering, statistics, agriculture, life sciences, textiles and design, the graduate school offers 104 masters degrees,61 doctoral degrees, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. The North Carolina General Assembly founded NC State on March 7,1887 as a land-grant college under the name North Carolina College of Agriculture, in the segregated system, it was open only to white students. As a land-grant college, NC State would provide a liberal and practical education while focusing on tactics, agriculture. Since its founding, the university has maintained these objectives while building on them, after opening in 1889, NC State saw its enrollment fluctuate and its mandate expand. In 1918, it changed its name to North Carolina State College of Agriculture, during the Great Depression, the North Carolina state government, under Governor O. Max Gardner, administratively combined the University of North Carolina, the Womans College, and NC State. This conglomeration became the University of North Carolina in 1931, following World War II, the university grew and developed. Bill enabled thousands of veterans to college, and enrollment shot past the 5,000 mark in 1947. State College created new programs, including the School of Architecture and Landscape Design in 1947, the School of Education in 1948. In the summer of 1956, following the US Supreme Court ruling in Brown v, in 1962, State College officials desired to change the institutions name to North Carolina State University. Consolidated university administrators approved a change to the University of North Carolina at Raleigh, frustrating many student, in 1963, State College officially became North Carolina State of the University of North Carolina. The at Raleigh part is omitted even on official documents such as diplomas. In 1966, single-year enrollment reached 10,000, in the 1970s enrollment surpassed 19,000 and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences was added. Celebrating its centennial in 1987, NC State reorganized its internal structure, also in this year, it gained 700 acres of land that was developed as Centennial Campus. Since then, NC State has focused on developing its new Centennial Campus and it has invested more than $620 million in facilities and infrastructure at the new campus, with 62 acres of space being constructed. Sixty-one private and government agency partners are located on Centennial Campus, NC State has almost 8,000 employees, nearly 35,000 students, a $1.01 billion annual budget, and a $984 million endowment
6.
Bachelor of Science
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A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years. Whether a student of a subject is awarded a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree can vary between universities. For one example, a degree may be given as a Bachelor of Arts by one university but as a B. Sc. by another. Some liberal arts colleges in the United States offer only the BA, even in the natural sciences, in both instances, there are historical and traditional reasons. Northwestern Universitys School of Communication grants B. Sc. degrees in all of its programs of study, including theater, dance, the first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of London in 1860. Prior to this, science subjects were included in the B. A. bracket, notably in the cases of mathematics, physics, physiology, in Argentina and Chile, most university degrees are given as a license in a field or discipline. For instance, besides the courses, biochemistry and biology require 1–2 years hands-on training either in a clinical laboratory plus a final exam or in a research laboratory plus a thesis defense. The degrees are term licenses in the field of study or profession i. e. biology, nutrition, physical therapy or kinesiology, etc. However, a masters degree requires 2-3 more years of specific training, engineering and medical degrees are also different and are six-year programs of specific classes and training starting immediately after high school. No intermediate degrees count towards the admission examination or even exist, medical degrees are complemented with a 3–4 years of hospital residence plus 1–2 years of specialization training. In Australia, the B. Sc. is generally a three-four year degree, an honours year or a Master of Science is required to progress on to the Doctor of Philosophy. In New Zealand, in cases, the honours degree comprises an additional postgraduate qualification. In South Africa, the B. Sc. is taken three years, while the postgraduate B. Sc. Entails an additional year of study, admission to the honours degree is on the basis of a sufficiently high average in the B. Sc. major, an honours degree is required for M. Sc. Level study, and admission to a doctorate is via the M. Sc, commonly in British Commonwealth countries and Ireland graduands are admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Science after having completed a programme in one or more of the sciences. These programmes may take different lengths of time to complete, note that in British English, no full stops are used in the title, hence BSc, not B. Sc. A Bachelor of Science receives the designation BSc or BS for a major/pass degree, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland an honours degree is typically completed over a three-year period, though there are a few intensified two-year courses. Bachelors degrees were typically completed in two years for most of the twentieth century, in Scotland, where access to university is possible after one less year of secondary education, degree courses have a foundation year making the total course length four years
7.
Electrical engineering
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Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. This field first became an occupation in the later half of the 19th century after commercialization of the electric telegraph, the telephone. Subsequently, broadcasting and recording media made electronics part of daily life, the invention of the transistor, and later the integrated circuit, brought down the cost of electronics to the point they can be used in almost any household object. Electrical engineers typically hold a degree in engineering or electronic engineering. Practicing engineers may have professional certification and be members of a professional body, such bodies include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Electrical engineers work in a wide range of industries and the skills required are likewise variable. These range from basic circuit theory to the management skills required of a project manager, the tools and equipment that an individual engineer may need are similarly variable, ranging from a simple voltmeter to a top end analyzer to sophisticated design and manufacturing software. Electricity has been a subject of scientific interest since at least the early 17th century and he also designed the versorium, a device that detected the presence of statically charged objects. In the 19th century, research into the subject started to intensify, Electrical engineering became a profession in the later 19th century. Practitioners had created an electric telegraph network and the first professional electrical engineering institutions were founded in the UK. Over 50 years later, he joined the new Society of Telegraph Engineers where he was regarded by other members as the first of their cohort, Practical applications and advances in such fields created an increasing need for standardised units of measure. They led to the standardization of the units volt, ampere, coulomb, ohm, farad. This was achieved at a conference in Chicago in 1893. During these years, the study of electricity was considered to be a subfield of physics. Thats because early electrical technology was electromechanical in nature, the Technische Universität Darmstadt founded the worlds first department of electrical engineering in 1882. The first course in engineering was taught in 1883 in Cornell’s Sibley College of Mechanical Engineering. It was not until about 1885 that Cornell President Andrew Dickson White established the first Department of Electrical Engineering in the United States, in the same year, University College London founded the first chair of electrical engineering in Great Britain. Professor Mendell P. Weinbach at University of Missouri soon followed suit by establishing the engineering department in 1886
8.
Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps
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The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. A pilot Naval Reserve unit was established in September 1924 at St. Johns College in Annapolis and it let the Navy test the concept before establishing its regular units. In 1926, the U. S. Department of the Navy established the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and its purpose was to produce a reserve of qualified officers who would be needed for a possible rapid expansion of the military in the case of an unforeseen emergency. A secondary objective was to acquaint college faculty and students with the Navy, captain Chester W. Nimitz commanded the University of California NROTC unit. The first NROTC students received one uniform and a subsistence allowance totaling $210, the St. Johns College pilot unit disbanded by 1929, but the original six regular units are still active in 2014. The Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps commissions individuals into either the United States Navy as an Ensign or the United States Marine Corps as a Second Lieutenant, while attending college, these prospective officer candidates are known as Midshipmen. Whereas Naval Academy Midshipmen are on duty, NROTC Midshipmen are in the Navy Reserve but are on active duty for periods of training during the summer. Starting in 2009, the program was changed to narrowly favor STEM degrees at the expense of the humanities. The majority of NROTC Midshipmen join the program immediately after completing high school and those Midshipmen are either Scholarship or College Program Midshipmen. Scholarship Midshipmen are those who applied to the Navy for an ROTC scholarship, some NROTC students have served as enlisted men or women in the Navy or Marine Corps. The highly selective application process involves a written application and an interview with a Navy representative. Applicants must also pass a medical examination process. The Navy pays tuition for Scholarship Midshipmen, educational fees, as well as a stipend for books, all Midshipmen fall under one of three types, Navy Option, Navy Nurse Option, or Marine Option. The Navy does not pay for room and board, however, some schools offer scholarships to cover at least a portion of room. In addition to tuition, the Navy pays a monthly stipend during the school year, as of 2011, the stipend was $250 per month for first-year Midshipmen, with a $50 increase each year after that. College Program Midshipmen are those who join Naval ROTC without a scholarship and they complete all activities and requirements of scholarship midshipmen and if they continue in the program for four years will also be commissioned as Ensigns or Second Lieutenants. They will often be offered a scholarship by the Navy if they perform well academically and those enlisted in the Navy who are pursuing a commission through the Seaman to Admiral 21 participate in the ROTC program and are referred to as Officer Candidates. Enlisted Marines participate in ROTC through the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program and are referred to by their rank or by the name of the program, MECEP
9.
