Good Conduct Medals of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space 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 temporarily discontinued from February 2006 to February 2009, followed by its subsequent reinstatement. The Space Force Good Conduct Medal was approved in 2022.

Officially, the Army Good Conduct Medal is awarded for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity in active Federal Military service. It is awarded on a selective basis to each soldier who distinguishes himself/herself from among his/her fellow soldiers by their exemplary conduct, efficiency, and fidelity throughout a specified period of continuous enlisted active Federal military service. Qualifying periods of service include each three years completed after 27 August 1940 or, for first award only, upon completion of at least one year upon termination of service if separated prior to three years.
On 1 January 2014, the Navy discontinued the Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal, Since that date, all Navy enlisted personnel have received the Navy Good Conduct Medal, whether in a full-time active duty or a part-time drilling reserve status.
The Navy Good Conduct Medal is the oldest Good Conduct Medal, dating back to 26 April 1869. There have been a total of four versions of the Navy Good Conduct Medal, the first version of which was issued from 1870 to 1884.
The current Navy Good Conduct Medal is issued to every active duty enlisted sailor who completes three years of honorable and faithful service since 1 January 1996. For prior awards between 1 November 1963 and 1 January 1996, four years of service were required.

The Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal was established on 20 July 1896. The medal was originally a ribbon and medal suspended from a clasp bearing the words "U.S. Marine Corps". The clasp was eliminated after 1935.
Prior to 10 December 1945, four years of honorable creditable enlisted service was required for award of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal. After 10 December 1945, the required period of service was reduced to three years. Since that latter date, members of the Marine Corps must have three consecutive years of honorable and faithful service in order to be eligible for the medal.
The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal (CGGCM) was authorized by the Commandant of the Coast Guard on 18 May 1921, but not designed until 1923 and originally used enlistment bars as attachments, in the same manner as the Marine Corps and Navy Good Conduct Medals. In 1966, the Coast Guard began using bronze and silver 3/16-inch service stars to denote additional awards of the Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal.. Starting on 1 July 1983, the service requirement was reduced to three years.
The Air Force Good Conduct Medal was authorized by Congress on 6 July 1960, but not created until 1 June 1963. Air Force personnel were issued the Army Good Conduct Medal between 1947 and 1963 and for those serving both before and after 1963, the Army and Air Force Good Conduct Medals could be worn simultaneously on an Air Force uniform.
The Air Force version is the same as the Army version, except that the suspension and service ribbons for the medals are different for each medal.
The Space Force has a Good Conduct Medal design approved in Oct. 2022 and generally follows all USAF criteria.

[Stuff]

Current Guardian of the Space Force. Honestly, I didn't even know we had a good conduct medal. Hopefully when I complete another two years of service without incident I'll be able to wear the Space Force Good Conduct Medal next to my Air Force one.

[LibertyBellA]

Very neat video.

Both of my grandfathers were proud recipients of the army good conduct medal. My first grandfather was awarded his in 1943 while serving in the Army Air Force. My second grandfather got his in January 1966. Proud to display it in their shadowboxes!

[JulianKlimczyk]

The Select Marine Corps reserve medal is actually awarded for 3 years of service instead of 4 as of Jan 1, 1996.

[richardsnow]

Thanking you Colonel very informative as usual

[Pluvofor]

Are there 2 different types or oak leaf clusters? I don't mean in terms of silver vs bronze, but rather the slim ones vs the more rounded versions such as the one pictured at 3:22 for the army reserve good conduct medal. Maybe the more rounded oak leaves are an older version?

[johnjulie]

On the 1st. Navy 🏅 you said USA but the 🥇 shows USN.

[ronaldjohnson]

The Army and Air Force use the same medal with different a ribbon hanger.

[Deimos_X]

If you got the good conduct medal in the Army but then join the marines do you get to keep the medal and possibly get the marine version on top of having the army one?

[les]

I know the Army awards the Good Conduct Medal for combat service and did so in WW2. Did the Navy award their Good Conduct Medal for the same in WW2? My Grandfathers were both in the Navy during WW2 and I want to make them shadow boxes for their service.