Combat V
| "V" Device | |
|---|---|
Bronze "V" device
|
|
| Awarded by United States | |
| Type | Ribbon device |
| Awarded for | Heroism in combat |
| Status | In use |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 22 December 1945 |
| First awarded | 1946 or 1947 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (lower) | "C" device |
A "V" device is a metal 1⁄4-inch (6.4 mm) capital letter "V" with serifs, worn on the suspension ribbon of a medal or its corresponding service ribbon, that denotes that the medal was awarded by the United States Armed Forces for valor in combat.
Until 2 February 2017, the criteria for which the "V" device could be awarded differed between the services. The medals with which a "V" device may be authorized continue to differ, as well as the manner in which the device is worn and the name by which the device is referred to. While the Department of Defense, Army, and Air Force have always referred to it as the "V" Device, the Coast Guard refers to it as the Valor Device, and the Navy and Marine Corps refer to it as the Combat Distinguishing Device or Combat "V".
In December 1945, the U.S. Army decided on a "V" device to distinguish a Bronze Star Medal award for valor rather than merit. The "V" was first introduced by War Department Circular 383 on 22 December of that year. Soldiers and airmen who were awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroism in combat, were now authorized to wear a bronze "V" on the service ribbon and suspension ribbon of the medal. The Department of the Navy introduced the "V" as the "Combat Distinguishing Device", and on 15 February 1946, authorized the "V" device to be worn on the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star Medal for services or acts performed in actual combat with the enemy; in February 1947, this was changed to acts or services involving direct participation in combat operations. Most World War II veterans who were entitled to the "V" probably did not know about or apply for the device, since large scale separations from the services were taking place after the war ended. Stocks of the device also were not available for issue for at least a year since the Army circular.
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