Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Encyclopedia
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA) is a military award that was established on June 4, 1981 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger
and was implemented by Department of Defense
Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982. The Joint Meritorious Unit Award was made retroactive to January 23, 1979.
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is the only ribbon award granted by the Department of Defense
and is the organizational equivalent of the Defense Superior Service Medal
. It is awarded to joint units or activities where the joint activity must either report through Unified, Combined, or Specified Command channels or pursue a joint mission under the cognizance of the Secretary of Defense; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the commander of a Unified, Specified or Combined Command that is also a joint command; or the Secretary of a military department that has been designated the Executive Agent for the Secretary of Defense.
The first organization to receive the Joint Meritorious Unit Award was the “Electronic Warfare During Close Air Support Joint Test Force” and was awarded the decoration on September 30, 1982.
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a ribbon, enclosed in a gold frame
. The ribbon is identical to the Defense Superior Service Medal
, indicative of the fact that the service performed would warrant the award of the medal to an individual. Subsequent decorations of the Joint Meritorious Unit Award are annotated with oak leaf cluster
s.
Caspar Weinberger
Caspar Willard "Cap" Weinberger , was an American politician, vice president and general counsel of Bechtel Corporation, and Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from January 21, 1981, until November 23, 1987, making him the third longest-serving defense secretary to date, after...
and was implemented by Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982. The Joint Meritorious Unit Award was made retroactive to January 23, 1979.
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is the only ribbon award granted by the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
and is the organizational equivalent of the Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
The Defense Superior Service Medal is a senior United States military decoration of the Department of Defense, awarded to members of the United States armed forces who perform "superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility."...
. It is awarded to joint units or activities where the joint activity must either report through Unified, Combined, or Specified Command channels or pursue a joint mission under the cognizance of the Secretary of Defense; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the commander of a Unified, Specified or Combined Command that is also a joint command; or the Secretary of a military department that has been designated the Executive Agent for the Secretary of Defense.
The first organization to receive the Joint Meritorious Unit Award was the “Electronic Warfare During Close Air Support Joint Test Force” and was awarded the decoration on September 30, 1982.
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a ribbon, enclosed in a gold frame
Gold frame
A gold frame is an attachment to a military decoration which is issued by most of the world’s militaries. The gold frame is designed to enclose an award ribbon and is usually a means of distinguishing the ribbon’s special quality or denoting some additional achievement to the award's basic...
. The ribbon is identical to the Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
The Defense Superior Service Medal is a senior United States military decoration of the Department of Defense, awarded to members of the United States armed forces who perform "superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility."...
, indicative of the fact that the service performed would warrant the award of the medal to an individual. Subsequent decorations of the Joint Meritorious Unit Award are annotated with oak leaf cluster
Oak leaf cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
s.