Military awards and decorations

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A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform.

Civil decorations awarded to military personnel should not be considered military decorations, although some orders of chivalry have civil and military divisions. Decorations received by police and fire brigade personnel may sometimes be considered alongside military decorations, on which they may be modelled, although they are strictly not military awards.

Decorations have been known since ancient times. Celts and Romans wore a torc or an Arrow without a Head, Dayaks wore and still wear tattoos, etc. Necklaces and bracelets were given during the early Middle Ages, evolving into richly jewelled big necklaces, often with a pendant (commonly a medal) attached.

Today military decorations include:

• Orders of Chivalry;
• Bravery awards, in the form of a cross, star or medal on a ribbon;
• Distinguished service awards, in the form of a cross, star or medal on a ribbon;
• Campaign medals worn on a ribbon;
• Service medals worn on a ribbon;
• Awards for entire units.

In most NATO militaries only ribbons are normally worn on everyday occasions.

Examples

The following is a list of war service medals awarded by individual countries to people who were deemed as brave and heroic in wartime.

• Argentine Nation to the Heroic Valour in Combat Cross (Argentina)
• Bir Sreshtho (Bangladesh)
• Order of Blue Sky and White Sun (Republic of China)
• Mannerheim Cross (Finland)
• Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr (Germany)
• Param Vir Chakra (India)
• Bintang Sakti (Indonesia)
• Gold Medal of Military Valor (Italy)
• Medal of Valor (Israel)
• Order of the Golden Kite (Japan)
• Pour le Mérite (Prussia)
• Nishan-E-Haider (Pakistan)
• Virtuti Militari (Poland)
• Military William Order (Netherlands)
• War Cross with sword (Norway)
• Royal Order of the Intare (Rwanda)
• Hero of the Russian Federation (Russia)
• För tapperhet i fält (Sweden)
• Victoria Cross (United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries)
• Medal of Honor (United States)

See also

• List of military decorations
• Civil decoration
• State decoration
• Order (decoration)
• Neck order
• Commonwealth Realms orders and decorations
• Awards and decorations of the United States military
• Awards and decorations of the Russian Federation
• Awards and decorations of the Soviet Union
• Israeli Military decorations
• Awards and decorations of the German Armed Forces