Oak leaf cluster: Difference between revisions

|image=[[File:Oak_leaf_cluster,_bronzeBronze oak leaf-3d.svg|150px]][[File:OakleafSilver_oakleaf-silver3d.svg|150px]]

|awarded_bypresenter=the <br>[[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]]<br>[[Department of the Army]]<br>[[Department of the Air Force]]

|forawarded_for= To denote subsequentpreceding decorations and awards.<ref>DoD Awards Manual, 1348.33 V3</ref>

An '''oak leaf cluster''' is a [[United States military award devices|ribbon device]] to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. thatIt is authorized by the [[United States Armed Forces]] as a [[United States military award devices|ribbon device]] for a specific set of decorations and awards of the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]], [[Department of the Army]], and [[United States Department of the Air Force|Department of the Air Force]] to denote subsequent decorations and awards.<ref>DoD Awards Manual 1348.33, V3, P. 16 (2) bottom, Nov. 23, November 2010</ref>

The bronze oak leaf cluster represents one additional award, while the silver oak leaf cluster is worn in lieu of five bronze oak leaf clusters.<ref name="Army670AR 670-1">[http{{cite web|url=https://www.apdarmypubs.army.mil/pdffilesepubs/r670_1DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30302-AR_670-1-000-WEB-1.pdf |title=Army Regulation 670-1] {{webarchive |urldate=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105170903/http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r670_1.pdf 2021-01-26|access-date=5 November 2015 2022-12-17}}</ref>

Oak leaf clusters are worn with the stems of the leaves pointing to the wearer’swearer's right. For medals, {{fractconvert|13|/32|in|mm|adj=on}} inch oak leaf clusters are worn on the medal's suspension ribbon.<ref name="DA IfPAM four670-1">{{cite oakweb|url=https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30948-PAM_670-1-000-WEB-1.pdf|title=Guide leaf clusters are worn onto the suspensionWear ribbon,and theAppearance fourthof isArmy placedUniforms aboveand the middle one in the row of three.<ref nameInsignia|date="Army6702021-01-1" 26|access-date=2022-12-17}}</ref> For [[service ribbon]]s, {{fractconvert|5/16|16in|mm|adj=on}} inch oak leaf clusters are worn, with no more than four oak leaf clusters being worn side by side.<ref name="Army670DA PAM 670-1" /><ref name=DoDM1348.33-V3>{{cite web |title=DoDM 1348.33-V3, November 23, 2010 |url=http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134833vol3.pdf |accessdateaccess-date=2012-04-18 April 2012 |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/6DuEDoN9w?url=web/20130226205442/http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134833vol3.pdf |archivedatearchive-date=24 January 2013 |df= -02-26}}</ref> If the number of authorized oak leaf clusters exceeds four, a second ribbon is authorized for wear and is worn after the first ribbon.<ref name="Army670AR 670-1" /> The second ribbon counts as one additional award, after which more leaf clusters may be added to the second ribbon. If future awards reduce the number of oak leaf clusters worn on the first ribbon due to bronze oak leaf clusters being replaced by a silver oak leaf cluster, the second ribbon is removed and the appropriate number of devices is placed on the first ribbon.<ref name="Army670AR 670-1" />

Oak leaf clusters may be worn on [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]], [[Department of the Army]], and [[Department of the Air Force]] decorations and awards presented to members of the seveneight [[Uniformed Services of the United States|uniformed services]]: the Army, [[United States Navy|Navy]], [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], Air Force, [[United States Space Force|Space Force]], [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]], [[United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps|Public Health Service]], and the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps|NOAA Commissioned Corps]].

