Air Force Considers Reinstating Good Conduct Medal
The Air Force Awards Summit, held in January of this year, has recommended that the Air Force Good Conduct Medal be reinstated. The Secretary of the Air Force is expected to make a decision within the next 30 days. The medal was discontinued in 2005. If approved the medal would be retroactively awarded from the date it was discontinued making tens of thousands of Airmen eligible for the award.
The medal's historical value, linking it to the heritage of the Air Force, was the key factor in the recommendation to bring back the award.
If approved it would be the first time in the history of the Air Force that an award has been discontinued and later reintroduced.
Good Conduct Award criteria remains the same per AFI 36-2803.
Awarded to Active Duty enlisted Airmen who:
-Demonstrate exemplary conduct (behavior, efficiency and fidelity).
-Complete three years of continuous federal military service, with no breaks of 24 hrs or greater.
-Complete a single year of service if the nation is at war during the entire year of service (OIF and OEF do not meet this definition).
-Subsequent medals are awarded for every three years of continuous service thereafter, denoted by a bronze oak leaf cluster or a silver oak leaf cluster for five awards.
-At the end of each month, the Military Personnel Element for each unit publishes a list of Airmen who have qualified by completing three years of continuous service, either total or since their last GCM.
-Unit commanders may deny the award to anyone whose conduct has been less than exemplary. The commander will consult the Airmen's immediate supervisor and submit a memorandum detailing why the award is being denied and setting a new start date on the three year clock.
Air Force Good Conduct Anodized Medal
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