Senior Member Ribbons

Air Force Organizational Excellence Award:

Senior members (including fifty-year and life members), and cadet members, with active membership for at least one day during the award period (1 Oct 2012 to 31 Aug 2016).

Silver Medal of Valor:

Distinguished and conspicuous heroic action, at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of normal duty.

Bronze Medal of Valor:

Distinguished and conspicuous heroic action where danger to self is probable and known.

Distinguished Service Award:

Conspicuous performance of outstanding service in a duty of great responsibility where the position held and results obtained reflect upon the accomplishments and prestige of CAP on a national scale. Recognition should be for an extremely difficult duty of marked national significance which is performed in a clearly outstanding manner or service which clearly aided CAP in furthering national polices.

Exceptional Service Award:

Exceptionally outstanding service to CAP in a duty of great responsibility while serving in any capacity with CAP. However, the duty should carry the ultimate responsibility for the successful operation of a region, wing or major project within the region or wing. The discharge of such duty must involve the acceptance and fulfillment of the obligation so as to greatly benefit the wing or region and CAP.

Meritorious Service Award:

Outstanding achievement or meritorious service rendered specifically on behalf of CAP. Superior performance of normal duties does not, in itself, constitute automatic justification for the Meritorious Service Award. Awards should be restricted to the recognition of achievements and services which are clearly outstanding and unmistakably exceptional when compared to similar achievements and accomplishments of personnel of like rank and responsibilities.

Commander’s Commendation Award:

Outstanding duty performance where achievements and services are clearly and unmistakably exceptional when compared to similar achievements and service of members of like rank and responsibility.  A bronze star is added to the ribbon when the award is authorized by the region commander.  A silver star is added to the ribbon when the award is authorized by the National Commander.

CAP Achievement Award

Presented for outstanding service to the unit, group or wing. This award may be approved by the group commander.

Certificate of Recognition for Lifesaving:

Awarded to members who save a human life, but do not meet the criteria for the Bronze or Silver Medal of Valor. Members who are credited with a save as a result of participation in a blood or organ transport mission will be awarded the basic ribbon. A silver star will be attached to the ribbon in recognition of lifesaving actions other than blood or organ transport.

National Commander’s Unit Citation Award:

The National Commander’s Unit Citation Award is awarded only at the discretion of the National Commander to units providing services or achievements above and beyond those normally recognized by a Unit Citation Award.

Unit Citation Award:

Awarded for exceptionally meritorious service or exceptionally outstanding achievement which clearly sets the unit above and apart from similar units.

Gill Rob Wilson Award:

Successfully complete Level V training requirements. A bronze star will be added to denote completion of Squadron Officer School. A silver star will be added to denote completion of Air Command and Staff College. A gold star will be added to denote completion of Air War College.

Paul E. Garber Award:

Successfully complete Level IV training requirements. A bronze star will be added to denote completion of Squadron Officer School, a silver star will be added for completion of Air Command and Staff College and, a gold star will be added for completion of Air War College.

Grover Loening Aerospace Award:

Successfully complete Level III training requirements.

Leadership Award:

Successfully complete technician rating in a training specialty.  Bronze Star Attachment – Successfully complete senior rating in a training specialty.  Silver Star Attachment – Successfully complete master rating in a training specialty.

Membership Award:

Successfully complete Level I CAP Orientation Course.

Scott Crossfield Award:

Awarded by National Headquarters to members who have earned the master level rating in the aerospace education specialty track and served as aerospace education officer.

Brigadier General Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager Aerospace Education Achievement Award:

Awarded for successful completion of the Yeager test portion of the Aerospace Education Program for Senior Members (AEPSM).

Command Service Ribbon:

Awarded to senior members who have served at least 1 year continuous service as commander—squadron, group, wing, etc. The basic ribbon is awarded for service as a squadron commander. A bronze star is added to denote service as group commander, a silver star for wing commander, and a gold star for region commander service. Two gold stars will be used to denote service as National Commander.

