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.
Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion.
The Médaille militaire is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, after the Legion of Honour, a civil and military order, and the Order of Liberation, a Second World War-only order. The Médaille militaire is therefore the most senior entirely military active French decoration.
The Order of the Dannebrog is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known as White Knights to distinguish them from the Blue Knights who were members of the Order of the Elephant. In 1808, the Order was reformed and divided into four classes. The statute of the Order was amended in 1951 by a Royal Ordinance so that both men and women could be members of the Order. Today, the Order of the Dannebrog is a means of honouring and rewarding the faithful servants of the modern Danish state for meritorious civil or military service, for a particular contribution to the arts, sciences or business life, or for working for Danish interests.
The Order of Glory was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on November 8, 1943. It was awarded to soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the Red Army as well as to aviation junior lieutenants, for bravery in the face of the enemy.
The Nkwe ya Boronse - Bronze Leopard, post-nominal letters NB, is a military decoration for bravery which was instituted in 2003. It is South Africa's third highest military decoration for bravery.
The Star of Military Valour is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest award for military valour, and one of three honours for military valour awarded by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council. Created in 1993, the medal is presented to both living and deceased members of the Canadian Forces deemed to have demonstrated "distinguished and valiant service in the presence of the enemy," and grants recipients the ability to use the post-nominal letters SMV.
The War Cross with Sword is the highest ranking Norwegian gallantry decoration. It is awarded for extraordinary brave actions or extraordinary leadership during combat. A recipient deemed worthy of additional citations will receive up to an additional two swords on the medal ribbon in addition to the "standard" single sword. Additional citations are rare: Gunnar Sønsteby is the only person to have received the War Cross with three swords.
The Grand Cross of Valour was Rhodesia's highest military decoration, awarded for conspicuous valour by members of the Security Forces in combat.
The Decorations of Honour of the Bundeswehr are a series of military decorations of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. These honours and awards were introduced in 1980 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Bundeswehr by then Minister of Defence Hans Apel and subsequently approved by President of the Federal Republic Karl Carstens.
The Louw Wepener Decoration, post-nominal letters LWD, is a military decoration for bravery which was instituted by the Union of South Africa in 1952. It was awarded to members of the South African Defence Force for acts of the most conspicuous courage or greatest heroism. The decoration was discontinued on 1 July 1975, when a new set of decorations and medals was instituted.
The Star of Courage is a decoration that is the second highest award for bravery within the Canadian system of honours, and one of the three Canadian Bravery Decorations awarded by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council. Created in 1972, the medal is presented to both living and deceased individuals deemed to have performed "acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril," and grants recipients the ability to use post-nominal letters; for Anglophones SC, and for Francophones ÉC.
The Cross of Valour is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest award, the highest honour available for Canadian civilians, and the highest of the three Canadian Bravery Decorations. Created in 1972, the medallion is presented to individuals, both Canadians and foreigners, living and deceased, who have performed acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril and grants recipients the ability to use the post-nominal letters CV.
The award system of Denmark, and especially the regulations for who is allowed to wear which medals, is one of great variation. The current honour-system has been created one step at a time since the 16th century. The system consists of royal orders and medals, official/governmental medals and some few private medals that have been approved by the monarch.
The Medal "For Courage" or Medal "For Valour" is a state decoration of the Russian Federation that was retained from the Soviet awards system following the dissolution of the USSR.
The Bundeswehr Cross of Honour for Valour is the highest military decoration of the Bundeswehr. It is the highest class of the Bundeswehr Cross of Honour. The decoration is the first combat valour award presented by Germany since World War II.
The Medal for Defence Service Abroad is a military medal of Norway. Established 1 January 1993, the medal was originally a participant medal awarded for service during military operations that took place in the 1990s. The subsequent establishment of the Medal for Defence Operations Abroad rendered this medal obsolete. However, in 2009 the medal was reintroduced as an achievement medal. The medal was awarded for distinguished bravery and courage, beyond what is normally required during combat operations. The medal's color was changed from bronze to gold, and the ribbons of the medal would vary, depending on the area of operations. During this period of award the medal was always awarded with a rosette. Finally, in 2012 the medal was further changed to a single ribbon design for all awards. The medal may be awarded with rosette for particularly meritorious distinction.
The Chief of the Army Command is the service chief of the Royal Danish Army. The current chief is Major general Gunner Arpe Nielsen.
Major General Hans-Christian Mathiesen is a former Chief of the Royal Danish Army, who was removed from his post following accusations of nepotism. In May 2020 he was found guilty of negligence, abuse of office, and passing on confidential information.
Denmark 