Achievement Medal

Achievement Medal
Five Achievement Medals are awarded by branch or service. From left to right: Joint Service, Army, Navy & Marine Corps, Air Force & Space Force, and Coast Guard.
Type	Medal (decoration)
Awarded for	"Meritorious service or achievement in either combat or noncombat situations based on sustained performance or specific achievement of a superlative nature but which does not warrant a Commendation Medal or higher."
Presented by	United States Department of Defense United States Department of the Army[1] United States Department of the Navy[2] United States Department of the Air Force[3] United States Department of Homeland Security[4]
Eligibility	Military personnel only
Status	Currently awarded
Established	Naval Service (1961) Coast Guard (1963) Army (1981) Air and Space Forces (1980) Joint Service (1983)
Service ribbons for the Joint Service, Army, Naval Service, Air and Space Forces, and Coast Guard Achievement Medals
Precedence
Next (higher)	Service commendation medals
Next (lower)	Army: Prisoner of War Medal Naval Service: Combat Action Ribbon Air and Space Forces: Combat Action Medal Coast Guard: Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon

The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service^[5] of military personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service Medal.

Each military service issues its own version of the Achievement Medal, with a fifth version authorized by the U.S. Department of Defense for joint military activity. 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 and for what action the Achievement Medal may be awarded.^{[citation needed]}