Crisis Service Ribbon:

Awarded for service during a time when the entire organization was under significant stress responding to a length, nation-wide emergency.  The National Commander will determine when to grant this award and the period of service involved.

Red Service Ribbon:

Awarded at the end of 2 years of service in good standing.

Find Ribbon:

Awarded by the wing commander (or a subordinate commander if authority is delegated by the wing commander) to any CAP member of the wing making a find (distress or non-distress) on a search and rescue mission. A bronze propeller may be attached for aircrew members.

Search and Rescue Ribbon:

Participate in at least 10 search and rescue sorties. Aircrew members may attach a bronze propeller to the ribbon.

Counterdrug Award:

Awarded to senior members for participation in 10 counterdrug sorties.

Disaster Relief Ribbon:

Awarded for participation in five actual/evaluated disaster relief missions and completion of two of the following requirements:

1. All of the following Red Cross Courses: Introduction to Dissaster Services, Disaster Damage Assessment, and Shelter Management.

2. The Red Cross course, Damage Assessment Supervision in Disaster.

3. The Red Cross course, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation and Advanced First Aid.

4. Radiological Monitoring for Instructors.

5. Radiological Defense Officer Course.

6. Airborne Radiological Monitoring Course.

7. Participation in other equivalent disaster relief activities totaling at least 40 hours of activity certified by disaster relief agency. This could include any training similar to the above courses and/or actual mission activity (in addition to the five required missions).

The Disaster Relief Ribbon with a silver “V” device may be awarded to any CAP member who participates in a disaster relief effort for a Presidential declared disaster.  The ribbon may be awarded regardless of completion of requirements above.

Homeland Security Ribbon:

Awarded for participation in ten actual Homeland Security sorties as defined by the tasking organization as being in the interest of the security and/or defense of the nation.

Cadet Orientation Pilot Ribbon:

Awarded to members who provide 50 cadet orientation flights.

Comunity Service Ribbon:

Awarded to members who complete 60 hours of community service outside of Civil Air Patrol.

International Air Cadet Exchange Ribbon:

Awarded to cadets and senior member escorts participating in the International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) outside the continental limits of the United States.

National Cadet Competition Ribbon:

Awarded for participation in the National Cadet Drill Competition. The basic ribbon will be worn by cadets who are the winner of the wing competition and/or cadets selected to represent the wing at a region competition. A bronze star will be affixed for the winners of the region competition, and a silver star will be worn by the sweepstakes winners of the national competition.  Senior Members who earned this ribbon as a cadet may continue to wear the ribbon.  The ribbon may also be awarded to a maximum of six senior members per team, who were responsible for escorting, chaperoning and training their respective teams at the wing, region and national level competitions.

National Color Guard Competition Ribbon:

Awarded for participation in the National Color Guard Competition. The basic ribbon will be worn by cadets who are the winner of the wing competition and/or cadets selected to represent the wing at a region competition. A bronze star will be affixed for the winners of the region competition, and a silver star will be worn by the sweepstakes winner of the national competition.  Senior Members who earned this ribbon as a cadet may continue to wear the ribbon.  The ribbon may also be awarded to a maximum of three senior members per team, who were responsible for escorting, chaperoning and training their respective teams at the wing, region and national level competitions.

Cadet Advisory Council Ribbon:

Awarded to all primary members of each cadet advisory council. Group level CAC will wear basic ribbon, bronze star at wing level, silver star at region level, and gold star at national level.  Senior members who served as CAC members during their cadet tenure may continue to wear the ribbon.

National Cadet Special Activities Ribbon:

Awarded to cadets and senior members who participate in national cadet special activities.  Cadets earning this ribbon may continue to wear the ribbon as a senior member.

Encampment Ribbon:

Awarded to cadets for satisfactory completion of an encampment and to senior members for service as a member of an encampment staff.

Senior Recruiter Ribbon:

Awarded to senior members who recruit seven new qualified cadets or senior members for CAP.