VFA-101
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Fighter Squadron 101, also known as the Grim Reapers, was a United States Navy Fleet Replacement Squadron based at NAS Oceana in Virginia. After the West Coast FRS for the F-14 Tomcat, VF-124, was disestablished in the mid-1990s, with the retirement of the F-14, VF-101 was deactivated in 2005. Two distinct squadrons have called the Grim Reapers, VF-10 and later VF-101. Officially, the US Navy does not recognize a lineage with disestablished squadrons if a new squadron is formed with the same designation or nickname. Often, the new squadron will assume the nickname, insignia, on 1 May 1952, VF-101 was commissioned at NAS Cecil Field, Florida. This new squadron assumed the nickname and traditions of the previous Grim Reapers, later in 1952, VF-101 received the jet-powered F2H-2 Banshee. The squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Group 1 aboard the USS Midway, in 1956, VF-101 transitioned to the F4D-1 Skyray, their first radar-equipped aircraft. The squadron was only deployed for a short time during NATO Operation Strikeback from 3 September to 22 October 1957. In April 1958, VF-101 was merged with the Fleet All Weather Training Unit Atlantic, in becoming part of the training structure, VF-101 became part of Readiness Attack Carrier Air Wing 4 and ceased to be a deployable unit. In June 1960, VF-101 established “Detachment A” at NAS Oceana which operated the F4H-1 Phantom II, by the end of 1962, the Skyray and the Demon had been phased out in favor of the F-4. Detachment A was disestablished and F-4 training moved to NAS Key West, the Key West unit concentrated on air-to-air combat, missile firing and radar intercept techniques. In August 1967, VF-101 received the F-4J, vF-101’s administrative command, Readiness Attack Carrier Air Wing 4, was disestablished on 1 June 1970, with VF-101 shifting control of Command to Fleet Air Key West. This moved lasted only a year, and the squadron moved from NAS Key West to NAS Oceana under the command of Commander Fighter Wing One, a detachment remained at Key West until the 2000s. From 6 July to 16 December 1971, VF-101 Det.66 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8 aboard the USS America for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, in January 1976, VF-101 began operating and instructing aircrews and maintainers in the F-14 Tomcat. In 1975 and 1976 the squadron was awarded the CNO Aviation Safety Award, VF-101 continued to train F-14 crews. In 1986, VF-101 had completed 3 years of accident free operations earning them another Safety Citation, the new fuel economy gave the F-14B one third more time on-station and sixty percent more range. Following a year of dedicated efforts, led primarily by VF-24 at NAS Miramar, California. Following that, on 12 September 1990, a VF-101 Tomcat dropped bombs from an aircraft for the first time on the east coast
10.
Grumman F-14 Tomcat
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The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navys Naval Fighter Experimental program after the collapse of the F-111B project, the F-14 was the first of the American teen-series fighters, which were designed incorporating air combat experience against MiG fighters during the Vietnam War. The F-14 first flew in December 1970 and made its first deployment in 1974 with the U. S. Navy aboard USS Enterprise, replacing the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The F-14 served as the U. S. Navys primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor, the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night pod system were added in the 1990s and the Tomcat began performing precision ground-attack missions. In the 1980s F-14s were used as land-based interceptors by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War, where they saw combat against Iraqi warplanes. Iranian F-14s reportedly shot down at least 160 Iraqi aircraft during the war, while only 12 to 16 Tomcats were lost, the Tomcat was retired from the U. S. Navys active fleet on 22 September 2006, having been supplanted by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The F-14 remains in service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, the U. S. Navy needed a Fleet Air Defense aircraft with a more powerful radar and longer range missiles than the F-4 Phantom II carried to intercept both enemy bombers and missiles. The Navy was directed to participate in the Tactical Fighter Experimental program with the U. S. Air Force by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The Navy strenuously opposed the TFX as it feared compromises necessary for the Air Forces need for an attack aircraft would adversely impact the aircrafts performance as a fighter. Weight and performance issues plagued the U. S. Navy F-111B variant for TFX, the F-111 manufacturer General Dynamics partnered with Grumman on the Navy F-111B. With the F-111B program in distress, Grumman began studying improvements, in 1966, the Navy awarded Grumman a contract to begin studying advanced fighter designs. Grumman narrowed down these designs to its 303 design, the Navy studied the need for VFAX, an additional fighter that was agiler than the F-4 Phantom for air-combat and ground-attack roles. Grumman continued work on its 303 design and offered it to the Navy in 1967, the company continued to refine the design into 1968. In July 1968, the Naval Air Systems Command issued a request for proposals for the Naval Fighter Experimental program, VFX called for a tandem two-seat, twin-engined air-to-air fighter with a maximum speed of Mach 2.2. It would also have a built-in M61 Vulcan cannon and a close air support role. The VFXs air-to-air missiles would be either six AIM-54 Phoenix or a combination of six AIM-7 Sparrow, bids were received from General Dynamics, Grumman, Ling-Temco-Vought, McDonnell Douglas and North American Rockwell, four bids incorporated variable-geometry wings. McDonnell Douglas and Grumman were selected as finalists in December 1968, Grumman was selected for the contract award in January 1969. Upon winning the contract for the F-14, Grumman greatly expanded its Calverton, Long Island, much of the testing, including the first of many compressor stalls and multiple ejections, took place over Long Island Sound
11.
VFA-41
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Strike Fighter Squadron 41 also known as the Black Aces, is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet. They are attached to Carrier Air Wing 9, which are currently deployed aboard the USS John C and their radio callsign is Fast Eagle and their tailcode is NG. VF-41 was established on 1 September 1950 at NAS Oceana, it is the fourth US Navy squadron to be designated VF-41, the Black Aces began flying the F2H-3 Banshee in 1953, deploying to the Mediterranean and Far East aboard USS Independence. On January 24,1956, VF-41 embarked with ATG-181 for the cruise of USS Forrestal near Guantanamo Bay Cuba. VF-41 again attached to ATG-181 embarked aboard USS Bennington on October 3,1956 for a Western Pacific deployment, the crew observed the 15th anniversary of Battle of the Coral Sea with ceremony at location of the battle conducted by veterans of the battle. ATG-181 returned to NAS Oceana on May 23,1957, in 1959, the Banshee was replaced by the F3H-2 Demon. In February 1962, VF-41 transitioned to the F-4B Phantom II and made a deployment to NAS Key West. In May 1965, the deployed to the western Pacific for seven months of combat operations during the Vietnam War. They flew a wide range of missions, fighter cover, reconnaissance escort, flak suppression, the next five deployments were on USS Franklin D. Roosevelt with CVW-6 tail code AE. In 1974, VF-41 transitioned from the F-4B to the F-4N, during that year VF-41 was awarded the COMNAVAIRLANT Safety S, which they also would receive in 1981,1989 and 1992. In April 1976 VF-41 transitioned to the F-14A Tomcat and their first cruise began in September 1979 as part of CVW-8 on the USS Nimitz, another cruise followed in 1980 to the Mediterranean. In 1980, Nimitz and VF-41 took part in a round the Horn cruise, while on this cruise, the carrier served as the seaborne base in response to the Iran hostage crisis and the subsequent attempted rescue of the U. S. Embassy hostages from Iran. VF-41 spent 144 continuous days at sea, the longest period the squadron had spent at sea without break since World War II, during workups for the 1981–1982 Mediterranean cruise, an EA-6B Prowler piloted by Marine Lieut. Steven E. White, crashed on the deck of the Nimitz, upon crashing onto the deck, the Prowler rammed broadside into six fueled F-14 Tomcats causing a fuel fire and ordnance to explode, including an AIM-7 Sparrow missile. The incident, which caused superficial damage to the Nimitz. While on deployment in the Mediterranean on August 19,1981, during a combat air patrol mission over the Gulf of Sidra. The incident marked the first Navy air combat confrontation since the Vietnam War and it was the first time a variable wing geometry aircraft shot down another variable wing geometry aircraft. 1981 was also the first year in which the squadron won the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle Efficiency E, VF-41 was also awarded the Battle E in 1985 and 1989
12.
