Distinguished Service Medal - Air Force

The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal was authorized by Congress on July 6, 1960. It evolved from the Army Distinguished Service Medal authorized in 1918. The medal is awarded for exceptionally meritorious service tot he U.S. in a duty of great responsibility; the term “great responsibility” denotes the success of a major operation or program attributed to the proper exercise of authority and judgement. This is the highest peacetime Air Force decoration awarded. It is presented to all recipients who are awarded this decoration on or after November 1, 1965; AAF and USAF personnel who were awarded this decoration prior tot his date received the Army version.
Major General Osmond J. Ritland, Air Force Systems Command, was the first recipient of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal on November 30, 1965 for his efforts as Deputy Commander for Manned Space Flight. Subsequent awards are denoted by the attachment of an oak leaf cluster to the medal and ribbon.

The obverse design has a sunburst of thirteen gold rays separated by thirteen white enameled stars, with a semiprecious blue stone in the center. The reverse of the medal is plain and suitable for engraving. The star is suspended from the ribbon by a wide slotted bar which consists of stylized wings symbolic of the Air Force.
The ribbon has a wide center stripe of white flanked on either side by a thin stripe of old gold, a wide stripe of ultramarine blue and a narrow stripe of old gold at the edges. The blue stone in the center represents the vault of the heavens; the thirteen stars represent the original colonies and man's chain of achievements. The sunburst represents the glory that accompanies great achievements, and the rays depict man's quest for light and knowledge.

The "C" device was established to distinguish an award earned for exceptionally meritorious service or achievement performed under combat conditions on or after Jan. 7, 2016 (this is not retroactive prior to this date).

The device is only authorized if the service or achievement was performed while the service member was personally exposed to hostile action or under significant risk of hostile action:
- While engaged in action against an enemy of the United States
- While engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
- While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party