The Lance P. Sijan USAF Leadership Award was created in 1981 to recognize individuals who have demonstrated the highest qualities of leadership in their jobs and in their lives. It has become one of the U.S. Air Force's most prestigious awards. Sijan, an Air Force captain and fighter pilot, died while a POW in Vietnam. Prior to his capture, the United States Air Force Academy graduate and posthumous Medal of Honor recipient evaded the North Vietnamese for six weeks after being shot down in November 1967.
Recipients of the Sijan Award are entitled to wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon. [1]
The award requirements and process is described in Air Force Instruction 36-2805, Special Trophies and Awards. [2]
The Legion of Merit (LOM) 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 eight uniformed services of the United States as well as to military and political figures of foreign governments.
The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth version existing for acts of joint military service performed under the Department of Defense.
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries. This is a NATO ranking.
The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Air Force. The holder of this rank and position of office represents the highest enlisted level of leadership in the Air Force, unless an enlisted airman is serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman. The CMSAF provides direction for the enlisted corps and represents their interests, as appropriate, to the American public, and to those in all levels of government. The CMSAF is appointed by the Air Force Chief of Staff (AF/CC) and serves as the senior enlisted advisor to the Air Force Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Air Force on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale, and proper utilization and progress of the enlisted force.
The Air Force Cross (AFC) is the United States Air Force and United States Space Force's second highest military decoration for airmen and guardians who distinguish themselves with extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is awarded to any person, while serving in any capacity with the Air Force or Space Force, who distinguish themselves by extraordinary heroism, not justifying the award of a Medal of Honor.
A Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon is an award presented by the United States Army and Air Force to recognize those noncommissioned officers who have completed a prescribed leadership course at an NCO training school. The Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard have no equivalent to the Noncommissioned Officer Development Ribbon.
An Overseas Service Ribbon is a service military award of the United States military which recognizes those service members who have performed military tours outside the borders of the United States of America. There are different versions of the Overseas Service Ribbons for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marines receive the Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.
The Air Force Organizational Excellence Award is a unit award of the United States Air Force created by the Secretary of the Air Force on 26 August 1969. The award is presented to Air Force internal organizations that are entities within larger organizations. Examples of eligible organizations are MAJCOM headquarters, Field Operating Agencies, Direct Reporting Units, and other unique unnumbered organizations.
The Air Force Longevity Service Award is a military award of the United States Air Force established by Air Force General Order 60, on 25 November 1957 by General Thomas D. White, Air Force Chief of Staff. The award was primarily created as an air force equivalent to the service stripes used by other branches of the United States military to denote years of military service. The award is retroactive to the establishment of the U.S. Air Force as an independent service in September 1947. The ribbon is also retroactive for any service with the U.S. Army Air Forces, U.S. Army Air Corps, or U.S. Army Air Service prior to the creation of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service as long as the serviceman was on active duty on or after 18 September 1947.
The Air Force Recognition Ribbon is a military award of the United States Air Force which was first created in October 1980. The ribbon is intended to recognize those who have received "non-portable" awards for accomplishment and excellence while serving on active duty in the United States Air Force.
The Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon is a military award of the United States Air Force which was created on February 21, 1968 by order of Secretary of the Air Force Harold Brown. The first presentation of the award was in June 1970. The Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon is the highest personal ribbon award of the United States Air Force.
Lance Peter Sijan was a United States Air Force officer and fighter pilot. On March 4, 1976, he posthumously received the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military award, for his selflessness and courage in the face of lethal danger.
Awards and decorations of the United States Department of the Air Force are military decorations which are issued by the Department of the Air Force to airmen of the United States Air Force and guardians of the United States Space Force and members of other military branches serving under Air Force and Space Force commands.
The Air Force Combat Action Medal (AFCAM) is a decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force to recognize airmen and guardians for active participation in ground or air combat.
The Meritorious Civilian Service Award is commonly the highest award granted by U.S. Army Commanders. The Award and Medal is provided to civilian employees within agencies of the federal government of the United States. However, the various agencies' awards are not directly comparable. For example, the US Army Meritorious Civilian Service Award is equivalent to the US military Legion of Merit, while the US Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award is equivalent to the lower US military Meritorious Service Medal.
The General Campaign Star is a campaign medal created in 2004 by the Canadian monarch-in-Council to recognize members of the Canadian Armed Forces who had directly participated in any military campaign under Canadian or allied command. It is, within the Canadian system of honours, the sixth highest of the war and operational service medals.
Ramón Colón-López is a senior non-commissioned officer of the United States Air Force and a former pararescueman, and was selected as the 4th Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) on December 13, 2019. In his role as SEAC, Colón-López is the most senior enlisted member of the United States military. In 2007 he was the only Hispanic American among the first six airmen to be awarded the newly created Air Force Combat Action Medal. He served as the Senior Enlisted Leader of United States Africa Command from September 2016 to November 2019.
The General Service Medal (GSM) is a service medal of Canada established by Her Majesty The Queen in March 2004 and presented for the first time on 29 November 2004. It is presented to members of the Canadian Forces, or members of allied forces for deployment outside of Canada with Canadian Forces, though not necessarily in a theater of operations, to provide direct support, on a full-time basis, to operations in the presence of an armed enemy.
The Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal is a service medal of the United States Air Force established on 27 May 2014. The medal recognizes service by personnel in various career fields who have served in units involved with national strategic nuclear deterrence operations. Officer and enlisted personnel in the Active, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard communities are eligible for this medal. Eligible service is retroactive from 26 December 1991.
The Air Force Special Duty Ribbon is a ribbon that is only awarded by the United States Air Force. Established 4 September 2014 by the Secretary of the Air Force,