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Updated: 5 April 02
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USMLM's Decorations

USMLM Decorations
Unit awards.  During its 43-year history, USMLM (including the Air Team, which received decorations under its USAF designation) received two Joint Meritorious Unit Awards (JMUA) JMUA, two Army Meritorious Unit Commendations (MUC) Army MUC, and seven Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards (AFOUA) AFOUA. 

Service awards.  All permanent Mission members qualified for the Army of Occupation Medal AOM, provided that they had served for thirty consecutive days in Berlin.  Most also rated the National Defense Service Medal NDSM for one or more of that decoration’s three eligibility periods (see below). Those who served in USMLM between 14 August 1961 and 1 June 1963 (response to the Berlin Wall Crisis) earned the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal AFEM.     Those who directly supported the Berlin Airlift for 120 consecutive days between 26 June 1948 and 30 September 1949 rated the Medal for Humane Action (Berlin Airlift) Medal for Human Action - Berlin Airlift. 

Details on the unit awards follow:
 
Joint Meritorious Unit Awards (JMUA) JMUA:
  1. First Award – 
    Dates of coverage: 1 January 1981 to 31 March 1985
    Authorization: JCS letter J-1PM-0881-86 of 23 June 1986
    Citation: Classified
     
  2. Second Award – 
    Dates of coverage: 1 April 1985 to 1 October 1990
    Authorization: Joint Staff Permanent Order Number J-1SO-0308-90 of 11 October 1990
    Citation: "The United States Military Liaison Mission to the Commander in Chief, Soviet Western Group of Forces, distinguished itself by exceptionally meritorious service from 1 April 1985 to 1 October 1990. During this period, the United States Military Liaison Mission provided liaison between the Commander in Chief, United States Army, Europe, and United States Air Forces, Europe, on behalf of the US Commander in Chief, Europe, and Commander in Chief, Soviet Western Group of Forces in a truly extraordinary manner. Through judicious use of its limited resources, the unit maintained direct contact and provided a means of communication between the respective headquarters. The United States Military Liaison Mission’s outstanding efforts helped preserve the line of dialogue between Allied and Soviet commanders in the acrimonious aftermath of the 1985 shooting of Major Arthur Nicholson, USA and, exploiting its special relationship with the Soviet forces, reduced confrontational issues into discussion items. Through its intermediary role, the United States Military Liaison Mission has had a favorable impact on the relationships between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States. By their exemplary performance of duty, the members of the United States Military Liaison Mission to the Commander in Chief, Soviet Western Group of Forces, have brought great credit to themselves and to the Department of Defense."
Army Meritorious Unit Commendations (MUC) Army MUC:
  1. First Award – 
    Dates of Coverage: 14 June 1971 to 1 August 1976 (Note: In 1978 the Department of the Army extended this award’s end date from 14 December 1972 to the date shown.)
    Authorization: Department of the Army General Order (DAGO) 13, 22 May 1974, as amended by DAGO 4, 1 June 1978.
    Citation: To be determined
     
  2. Second Award – 
    Dates of Coverage: 2 August 1976 to 31 December 1980
    Authorization: DAGO 2, 12 January 1982
    Citation: To be determined
     
  3. Third Award – 
    Dates of Coverage: 1 January 1981 to 31 March 1985
    Authorization: DAG0 14, 8 July 1985 (Note: In accordance with DAGO 45, 1 December 1986, the JMUA approved for the same period superceded this MUC.)
Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards (AFOUA)AFOUA [Note: The Air Team successively held the following internal USAF designations: Detachment 29, 7000th Support Wing; Detachment 16, 7113th Special Activities Group; Detachment 16, 7113th Special Activities Squadron; and 7452nd Special Activities Squadron.]:
  1. First Award – to Det 29, 7000th Support Wing (USAFE)/Det 16, 7113th Special Activities Group (USAFE)
    Dates of Coverage: 1 Jan 1964 to 30 June 1965
    Authorization: Department of the Air Force Special Order GB-317 of 18 November 1965
    Citation: To be determined
     
  2. Second Award – to Det 16, 7113th Special Activities Group (USAFE)
    Dates of Coverage: 15 July 1967 to 15 March 1968
    Authorization: Department of the Air Force Special Order GB-426 of 9 July 1969
    Citation: To be determined
     
  3. Third Award – to Det 16, 7113th Special Activities Group (USAFE)
    Dates of Coverage: 1 March 1970 to 31 October 1971 
    Authorization: Department of the Air Force Special Order GB-68 of 23 January 1973
    Citation: To be determined
     
  4. Fourth Award – to 7113th Special Activities Squadron (USAFE)
    Dates of coverage: 1 January 1976 to 31 December 1977
    Authorization: Department of the Air Force Special Order GB-079 of 26 January 1979
    Citation: To be determined
     
  5. Fifth Award – to 7113th Special Activities Squadron (USAFE)
    Dates of Coverage: 1 January 1978 to 31 December 1978
    Authorization: Department of the Air Force Special Order GB-703 of 30 November 1979
    Citation: To be determined
     
  6. Sixth Award – to 7113th Special Activities Squadron (USAFE)
    Dates of Coverage: 1 January 1979 to 31 December 1979
    Authorization: Department of the Air Force Special Order GB-105 of 25 February 1981
    Citation: To be determined
     
  7. Seventh Award – to 7113th Special Activities Squadron (USAFE)
    Dates of Coverage: 1 January 1980 to 31 December 1980
    Authorization: Department of the Air Force Special Order GB-120 of 23 February 1982
    Citation: To be determined
Army of Occupation MedalAOM:
Dates of Coverage: Berlin – 9 May 1945 to 2 October 1990
Authorization: War Department Circular 102 of 5 April 1946 (dates established later)
Medal for Humane Action (Berlin Airlift)Medal for Human Action - Berlin Airlift:
Dates of Coverage: 26 to 1948 and 30 September 1949
Authorization: (Public Law 178, 81st Congress), 20 July 1949
Criteria: 120 consecutive days of service in, or in direct support of, the Berlin airlift within the following prescribed boundaries: 
(1) Northern Boundary – 54th parallel north latitude 
(2) Eastern Boundary – 14th meridian east longitude 
(3) Southern Boundary – 48th parallel north latitude 
(4) Western Boundary – 5th meridian west longitude
National Defense Service MedalNDSM:
Dates of Coverage:
  1. 27 June 1950 to 27 July 1954
  2. 1 January 1961 to 14 August 1974
  3. 2 August 1990 to 30 November 1995
Authorization: 
  1. Presidential Executive Order 10448 of 22 April 1953
  2. DoD Directive 1348.7 of 1 April 1966
  3. Secretary of Defense Memorandum of 20 February 1991
Armed Forces Expeditionary MedalAFEM:
Dates of Coverage: Berlin – 14 August 1961 to 1 June 1963
Authorization: 
  1. Presidential Executive Order 10977 of 4 December 1961
  2. DoD Directive 1348.33M
Notes:
A silver oak leaf represents five awards.
A bronze oak leaf represents one award.

Click here for instructions on obtaining medals for veterans or next of kin
This page  was made possible thanks to the generous research and contributions of L. G. Kelley.
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