Carrier Air Wing Five
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Carrier Air Wing Five is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and it was initially formed in 1943. It has participated in the Second World War, the Korean War, the Gulf War, Operation Southern Watch, the War in Afghanistan, all-weather offensive air-to-surface attacks, Detection, localization, and destruction of enemy ships and submarines to establish and maintain local sea control. Aerial photographic, sighting, and electronic intelligence for naval and joint operations, airborne early warning service to fleet forces and shore warning nets. In-flight refueling operations to extend the range and the endurance of air wing aircraft and Search, much of the air wing will be transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi prefecture in 2017 and early 2018. CVG-5 was the first air group to enter the Korean War, cVG-5 was renamed CVW-5 in 1963 when the Navy reclassified its air groups. In 1964, CVW-5 was called to action in the Gulf of Tonkin for a total of eight combat cruises, on 5 December 1965, a Broken Arrow incident occurred aboard the USS Ticonderoga, upon which CVW-5 was embarked. A Douglas A-4E Skyhawk attack aircraft of VA-65 carrying a nuclear weapon fell into the sea, on the 31st day after departing Subic Bay, the attack jet fell over the side during a training exercise while being rolled from the number 2 hangar bay to the number 2 elevator. The pilot, Lieutenant Douglas M. Webster, the aircraft, A-4E BuNo 151022, of VA-56 Champions, the accident occurred 80 miles from Okinawa. In 1973, CVW-5 embarked on USS Midway to become part of the first carrier/air wing team permanently forward deployed, to Yokosuka, CVW-5 began its final cruise aboard the Midway in October 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield. From November to January 1991, the air wing participated in multinational exercises. On 17 January 1991, Operation Desert Storm began as CVW-5 aircraft launched a strike deep into Iraq. For the next 43 days the air wing flew 3,383 combat sorties, in August 1991, the USS Independence replaced the Midway. In August 1995, Independence and Carrier Air Wing 5 deployed to The Persian Gulf for a time in support of Operation Southern Watch. In July 1998, CVW-5 moved again, to USS Kitty Hawk, the Kitty Hawk left its berth at Fleet Activities Yokosuka in early April 2000 to begin a routine deployment to the Western Pacific. The carrier had spent the five weeks in Yokosuka following a 12-day sea trial in February. She first journeyed to Guam to rendezvous with the air wing, in addition to Guam, the ship made port calls throughout the Western Pacific and participated in Exercise Cobra Gold with the Royal Thai Armed Forces. The air wing contingent included eight F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from VFA-192 and VFA-195, also in DET A were three S-3 Vikings from VS-21, and two SH-60 Seahawks from HS-14
13.
Carrier Strike Group 3
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Carrier Strike Group 3 is a U. S. Navy carrier strike group. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore, the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis is the groups current flagship. Other units assigned include Carrier Air Wing Nine, the Ticonderoga-class cruisers USS Mobile Bay and USS Antietam, between 2005 and 2013, the group made five deployments to the U. S. Fifth Fleet supporting U. S. ground forces in Iraq, on 18 December 2011, strike group aircraft flew the final carrier-based air mission over Iraq, effectively ending U. S. naval support for Operation New Dawn. The aircraft carrier Wasp was assigned to Carrier Division Three from November 1940, in April 1941 a Central Atlantic Neutrality Patrol was established under Admiral A. B. Cook, based at Bermuda. It comprised Carrier Division Three, the cruisers Quincy and Vincennes, on 7 December 1941, in the Atlantic Fleet, Carrier Division Three comprises Wasp and Ranger under Rear Admiral A. B. Cook. Commander Carrier Division Three served as Commander Task Force 77 during the Korean War, in 1966, Carrier Division Three was embarked aboard USS Enterprise flying missions in the Gulf of Tonkin off Vietnam. On 30 June 1973, Carrier Division 3 was redesignated Carrier Group 3, on returning home, the cycle begins once more. From 1989 to 1991, USS Carl Vinson served as the flagship for Carrier Group 3, during this period, Carrier Group 3 was one of three battle groups that took part in PACEX89. Seventh Fleet was deployed to Bahrain in order to serve as Commander, since ComUSNAVCENT operated from onboard ship, he established NAVCENT-Riyadh as a staff organization to provide continuous Navy representation at United States Central Command headquarters. This mission was assigned initially to Commander, Carrier Group Three, during succeeding months, the NAVCENT-Riyadh staff was augmented substantially but remained small, relative to the United States Army Central and CENTAF staffs. In November, the NAVCENT-Riyadh command was transferred from COMCARGRU3 to Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 5 and this change resulted in the Navy flag officer at NAVCENT Riyadhs remaining relatively junior to other Service representatives, particularly the Air Force. In the middle of 1992, the U. S. Navy made some organizational changes, the chart below shows the ships and aircraft of the group after the reorganization. Carrier Group Three, late 1992 From June 1993, Commander Carrier Group 3 had his flag aboard Abraham Lincoln, on 13 May 1997 Carrier Air Wing Eleven was reassigned to Commander, Carrier Group 3 and the USS Carl Vinson. Carrier Group 3 formed the core of the power during the initial phase of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001. At the time the group comprised USS Carl Vinson, Destroyer Squadron 9, the Task Force conducted strikes against Al Quida and Taliban forces in Afghanistan. Task Force 50 comprised over 59 ships from six nations including six aircraft carriers, Rear Admiral Evan M. Chanik was the last commander of Carrier Group 3. During his tenure, Admiral Chanik led the group through a reorganized Inter-Deployment Training Cycle which greatly compressed the training required for overseas deployment, on 1 October 2004, Carrier Group Three was redesignated as Carrier Strike Group Three
14.
