The Army Commendation Medal was authorized on December 18, 1945 as a commendation ribbon and awarded to members of the Army for heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service after December 6, 1941. It was meant for award where the Bronze Star Medal was not appropriate, i.e., outside of operational areas.
The Army Commendation Medal, commonly called the ARCOM, is unique as it is the first and only Army medal that started as a ribbon-only award before becoming a medal. After World War II, it became the only award created for the express purpose of peacetime and wartime meritorious service as well as the only award designed expressly for presentation to junior officers and enlisted personnel. In short, the ARCOM became the peacetime version of the Bronze Star Medal to recognize outstanding performance and boost morale. Subsequent to World War II, retroactive awards of the Commendation Ribbon were authorized for any individual who had received a Letter of Commendation from a Major General or higher before January 1, 1946.
Be sure to visit Medals of America for your Army Commendation Medal and to browse our other military medals. We also carry a large selection of Army hats and ball caps, Army dog tags and Army insignia.
