Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award

Unit awardFormerly the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award · AFOUA

For numbered units with exceptionally meritorious service or outstanding achievement.

Check your eligibility and build your ribbon rack

How you get it

You can't apply for this one yourself. Your unit has to have received it, and you have to have been assigned or attached to the unit and present for duty during the cited period.

You qualify if any of these apply

Assigned or attached to, and present for duty with, a numbered unit awarded the Outstanding Unit Award for the cited period

Devices

Valor "V" device: Your unit's award included the V (authorized only from Jan. 11, 1996 to Jan. 1, 2014)

Quick facts

Category: Unit awards
Type: Unit award
Authorized devices: Oak Leaf Cluster
WAPS points: 0
Position in the AFPC listing: 25 of 91 (listed in order of precedence)

Full AFPC fact sheet text

Background

The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award was authorized by Department of the Air Force General Order 1, Jan. 6, 1954.

Criteria

It is awarded by the Secretary of the Air Force to numbered units that have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service or outstanding achievement that clearly sets the unit above and apart from similar units. The services include: performance of exceptionally meritorious service, accomplishment of a specific outstanding achievement of national or international significance, combat operations against an armed enemy of the United States, or military operations involving conflict with or exposure to hostile actions by an opposing foreign force.

Ribbon description

The ribbon has a narrow red stripe, flanked by a thin white stripe, a wide blue stripe, a thin white stripe, edged with a narrow red stripe.

Authorized devices

Oak Leaf Cluster

Source: Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award fact sheet, Air Force's Personnel Center