Structure of the United States Navy
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In addition there was a Director of T&E and Operational Requirements, Surgeon General of the Navy, Chief of Naval Reserves, Chief of Oceanography, and Chief of Chaplains of the Navy. S. Fleet Cyber Command, United States Navy Reserve, United States Naval Special Warfare Command, while not widely publicized, groups of ships departing U. S. waters for operational missions gain a Task force type designation, almost always with the Second or Third Fleets. On entry into another numbered fleets area of responsibility, they are redesignated as a group from that fleet. For example, a task group departing the Eastern Seaboard for the Mediterranean might start out as Task Group 20.1, on entry into the Mediterranean. The United States Navy currently has six active numbered fleets and these six numbered fleets are grouped into operating forces, U. S. Fleet Forces Command Type commands, including Submarine Force U. S. TF20 works with the Combined Joint Operations from the Sea/Center of Excellence to complete its mission. Military Sealift Command serves not only the United States Navy, and it transports equipment, fuel, ammunition, and other goods essential to the smooth function of United States armed forces worldwide. Up to 95% of all supplies needed to sustain the U. S. military can be moved by Military Sealift Command, MSC operates approximately 120 ships with 100 more in reserve. Ships of the command are not manned by active duty Navy personnel, the Maritime Expeditionary Security Force’s primary mission is force protection conducted through fleet support with operations around the world. Two Maritime Expeditionary Security Groups in San Diego and Portsmouth, Va. supervise integration of coastal warfare assets trained to operate in high density, multi-threat environments. Coastal and harbor defense and protection of assets are placed under the jurisdiction of two Naval Coastal Warfare Groups, one for the Pacific Fleet and one for the Atlantic Fleet. Sixth Fleet is based in Naples, Italy and its flagship is USS Mount Whitney, normally, units assigned to Third Fleet undergo training cruises prior to deployment with either the Fifth Fleet or Seventh Fleet and are not intended for immediate use in battle. Only in the event of war does Third Fleet participate in active combat operations. Forming part of the Pacific Fleet, Third Fleet is based in San Diego, Seventh Fleet, the largest forward-deployed U. S. fleet, operates in the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean, stretching to the Persian Gulf and including much of the east coast of Africa. It forms the combat ready part of the Pacific Fleet. At any given time, Seventh Fleet consists of 40-50 ships operating from bases in South Korea, Japan and it is headquartered at Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan with USS Blue Ridge as its flagship. Naval shore commands, Commander Naval Forces Korea, Commander Naval Forces Marianas, and Commander Naval Forces Japan. U. S. Naval Forces Central Command / Fifth Fleet Fifth Fleets area of responsibility is the Middle East, including the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Fifth Fleet is headquartered at Manama, Bahrain
15.
Master of Public Administration
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Instruction includes the roles, development, and principles of public administration, public policy management and implementation. More recently, Governance Network management has emerged as an approach to public administration. S. Other notable MPA graduates include Bill OReilly, in recent years, there has been a gradual convergence between the MPA and the Master of Public Policy degrees. Many educational institutions are now offering MPA degrees via online instruction, there are also Executive MPA programs for professionals who have prior work and management experience. However, some MPA programs in the United States are housed in Business schools, in other cases, they bring together multidisciplinary approaches and methodologies as to give their students a more comprehensive overview of the current challenges of public administration. A Master of Public Administration can be acquired at various institutions, see List of schools offering MPA degrees. S
16.
Harvard University
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Although never formally affiliated with any denomination, the early College primarily trained Congregationalist and Unitarian clergy. Its curriculum and student body were gradually secularized during the 18th century, james Bryant Conant led the university through the Great Depression and World War II and began to reform the curriculum and liberalize admissions after the war. The undergraduate college became coeducational after its 1977 merger with Radcliffe College, Harvards $34.5 billion financial endowment is the largest of any academic institution. Harvard is a large, highly residential research university, the nominal cost of attendance is high, but the Universitys large endowment allows it to offer generous financial aid packages. Harvards alumni include eight U. S. presidents, several heads of state,62 living billionaires,359 Rhodes Scholars. To date, some 130 Nobel laureates,18 Fields Medalists, Harvard was formed in 1636 by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1638, it obtained British North Americas first known printing press, in 1639 it was named Harvard College after deceased clergyman John Harvard an alumnus of the University of Cambridge who had left the school £779 and his scholars library of some 400 volumes. The charter creating the Harvard Corporation was granted in 1650 and it offered a classic curriculum on the English university model—many leaders in the colony had attended the University of Cambridge—but conformed to the tenets of Puritanism. It was never affiliated with any denomination, but many of its earliest graduates went on to become clergymen in Congregational. The leading Boston divine Increase Mather served as president from 1685 to 1701, in 1708, John Leverett became the first president who was not also a clergyman, which marked a turning of the college toward intellectual independence from Puritanism. When the Hollis Professor of Divinity David Tappan died in 1803 and the president of Harvard Joseph Willard died a year later, in 1804, in 1846, the natural history lectures of Louis Agassiz were acclaimed both in New York and on the campus at Harvard College. Agassizs approach was distinctly idealist and posited Americans participation in the Divine Nature, agassizs perspective on science combined observation with intuition and the assumption that a person can grasp the divine plan in all phenomena. When it came to explaining life-forms, Agassiz resorted to matters of shape based on an archetype for his evidence. Charles W. Eliot, president 1869–1909, eliminated the position of Christianity from the curriculum while opening it to student self-direction. While Eliot was the most crucial figure in the secularization of American higher education, he was motivated not by a desire to secularize education, during the 20th century, Harvards international reputation grew as a burgeoning endowment and prominent professors expanded the universitys scope. Rapid enrollment growth continued as new schools were begun and the undergraduate College expanded. Radcliffe College, established in 1879 as sister school of Harvard College, Harvard became a founding member of the Association of American Universities in 1900. In the early 20th century, the student body was predominately old-stock, high-status Protestants, especially Episcopalians, Congregationalists, by the 1970s it was much more diversified
17.
Naval War College
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The Naval War College is the staff college and Home of Thought for the United States Navy in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associated roles and missions, supports combat readiness, the college was established on October 6,1884, its first president, Commodore Stephen B. Luce, was given the old building of the Newport Asylum for the Poor to house it on Coasters Harbor Island in Narragansett Bay, among the first four faculty members were Tasker H. Bliss, a future Army Chief of Staff, James R. The College engaged in wargaming various scenarios from 1887 on, nearly all of the U. S. naval operations of the twentieth century were originally designed and gamed at the NWC. More than 50,000 students have graduated since its first class of 9 students in 1885 and about 300 of today’s active duty admirals, and generals and senior executive service leaders are alumni. Just as its programs have expanded in depth and reach, so have the research. Each student in the College of Naval Command and Staff is also required to enroll in one Elective Program course of his or her choice per trimester. During the first two of these trimesters, College of Naval Warfare students will be joined in lectures and in seminars by students of the Naval Command College. Each College of Naval Warfare student is required to enroll in one Elective Program course of his or her choice per trimester. The Naval War College has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools, several years later the Naval War College earned the authority to award to students in some of its programs a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies. Naval War College students are permitted to transfer up to 18 credits to the Graduate Program in International Relations at Salve Regina University. The arrangement allows Naval War College students to complete a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from Salve Regina University by taking six additional courses, the Naval War College Press has published the scholarly quarterly journal the Naval War College Review since 1948. It also publishes the Newport Papers, as well as a monograph series. The Henry E. S. Navy in Narragansett Bay, over the years, the Naval War College has expanded greatly. The original building, the former Newport Asylum for the Poor, in 1892, Luce Hall was opened as the colleges new home, at a cost of $100,000. At the time, the building housed lecture rooms and a library, wings at either end provided two sets of quarters, occupied by the president of the College and members of the faculty. When the Naval War College was enlarged in 1932, this building was renamed Luce Hall in honor of the institutions founder and first Superintendent. This original pair of buildings was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964, Luce Hall was again listed on the National Register in 1972
18.
Korean Peninsula
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The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. Until the end of World War II, Korea was a political entity whose territory roughly coincided with the Korean Peninsula. The northern boundaries for the Korean Peninsula are commonly taken to coincide with political borders between North Korea and its northern neighbors, China and Russia. These borders are formed naturally by the rivers Yalu/Amnok and Tumen/Tuman/Duman, taking this definition, the Korean Peninsula has an area of 220,847 km2. The peninsulas names in Korean, Chinese and Japanese all have the origin, that being Joseon. In North Koreas Chosonmal, the peninsula is called Chosŏn Pando, while in China, in Japan, it is either Chōsenhantō or Kanhantō. Meanwhile, in South Korea, it is called Hanbando, referring to the Samhan and they both use Korea as part of their official English names, which is a name that comes from the Goryeo dynasty. Korea Geography of Korea Geography of North Korea Geography of South Korea List of Korea-related topics KOIS, location of the Korean Peninsula — The official Korean Tourism guide website
19.
