Oak leaf cluster - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Not to be confused with the insignia of a Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...

or Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...

An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force

Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...

awards and decorations (and those of some other nations) 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. In British and commonwealth forces a medal bar

Medal bar

A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...

is used for the same purpose.

Configurations

A bronze oak leaf cluster is worn to denote award of the second and subsequent awards of the same decoration. A silver oak leaf cluster is worn instead of five bronze oak leaf clusters.

Both oak leaf clusters, regardless of medal material, come in two sizes: 0.41 inch (1.03 cm) long for the full size suspension ribbon, and 0.31 inch (0.79 cm) long for the service ribbon bar. The design for each size and material is the same, a twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem

The 0.31 inch (0.79 cm) oak leaf clusters joined together in series of 2, 3, and 4 clusters (sometimes referred to as "single constructed") are authorized for optional purchase and wear of service ribbons and unit award emblems.

Awards

While the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps award service star

Service star

A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service...

s for subsequent awards, all services wear the oak leaf cluster for subsequent awards of the following Department of Defense and joint service awards:

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States...
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."...
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is the third-highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense...
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award 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...

Oak leaf clusters are not issued for the Legion of Merit

Legion of Merit

The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

awarded in degrees to foreign nationals.

Gold oak leaf cluster

The United States military issues only bronze and silver oak leaf clusters. Gold oak leaf clusters were briefly considered as a device for the Air Medal

Air Medal

The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...

, but this was not adopted by any of the services.

Commonwealth of Nations

In Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...

countries, a bronze oak leaf signifies a Mention in Despatches, and is worn as a gallantry award in its own right, rather than to signify multiple instances of campaign service. The Commonwealth equivalent of US oak leaves is a bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...

worn with a campaign medal.

Germany

The German oak is the national tree of Germany, thus oak leaves are a prominent symbol on most German military orders.

Kingdom of Prussia

The Pour le Mérite

Pour le Mérite

The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....

, the highest military order in the Kingdom of Prussia, could be awarded with oak leaves.
A civil version of the order, for accomplishments in the arts and sciences, still exists in the Federal Republic of Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Third Reich

In World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the Knight's Cross

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...

of the German Iron Cross

Iron Cross

The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....

could be awarded with the additional distinction of oak leaves (mit Eichenlaub). Of the 7,313 awards of the Knight's Cross, only 882 received oak leaves.

Federal Republic of Germany

Iron Crosses rewarded in WWII could be worn by the recipient if the swastika was replaced by oak leaves.
The Bundeswehr

Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...

awards the Cross of Honour for Bravery

Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr

The Badge of Honour of the German Armed Forces is a series of military decorations of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany...

for extraordinary bravery. The Cross of Honour for Bravery differs from the Badge of Honour by an andornment in the shape of stylized double oak leaves.

Further it was featured on the Pfennig

Pfennig

The Pfennig , plural Pfennige, is an old German coin or note, which existed from the 9th century until the introduction of the euro in 2002....

in Germany and since the introduction of the Euro

Euro

The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

in 2001 it is used on the obverse side of the German euro coinage

German euro coins

German euro coins have three separate designs for the three series of coins. The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins were designed by Rolf Lederbogen, the design for the 10, 20 and 50 cent coins is by Reinhard Heinsdorff and the 1 and 2 euro coins were done by Heinz Hoyer and Sneschana Russewa-Hoyer...

Configurations

Awards

Gold oak leaf cluster

Commonwealth of Nations

Germany

Kingdom of Prussia

Third Reich

Federal Republic of Germany

See also