Meritorious Unit Commendation | |
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Army Meritorious Unit Commendation Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation |
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Awarded by the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard | |
Type | Service Ribbon (unit decoration) |
Eligibility | Military Unit |
Awarded for | Valorous or meritorious achievement or service, or exceptionally meritorious conduct and outstanding achievement or service, in combat or non-combat. |
Status | Currently awarded |
Statistics | |
First awarded | 1944 |
Last awarded | On going |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | DoD - Joint Meritorious Unit Award Army - Valorous Unit Award Navy - Navy Unit Commendation Coast Guard - Coast Guard Unit Commendation |
Equivalent | Air Force - Air Force Meritorious Unit Award |
Next (lower) | Army - Superior Unit Award Navy - Navy "E" Ribbon Coast Guard - Meritorious Team Commendation |
Streamers: Army MUC, Navy MUC, and Coast Guard MUC |
The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced muck) is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or service in combat or non-combat, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps award units the Navy MUC for valorous or meritorious achievement or service in combat or non-combat, and the U.S. Coast Guard awards units the Coast Guard MUC for valorous or meritorious achievement or service not involving combat.
The Army MUC emblem worn to represent award of the MUC is 1 7⁄16 inches wide and 9⁄16 inches in height. The emblem consists of a 1⁄16 inch wide gold frame with laurel leaves which encloses a scarlet 67111 ribbon. The previously authorized emblem was a gold color embroidered laurel wreath, 1 5⁄8 inches in diameter on a 2 inches square of olive drab cloth.
The Army MUC (previously called the Meritorious Service Unit Plaque) is awarded to units for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services for at least six continuous months during the period of military operations against an armed enemy occurring on or after 1 January 1944. Service in a combat zone is not required, but must be directly related to the combat effort. Units based in CONUS are excluded from this award, as are other units outside the area of operation. The unit must display such outstanding devotion and superior performance of exceptionally difficult tasks as to set it apart and above other units with similar missions. The degree of achievement required is the same as that which would warrant award of the Legion of Merit (LOM) to an individual. Recommendations for units larger than a brigade will not be submitted. For services performed during World War II, awards will be made only to service units and only for services performed between 1 January 1944 and 15 September 1946.
Effective 1 March 1961, the MUC was authorized for units or detachments of the Armed Forces of the United States for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services for at least six continuous months (a month is considered 30 calendar days) during military operations against an armed enemy without regard to duties performed or the type of unit performing the duties. Such service is interpreted to relate to combat service support type activities and not to the type of activities performed by senior headquarters, combat, or combat support units.