USS John S. McCain (DDG-56)
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USS John S. McCain is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is part of the Seventh Fleet, and she has her homeport at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka and she is part of Destroyer Squadron 15. This warship is named after John S. McCain, Sr. and John S. McCain, John S. McCain, Sr. commanded the aircraft carrier USS Ranger, and acted as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force during the latter stages of World War II. John S. McCain, Jr. commanded the U. S. Navy submarines USS Gunnel, subsequently, he held a number of posts, rising to Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Command before retiring in 1972. These men were the grandfather and father of Senator John S. McCain III, John S. McCains keel was laid down on 3 September 1991, at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. The ship was launched on 26 September 1992, sponsored by Cindy McCain, McCain was commissioned on 2 July 1994, at the Bath Iron Works. The former President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, was the principal speaker. The ship was assigned a home port of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and shifted to a forward-deploy port in Yokosuka. In January 2003, John S. McCain deployed to the Persian Gulf and she launched 39 Tomahawk missiles in support of the invasion of Iraq and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her service. She is cited by John Keegan in The Invasion of Iraq as having fired the first shots of that war, John S. McCain was awarded the Navy Battle E for DESRON15 in 2003 and again in 2004. On 16 February 2007, John S. McCain was awarded the 2006 Battle E award, on 11 June 2009, a Chinese submarine reportedly collided with the towed sonar array of John S. McCain near Subic Bay, Philippines. The incident caused damage to the array but was described as an inadvertent encounter, in June 2009, John S. McCain pursued the North Korean cargo ship Kang Nam 1 toward Burma in enforcement of the new United Nations resolution of an arms export embargo against North Korea. The vessel was suspected of carrying arms for the Burmese junta government, Kang Nam 1 returned to North Korea without delivering its cargo to Burma. In July 2009, the destroyer berthed at Yokohamas international passenger terminal on a goodwill tour, the ship was opened to the public on 22 July 2009. In March 2011, in company with the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, during that time, the ship may have been exposed to leaking radiation from the Fukushima I nuclear accidents. In April 2013, John S. McCain was sent to Korea during escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula, in June 2014 the destroyer was sent to Subic Bay to perform in CARAT exercises. On 2 October 2016, USS John S. McCain and USS Frank Cable made the first port visit by US Navy ships to Cam Ranh Bay since end of the Vietnam War in 1975. List of United States Navy destroyers US Navy, USS McCain Yokosuka Naval Base Community Website Global Securitys page on John S. McCain USS John S. McCain News Fred Willshaw
20.
United States Pacific Fleet
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The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to the United States Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Hawaii, with large facilities at North Island. A Pacific Fleet was created in 1907 when the Asiatic Squadron, in 1910, the ships of the First Squadron were organized back into a separate Asiatic Fleet. The General Order 94 of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, until May 1940, the Battle Fleet was stationed on the west coast of the United States. During the summer of year, as part of the U. S. response to Japanese expansionism, it was instructed to take an advanced position at Pearl Harbor. Long term basing at Pearl Harbor was so strongly opposed by the commander, Admiral James O. Richardson, political considerations were thought sufficiently important that he was relieved by Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, who was in command at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Pacific Fleet was formally recreated on 1 February 1941, on that day General Order 143 split the United States Fleet into separate Atlantic, Pacific, and Asiatic Fleets. On 7 December, the Fleet consisted of the Battle Force, Scouting Force, Base Force, Amphibious Force, Cruiser Force, Destroyer Force, also in Hawaii was the Fourteenth Naval District, commanded by Rear Admiral Claude C. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Pennsylvania was in dry dock and Colorado was being refitted at Bremerton Navy Yard, arizona was mated with Nevada and Oklahoma at that time. Other components of the Battle Force included Aircraft, Battle Force, with Carrier Division One and Carrier Division Two, plus Cruiser Divisions 4,5, the Scouting Force included Cruiser Division Three, Cruiser Division Nine and Submarines, Scouting Force. The Amphibious Force was formally known as Commander, Amphibious Forces, One of PhibPacs subordinate commands during World War II was Transports, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, or TransPhibPac. The commander of TransPhibPac was known as ComTransPhibPac, in December 1941, the fleet consisted of nine battleships, three aircraft carriers,12 heavy cruisers, eight light cruisers,50 destroyers,33 submarines, and 100 patrol bombers. This was approximately the strength at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. That day, the Japanese Combined Fleet carried out the attack on Pearl Harbor, Navy to rely primarily on aircraft carriers and submarines for many months afterward. More minor battles included the Battle of Dutch Harbor, the West Loch disaster occurred at Pearl Harbor on 21 May 1944. The Pacific Fleet took part in Operation Magic Carpet, the return of U. S. servicemen, after the end of the Second World War. The organization of the Pacific Fleet in January 1947 is shown in Hal M. Friedmans Arguing over the American Lake, Bureaucracy and Rivalry in the U. S. Pacific, the RIMPAC exercise series began in 1971. On 7 March 1984, the Secretaries of Transportation and Navy signed a Memorandum of Agreement which created the Maritime Defense Zones, the Pacific MDZ is an echelon three Navy command under the Commander U. S
21.
Naval flight officer
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A naval flight officer is a commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots per se, but they may perform many co-pilot functions, until 1966, their duties were performed by both commissioned officer and senior enlisted naval aviation observers. NFOs in the US Navy all begin their careers as unrestricted line officers, eligible for command at sea and ashore in the various naval aviation aircraft type/model/series communities. Such officers are graduates of the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School and/or the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School with advanced academic degrees in aerospace engineering or similar disciplines. The counterpart to the NFO in the United States Air Force is the combat systems officer, encompassing the previous roles of navigator, weapon systems officer and electronic warfare officer. The United States Coast Guard had a short-lived NFO community in the 1980s and 1990s when it temporarily operated E-2C Hawkeye aircraft on loan from the Navy. Training for Student NFOs starts starts out the same as for Student Naval Aviators, with the academic requirements. The only real distinction is in physical requirements, where SNFOs may have less than 20/20 uncorrected distant vision, in fact, it is this 20/20 distant visual acuity requirement that typically routes prospective Naval Aviators into the Naval Flight Officer training track. Both SNAs and SNFOs go through the same introductory flight screening, the SNFO program has continued to evolve since the 1960s. Upon graduation from their respective advanced squadron, students receive their wings of gold and are designated as Naval Flight Officers. After winging, students conduct training at their respective fleet replacement squadron. All SNFOs and SNAs start their training with introductory flight screening. IFS consists of 2 phases, ground school and flight training, the ground school portion lasts about two weeks and culminates with the student completing the FAA private pilot exam. Afterwards, every student enrolls in one of several flight schools located near NAS Pensacola. Students complete approximately 14 hours of training in a single engine aircraft. IFS is normally waived for students entering training with a pilot license. SNFOs will train with Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard SNAs along with NATO and allied students in the SNA and SNFO tracks, aviation preflight indoctrination consists of academic instruction, hands-on interaction and aviation physiology, water survival, and land survival skills. Students selected for land-based platforms will continue on to the advanced maritime command and those that select carrier aviation will continue to Primary 2 training and remain at VT-10
22.
