Personal Decorations
Coast Guard Achievement Medal


Description

Obverse:  The Coast Guard Achievement Medal is a bronze medallion, 1-1/4 inches in diameter.  In its center is the Coast Guard seal surrounded by a laurel wreath.  The laurel wreath is, in turn, surrounded by a continuous cable.  The Coast Guard seal signifies that this is a Coast Guard decoration; the laurel wreath represents achievement, and the continuous cable refers to both naval service and the ideal of perfection.

Reverse:  At the top of the medal, in two lines, the words AWARDED TO; at the bottom of the medal, also in two lines, the words FOR ACHIEVEMENT.  Directly above the word For is a raised bar, above which the recipients name may be engraved.


Ribbon
The ribbon consists of a field of Irish green with one 3/32-inch white stripe in the center and a 13/64-inch orange stripe situated inside each edge of the ribbon.  The ribbon to the Coast Guard Achievement Medal is identical to that of the Navy Achievement Medal except that a white pinstripe has been added to the center of the ribbon.

Criteria
See COMDTINST M1650.25D (Medals and Awards Manual).

Background
The Coast Guard Achievement Medal was established on January 29, 1964, by Secretary of the Treasury Douglas Dillon. The award was initially established as the Coast Guard Commendation for Achievement Ribbon and was redesignated as the Coast Guard Achievement Medal on June 11, 1968.





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