Good Conduct Medal (United States)

Good Conduct Medal
Good Conduct medals
Awarded by United States Armed Forces
Type	Service medal
Eligibility	Enlisted Persons
Awarded for	Exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity in active Federal Military service.
Status	Army—Current Navy—Current Marine Corps—Current Air Force—Current Coast Guard—Current
Statistics
Established	, 28 June 1941 (as amended by , 31 March 1943 and , 10 April 1953).
Precedence
Next (higher)	Army, Navy, Marine Corps – Prisoner of War Medal Air Force – Combat Readiness Medal
Next (lower)	Reserve Good Conduct Medal
Good Conduct Medals ribbons: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard

The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Navy's variant of the Good Conduct Medal was established in 1869, the Marine Corps version in 1896, the Coast Guard version in 1923, the Army version in 1941, and the Air Force version in 1963; the Air Force Good Conduct Medal was discontinued from February 2006 to February 2009.

The criteria for a Good Conduct Medal is defined by Executive Orders 8809, 9323, and 10444. The medal is awarded to any active-duty enlisted member of the United States military who completes three consecutive years of "honorable and faithful service". Such service implies that a standard enlistment was completed without any non-judicial punishment, disciplinary infractions, or court martial offenses. If a service member commits an offense, the three-year mark "resets" and a service member must perform an additional three years of service without having to be disciplined, before the Good Conduct may be authorized.

During times of war, the Good Conduct Medal may be awarded for one year of faithful service. The Good Conduct Medal may also be awarded posthumously, to any service member killed in the line of duty.

Service for the Good Conduct Medal must be performed on active duty; it is not awarded to enlisted members of the military reserve or National Guard for reserve duty (though reservists are eligible if they complete sufficient active service). The various services have established separate Reserve Good Conduct Medals, albeit under various names, as a comparable award available to enlisted Reserve and National Guard members who satisfactorily perform annual training, drill duty and any additional active duty of less than 3 consecutive years duration. The exception is the Navy Reserve which discontinued the award as of 1 January 2014. Navy Reservists now earn time towards the Navy Good Conduct medal, and any time previously earned towards an unawarded Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal is automatically carried over to the Navy Good Conduct Medal.