Distinguished Service Medal (United States Navy)
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The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The medal is presented to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorious service to the United States while serving in a duty or position of great responsibility. The award is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal was originally senior to the Navy Cross, until August 1942 when the precedence of the two decorations was reversed. Currently, it is worn after the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, at the start of World War I, the Navy had the Medal of Honor as the only decoration with which to recognize heroism. The law made the award retroactive to 6 April 1917, the first award of the decoration was a posthumous presentation to Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen, USMC, on 13 March 1919. Originally, senior in precedence to the Navy Cross, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal assumed its current place below the Navy Cross by congressional action on 7 August 1942. To justify this decoration, exceptional performance of duty must be clearly above that normally expected, generally, the Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to officers in principal commands at sea, or in the field, whose service is of a manner to justify the award. However, this does not preclude the award of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to any individual who meets the service requirements, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a gilt bronze medallion 1.25 inches in diameter. The obverse of the medal depicts an American bald eagle in the center displaying its wings, the eagle holds an olive branch in its right talon and arrows in its left talons. The eagle is surrounded by an enameled ring with the words, • UNITED • STATES • OF • AMERICA • at the top. Surrounding the blue ring is a gold border of scroll waves depicted moving in a clockwise direction. The medal is surmounted by a white five-pointed star, point up, in the center of the star is a blue anchor, while gold rays radiate between the arms of the star. The reverse of the medal depicts a trident surrounded by a laurel wreath, the wreath is surrounded by a blue enamel ring containing the inscription FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE. Like the obverse, the blue ring on the reverse is surrounded by scroll waves. The medals suspension and service ribbon is blue with a single central stripe of yellow. Additional awards of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal are denoted by gold and silver 5/16 inch stars worn on the medals suspension, awards and decorations of the United States military
23.
5/16 inch star
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A gold star indicates one additional award, while a silver star is worn in lieu of five gold stars. A 5⁄16 inch silver star is not to be confused with representing a Silver Star medal, 5⁄16 inch stars are worn on a medal suspension and service ribbon with one point of the star pointing up. Up to five stars can be worn on a ribbon, there are no higher degrees of 5⁄16 inch stars authorized after five silver 5⁄16 inch stars. On miniature medals, a special 1⁄8 inch star is worn on the suspension ribbon in lieu of a 5⁄16 inch star. If the number of authorized 5⁄16 inch stars exceeds five, a service ribbon is worn after the first service ribbon. The second service ribbon counts as one additional award, after which more stars may be added to the second ribbon. The US Army and US Air Force uses an oak leaf cluster to indicate a subsequent decoration, a bronze oak leaf cluster is equivalent to a gold 5⁄16 inch star and a silver oak leaf cluster is equivalent to a silver 5⁄16 inch star. Awards and decorations of the United States military United States military award devices Oak leaf cluster Service star Campaign star Battle star Army Awards, archived from the original on June 4,2004
24.
Silver Star
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The Silver Star, officially the Silver Star Medal, is the United States militarys third-highest decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. The Silver Star is the award to the Citation Star which was established by an Act of Congress on July 9,1918 during World War I. On July 19,1932, the Secretary of War approved the conversion of the Citation Star to the Silver Star Medal with the original Citation Star incorporated into the center of the medal. Authorization for the Silver Star Medal was placed into law by an Act of Congress for the U. S. Navy on August 7,1942, the U. S. Army and Air Force award the medal as the Silver Star. The U. S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard continue to award the medal as the Silver Star Medal, however, during the Vietnam War, the last conflict to produce U. S. The pendant is suspended from a shaped metal loop with rounded corners. The reverse has the inscription FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION, the Department of Defense does not keep extensive records the Silver Star. Independent groups estimate that between 100,000 and 150,000 Silver Stars have been awarded since the decoration was established. Colonel David Hackworth who was awarded ten Silver Stars while serving in the Army during the Korean War, three Army nurses who served in World War I were cited with Citation Stars for their service in July 1918. In 2007, it was discovered that they had never been awarded their Citation Stars, an unknown number of servicewomen received the award in World War II. Later that same year, Corporal Magdalena Leones, a Filipino American, notable recipients include, List of Australian Silver Star recipients Silver Star database at MilitaryTimes. com Awards and Decorations Air Force Personnel Center
25.
Legion of Merit
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The Legion of Merit is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the seven uniformed services of the United States as well as to military and political figures of foreign governments. The Legion of Merit is one of only two United States military decorations to be issued as an order and the only United States military decoration which may be issued in award degrees. The Legion of Merit is sixth in the order of precedence of U. S. military awards and is worn after the Defense Superior Service Medal, in contemporary use in the U. S. S. However, this degree was awarded by President Roosevelt to some Allied World War II theater commanders, Commander, Equivalent of a U. S. military chief of staff or higher position, but not to a head of state. Legionnaire, All recipients not included above, when the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the Uniformed Services of the United States, it is awarded without reference to degree. The performance must have such as to merit recognition of key individuals for service rendered in a clearly exceptional manner. Performance of duties normal to the grade, branch, specialty, or assignment, for service not related to actual war, the term key individual applies to a narrower range of positions than in time of war and requires evidence of significant achievement. In peacetime, service should be in the nature of a requirement or of an extremely difficult duty performed in an unprecedented. However, justification of the award may accrue by virtue of exceptionally meritorious service in a succession of important positions, the degrees and the design of the decoration were influenced by the French Legion of Honour. Although recommendations for creation of a Meritorious Service Medal were initiated as early as September 1937, no formal action was taken toward approval. Proposed designs prepared by Bailey, Banks and Biddle and the Office of the Quartermaster General were provided to Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel Colonel Heard) by the QMG on January 5,1942. The Assistant Chief of Staff, in a response to the QMG on April 3,1942, the design of the Legion of Merit would be ready for issue immediately after legislation authorizing it was enacted into law. The medal was announced in War Department Bulletin No, executive Order 9260, dated October 29,1942, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, established the rules for the Legion of Merit and required the Presidents approval for the award. The Legion of Merit is similar to the French Legion of Honor in both its design, a five armed cross, and in that it is awarded in multiple degrees, unlike the Legion of Honor, however, the Legion of Merit is only awarded to military personnel. Additionally, it is the award in the world with multiple degrees of which the higher degrees cannot be awarded to citizens of the country of the awards origin. She received the award for her service during the defense of the Philippines, LTJG Bernatitus was also the first recipient of the Legion of Merit authorized to wear a Combat V with the medal. General Eisenhower was presented the Legion of Merit by President Roosevelt, while he was en route to the Tehran Conference, in Cairo, in 1943, at the request of Army Chief of Staff General George C
26.
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
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Two of the airmen died in a mid-air collision trying to land at Buenos Aires on February 26,1927, and received their awards posthumously. Since the award had only authorized by Congress the previous year, no medals had yet been struck. Among the ten airmen were Major Herbert A. Dargue, Captains Ira C, eaker and Muir S. Fairchild, and 1st Lt. Ennis C. The medal had hurriedly been struck and readied just for that occasion, numerous military recipients of the medal would later earn greater fame in other occupations—a number of astronauts, actors, and politicians have been Distinguished Flying Cross recipients. DFC awards could be retroactive to cover notable achievements back until the beginning of World War I, on February 23,1929, Congress passed special legislation to allow the award of the DFC to the Wright brothers for their December 17,1903 flight. Other civilians who have received the award include Wiley Post, Jacqueline Cochran, Roscoe Turner, Amelia Earhart, Glenn H. Curtiss, eventually, it was limited to military personnel by an Executive Order. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to receive the DFC on July 29,1932 when it was presented to her by Vice President Charles Curtis in Los Angeles, Earhart received the decoration for her solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean earlier that year. During World War II the medals award criteria varied widely depending on the theater of operations, aerial combat, in the Pacific oftentimes commissioned officers were awarded the DFC, while enlisted men were given the Air Medal. In Europe some crews, often received it for performances throughout a tour of duty, during wartime, members of the Armed Forces of friendly foreign nations serving with the United States are eligible for the Distinguished Flying Cross. It is also given to those who display heroism while working as instructors or students at flying schools, Colonel Francis S. Gabby Gabreski, USAF, received 13 Distinguished Flying Crosses—the most earned by any individual. He is followed by Admiral Stan Arthur, USN, with 11 DFCs, during the Vietnam War high ranking Army officers often received the DFC for directing combat operations from aircraft. The Distinguished Flying Cross was authorized by Section 12 of the Air Corps Act enacted by the United States Congress on July 2,1926, as amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8,1938. ”The Distinguished Flying Cross was designed by Elizabeth Will and Arthur E. DuBois. The medal is a cross pattee, on whose obverse is superimposed a four-bladed propeller,1 11/16 inches in width. Five rays extend from the reentrant angles, forming a one-inch square, the reverse is blank, it is suitable for engraving the recipients name and rank. The cross is suspended from a rectangular bar, the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps may authorize the V device for wear on the DFC to denote valor in combat, Navy and Marine Corps, Combat V. The Army does not authorize the V Device to be worn on the DFC, in July 2014, the United States Senate passed the Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act. The act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on July 25,2014, in the movie Night at the Museum, Battle of the Smithsonian the character of Amelia Earhart mentions that she received the Flying Cross. The real life Amelia Earhart did, in fact, receive the Distinguished Flying Cross and was the first woman and civilian to do so
27.