! Army personnel<ref name="Army600-8-22">[{{cite web|url=http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r600_8_22.pdf |title=Army Regulation 600-8-22] {{webarchive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722181345/http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r600_8_22.pdf |archive-date=22 July 2011 -07-22}}</ref> !! Air Force and Space Force personnel<ref>{{cite nameweb |url="AirForce">[httphttps://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36dafi36-2803/afi36dafi36-2803.pdf |title=Department of the Air Force Instruction 36-2803] |date=2022-05-03|access-date=2022-12-17}}</ref> !! Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, PHS, and NOAA personnel<ref name="NavyMarines">[{{Cite web |url=https://awards.navy.mil/awards/webdoc01.nsf/7F58DF7CC7E11070852571F60065650B/$File/1650.1h.pdf |title=SECNAVINST 1650.1H] |access-date=2012-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515033028/https://awards.navy.mil/awards/webdoc01.nsf/7F58DF7CC7E11070852571F60065650B/$File/1650.1H.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="CoastGuard">[http://www.uscg.mil/directives/cim/1000-1999/CIM_1650_25D.pdf Coast Guard Commandant Instruction 1650.25D]</ref><ref name=CC26.3.3>{{cite web|title=Commissioned Corps Instruction CC26.3.3 Wear of Ribbons and Medals|url=http://dcp.psc.gov/eccis/documents/ccpm26_3_3.pdf|work=[http://dcp.psc.gov Commissioned Corps Management Information System website]|publisher=United States Public Health Service|accessdateaccess-date=1 July 2012-07-01|page=12|format=pdf|date=28 August 2008-08-28|deadurlurl-status=yesdead|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915073658/http://dcp.psc.gov/eccis/documents/CCPM26_3_3.pdf|archivedatearchive-date=15 September 2012|df=dmy-all09-15}}</ref><ref name=Ch12pt6>{{cite web |title=NOAA Corps Directives, Chapter 12 PART 6 -– Insignia, Medals, and Ribbon Bars |url=http://www.corpscpc.noaa.gov/procedures/corps_directives/chapter_12/ncd_ch12part6.pdf |work=[http://www.corpscpc.noaa.gov/ Commissioned Corps Personnel Center] |accessdateaccess-date=1 July 2012-07-01}}</ref>

| [[Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal]] || [[AirCombat Force Good ConductReadiness Medal]] ||

| || [[Air Force LongevityGood ServiceConduct AwardMedal]] and [[Space Force Good Conduct Medal]]||

| || [[OverseasAir Serviceand Ribbon#AirSpace Force|OverseasLongevity Service RibbonAward]] (''long and short tours'') ||

| [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]] || Presidential Unit Citation ||

| [[Superior Unit Award]] || [[Air Forceand Space Outstanding Unit Award|Outstanding Unit Award]] ||

| || [[Organizational Excellence Award]] ||

| || [[Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon|Air Force NCO PME Graduate Ribbon]] ||

| || [[Air Forceand Space Training Ribbon]] ||

Except for the [[Air Medal]], unique decorations and awards issued by Department of the Army or Department of the Air Force, and those decorations and awards issued by the Department of Defense, the other uniformed services use [[5/16 inch star|{{frac|5|16}} inch star]]s to indicate subsequent personal decorations only; a gold {{frac|5/|16}} inch star is equivalent to a bronze oak leaf cluster, while a silver {{frac|5/|16}} inch star is equivalent to a silver oak leaf cluster.<ref>DoD Awards Manual 1348.33, V3, P. 50 "AM" (P. 51 Table 1, Key 1., 2., 11., 13.), 23 November 23, 2010</ref> While the Air Force uses oak leaf clusters for the Air Medal, since the Vietnam War, the Army has used {{convert|3/16 inch|in|mm|adj=on}} bronze [[Arabic numeral]]s to denote subsequent awards, in which case the ribbon denotes the first award and numerals starting with the numeral "2" denote additional awards.<ref>DoD Awards Manual, V3, P. 55&56 (1), (2), 23 November 23, 2010</ref>

In other nations, oak leaf clusters are also used as symbols for various awards and decorations. In Germany, the German oak is the national tree of Germany, thus oak leaves are a prominent symbol on most German military orders. During [[World War II]], the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross|Knight's Cross]] of the German [[Iron Cross]] 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. After World War II, Iron Crosses awarded previously could be worn by the recipient provided the [[swastika]] was replaced by oak leaves. The [[Bundeswehr]] awards the [[Bundeswehr Cross of Honour for Valour|Cross of Honour for Bravery]] for extraordinary bravery. The Cross of Honour for Bravery differs from the Badge of Honour by an adornment in the shape of stylized double oak leaves.<ref name="BMVg 13 August 2008">{{cite web |url=http://www.bundeswehr.de/fileserving/PortalFiles/C1256EF40036B05B/W27KACAR767INFODE/Stiftungserlass.pdf?yw_repository=youatweb |title=Stiftungserlass des BMVg vom 13. August 2008 |language=de |publisher=Bundeswehr.de |access-date= |accessdate=2011-10-26}}</ref> Furthermore, it was featured on the [[Pfennig]] in Germany and since the introduction of the [[euro]] in 2001 it is used on the obverse side of the [[German euro coins|German euro coinage]]. In earlier times, the [[Pour le Mérite]], the highest military order in the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], could also be awarded with oak leaves. A civil version of the order, for accomplishments in the arts and sciences, still exists in the [[Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]].

*[[Service star|Service, battle, or campaign star]]

[[Category:Devices and accouterments of United States military awardsaward devices]]

[[Category:USMilitary militaryribbons ribbonof symbolismthe United States]]