"V" device
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The decorations with which a V may be authorized differ between the military services, as well as the manner in which the V is worn and the name by which it is referred to. The Department of Defense, Army, and Air Force refer to the V as the V Device, the Coast Guard refers to it as the Valor Device, while the Navy and Marine Corps refer to it as the Combat Distinguishing Device or Combat V. Until 2 February 2017, the also used different criteria in determining whether a V could be authorized. Soldiers and airmen who were awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroism in combat, were now authorized to wear a bronze V on the suspension, only one V was allowed to be worn on a ribbon. Most World War II veterans who were entitled to the V probably did not know about or apply for the device, since large scale separations from the services were taking place after the war ended. Stocks of the device also were not available for issue for at least a year since the Army circular, to be worn on a decoration, the V device must have been specifically authorized in the written award citation issued with the medal. In 1996, the V device garnered public attention after the suicide of Admiral Jeremy Boorda, there has not been a living repeat Medal of Honor recipient since the World War I era, so the V device was never actually worn in this fashion. Until 2017, the criteria and conditions under which the V device could be awarded differed between the services, for the Army, the V was worn solely to denote participation in acts of heroism involving conflict with an armed enemy. Prior to 1 January 2014, the device was authorized on Outstanding Unit Awards. The V device is authorized for the Air Medal by all the services where heroism in aerial combat was involved on an individual mission. Two new C and R devices will also be used on relevant awards. On 2 February 2017, a new silver plated and gold plated V device was introduced, sometime after 2 February 2017, the individual services will change their regulations such that the silver and gold V device will be used to denote second and third awards with the V. A fourth, fifth, and sixth awarding with the V is to be issued with a bronze, silver, currently, the following decorations of the United States Armed Forces are eligible to be awarded with a V device. For the Army and the Air Force, the V is positioned to the right of any bronze or silver oak leaf clusters from the wearers perspective, the following examples depict decorations that were awarded with the V Device before 2 February 2017. After 2 February 2017, bronze, silver, and gold V devices will be used to indicate first, second, the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard continue to award and issue the bronze version. The Marine Corps allows anodized medals and gold anodized Combat Vs to be worn on the blues uniform. Fourth, fifth, and sixth awards with the V would be denoted by a bronze V with wreath, silver V with wreath, the following examples depict decorations that were awarded with the device in at least one instance. After 2 February 2017, bronze, silver, and gold V devices will be used to indicate first, second, and third awards of the device
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Bronze Star Medal
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Civilians serving with U. S. military forces in combat are also eligible for the award. For example, UPI reporter Joe Galloway was awarded the Bronze Star with V Device during the Vietnam War for rescuing a wounded soldier under fire in the Battle of la Drang. The Bronze Star Medal was established by Executive Order 9419,4 February 1944, the acts of heroism are of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star. The acts of merit or acts of valor must be less than required for the Legion of Merit but must nevertheless have been meritorious. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded only to members in combat zones who are receiving imminent danger pay. For this purpose, the US Armys Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge award is considered as a citation in orders, effective 11 September 2001, the Meritorious Service Medal may also be bestowed in lieu of the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement in a designated combat theater. The Bronze Star Medal was designed by Rudolf Freund of the jewelry firm Bailey, the medal is a bronze star 1 1⁄2 inches in circumscribing diameter. In the center is a 3⁄16 inch diameter superimposed bronze star, the reverse bears the inscription HEROIC OR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT with a space for the name of the recipient to be engraved. The star hangs from its ribbon by a metal loop with rounded corners. The Bronze Star Medal with the V device to denote heroism is the fourth highest military decoration for valor, 5/16 Inch Star – In the Navy and Marine Corps and Coast Guard, the 5/16 inch star is worn to denote additional awards. V Device – In the Army, the V is worn solely to denote participation in acts of heroism involving conflict with an armed enemy, in the Air Force, the V is worn to denote heroism in combat. Red Reeder conceived the idea of the Bronze Star Medal in 1943, Reeder felt another medal was needed as a ground equivalent of the Air Medal, and suggested calling the proposed new award the Ground Medal. The idea eventually rose through the bureaucracy and gained supporters. Marshall, in a memorandum to President Franklin D, the Air Medal had been adopted two years earlier to raise airmens morale. President Roosevelt authorized the Bronze Star Medal by Executive Order 9419 dated 4 February 1944 and this authorization was announced in War Department Bulletin No. President John F. Kennedy amended Executive Order 9419 per Executive Order 11046 dated 24 August 1962 to expand the authorization to include serving with friendly forces. This allowed for awards where US service members become involved in a conflict where the United States was not a belligerent. At the time of the Executive Order, for example, the US was not a belligerent in Vietnam, since the award criteria state that the Bronze Star Medal may be awarded to any person
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Defense Meritorious Service Medal
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The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is an award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense. In the order of precedence of the United States Armed Forces, the medal is not the same as the Meritorious Service Medal, which is a separate federal military decoration. The medal was first created on 3 November 1977 by President Jimmy Carter under Executive Order 12019 to recognize non-combat meritorious achievement or service while serving in a joint assignment. The recognized service is typically for a period of greater than 12 months, encompassing a recipients entire joint assignment. The required achievement or service, is of a degree than that required for award of the Defense Superior Service Medal. Service members assigned to or attached to a Joint Task Force as individuals, not members of a specific military services unit, members of service specific units are eligible for awards of personal decorations from their parent service. The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is made of bronze and is 1 1⁄2 inches in diameter, the obverse design consists of a circular wreath of laurel leaves tied with a ribbon at base. In the center is a shape which slightly overlaps the wreath. Superimposed over the pentagon is an eagle with wings upraised standing at the base of the pentagon, the eagle is symbolic of the United States while the pentagon shape alludes to the Department of Defense, and the laurel wreath represents achievement. The reverse of the bears the inscription, Defense Meritorious Service in three horizontal lines while around the bottom are the words, United States of America. In between the inscriptions is space for engraving the name of the recipient, the colors, crimson and white, are duplicates of the colors of the Legion of Merit ribbon. The stripes of blue is the associated with the Department of Defense. Additional awards of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal are denoted by oak leaf clusters. As a joint award, oak leaf clusters traditionally associated with Army and Air Force awards are used for multiple awards of the DMSM to Navy, Marine Corps. These oak leaf clusters are attached to the suspension and service ribbons, awards and decorations of the United States military
30.
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
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Normally, the acts or services rendered must be comparable to that required for the Legion of Merit but in a duty of lesser, though considerable, responsibility. Within the U. S. Army, according to AR 600-8-22, Paragraph 3-16, in the Army, an MSM recommendation that is downgraded will be approved as an Army Commendation Medal. In the U. S. Army and U. S, the U. S. Navy, U. S. Marine Corps and U. S. In the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard, the authority for the MSM must be either a Flag Officer or General Officer holding the pay grade of O-7 or above. It is most common for Navy and Coast Guard Master Chief Petty Officers, to receive this medal the individual must exhibit exceptionally meritorious service at that level of responsibility. The Meritorious Service Medal is a medal,1. The reverse has the encircled inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and MERITORIOUS SERVICE. The suspension ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the stripes, 1/8 inch Crimson 67112, 1/4 inch White 67101, center 5/8 inch Crimson, 1/4 inch White. Additional awards of the Meritorious Service Medal are denoted by oak leaf clusters in the U. S. Army and U. S. Air Force. And gold 5/16 inch stars in the U. S. Navy, U. S. Marine Corps and these devices are also authorized for wear on the suspension and service ribbon of the medal. In certain instances, the U. S. Coast Guard also authorizes an Operational Distinguishing Device for the medal, an ad hoc committee was formed by the Secretary of Defense to select a name. On November 8,1968, the unanimously approved the name Meritorious Service Medal. President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Meritorious Service Medal per Executive Order 11448, the Executive Order was amended by President Ronald Reagan per Executive Order 12312, dated July 2,1981, to authorize award to members of the armed forces of friendly foreign nations. The medal was designed by Mr. Jay Morris of the Institute of Heraldry, the ribbon design purposely follows the colors used for the Legion of Merit to reflect the parallel between the two medals. The eagle, symbol of the United States, stands on laurel branches denoting achievement, the star is used to represent the military service and the rays emanating therefrom denote the constant efforts of individuals to achieve through excellent and meritorious service. Meritorious Civilian Service Award – a comparable award given to employees of the United States Departments of Defense. US Army Institute of Heraldry, Meritorious Service Medal
31.
Air Medal
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The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States military. The medal was created in 1942 and is awarded for achievement while participating in aerial flight. The Air Medal was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Air Medal was awarded retroactive to 8 September 1939. The original award criteria set by an Army Policy Letter was for one award of the Air Medal. per each naval vessel or three aircraft in flight confirmed destroyed. Per twenty-five operational flights during which exposure to fire is probable. Per one-hundred operational flights during which exposure to 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. The Distinguished Flying Cross would usually be awarded for roughly twice to five times the requirements of the Air Medal, on 5 August 1943 score card awards for completing a set number of operational flights were officially abolished by a Headquarters Army Air Forces Awards Board memorandum. This was due to the embarrassment when airmen who had received the Air Medal for score carding five missions or more being 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, during World War II the medals 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, elsewhere in the Pacific and CBI 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. The Air Medal may be awarded to either single acts of merit or gallantry in combat or for meritorious service in a combat zone. These individuals must make a contribution to the operational land combat mission or to the mission of the aircraft in flight. Examples would be transport performing supporting Dustoff Medevac or resupply operations, 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, the Air Force does not award the Air Medal for peace-time sustained operational activities and flights. Non-combat meritorious service is instead awarded the Aerial Achievement Medal, instituted in 1988, 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 members individual flight management records will list the sorties that are eligible for the award and these sorties are designated Combat, Combat Support, or Operational. Only the first sortie of the day counts, armed aircraft crews require ten sorties for each award, while all others require twenty sorties
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Strike/Flight numerals
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A Strike/Flight Numeral is a Department of the Navy device that may be awarded for wear on the Air Medal to individuals serving in any capacity in the United States Armed Forces. A Strike/Flight Award is awarded to individuals for meritorious achievement while participating in sustained flight operations. Officers in the rank of Captain 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. Strikes are sorties that deliver ordnance against the enemy, insert or extract assault personnel, or engage in Search, flights are sorties that deliver ordnance against the enemy, insert or extract assault personnel, or engage in Search and Rescue operations that encounter no enemy opposition. The distinguishing feature of a flight is that although it takes place in a hostile environment. As of September 27,2006, gold 5/16 inch Arabic numerals are used to denote the number of Individual Air Medals and this is a return to the standard used before November 22,1989. In the interval between November 22,1989, and September 27,2006, bronze, gold, a bronze star was used to denote a first award and 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 stars. United States military award devices Awards and decorations of the United States military
33.
Commendation Medal
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The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. The Commendation Medal was originally only a ribbon and was first awarded by the U. S. Navy. An Army Commendation Ribbon followed in 1945, and in 1949, the Navy, Coast Guard, 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 Force Commendation Medals are denoted by bronze, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Coast Guard Commendation Medal are authorized gold and silver 5/16 inch stars to denote additional awards. The Operational Distinguishing Device is authorized for wear on the Coast Guard Commendation Medal upon approval of the awarding authority, order of Precedence is following the Bronze Star Medal but before the Prisoner of War Medal and all campaign medals. Each of the services also awards separate Achievement Medals which are below the Commendation Medals in precedence. This award is intended for service on a joint military staff and is senior in precedence to service-specific Commendation Medals. As such, it is worn above the service Commendation Medals on a military uniform. S, Army after December 6,1941, distinguished themselves by heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service. Approval of the award must be made by an officer in the grade of Colonel or higher, the medallion of the Army Commendation Medal is a bronze hexagon, 1 3⁄8 inches wide. On the medallion is an American bald eagle with wings spread horizontally, on its breast is a shield paly of thirteen pieces and a chief. The reverse bears a panel for naming between the words FOR MILITARY above and MERIT below, all placed above a laurel sprig, the ribbon is 1 3⁄8 inches wide primarily of myrtle green. It is edged in white and in the center are five thin white stripes spaced equally apart, devices Oak leaf cluster and V Device The U. S. Air Force began issuing its own Air Force Commendation Medal in 1958 with additional awards denoted by oak leaf clusters. Prior to this time, USAF recipients received the Army Commendation Medal and it was not until 1996 that the V device was authorized on the Air Force Commendation Medal, prior to 1996, there was not a valor distinction in effect for the Air Force Commendation Medal. For USAF enlisted personnel, the Air Force Commendation Medal is worth three points under the Air Force enlisted promotion system, approval of the award must be made by an officer in the grade of Colonel or higher. The Air Force Commendation Medal is a bronze hexagonal medallion, on the medallion is a shield surmounted by an eagle superimposed over clouds. On the shield bears a pair of wings and a vertical baton with an eagles claw at either end, behind the shield are eight lightning bolts. The design on the shield is derived from the Seal of the Department of the Air Force, the ribbon of the Air Force Commendation Medal is golden yellow with blue edges. In the center are three bands of blue, the stripes are thin with the center stripe being wider
34.
Achievement Medal
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The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. Each military service issues its own version of the Achievement Medal, the Achievement Medal is awarded for outstanding achievement or meritorious service not of a nature that would otherwise warrant awarding the Commendation Medal. Award authority rests with local commanders, granting a broad discretion of when, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps version of the Achievement Medal. This title was shortened in 1967 to simply, the Navy Achievement Medal, the award is referred to in shorthand speech as a NAM. Awards for crewmembers had to be submitted to the Commodore or Air Wing Commander or the first appropriate O-6 in the chain of command for approval, since 2002 the commanding officers of aviation squadrons and ships have had the authority to award NAMs without submission to higher authority. For the Army, battalion commanders is the authority for the Army Achievement Medal. Effective 11 September 2001, the Army Achievement Medal may be awarded in a combat area, since this change over sixty thousand Army Achievement Medals have been awarded in theaters of operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The Joint Service Achievement Medal was created in 1983 and this award was considered a Department of Defense decoration senior to the service department Achievement Medals
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