Careers Career Paths Army Achievement Medal Description Share PINTEREST Email Print Career Paths US Military Careers Technology Careers Sports Careers Sales Project Management Professional Writer Music Careers Media Legal Careers Government Careers Finance Careers Fiction Writing Careers Entertainment Careers Criminology Careers Book Publishing Aviation Animal Careers Advertising Learn More By Rod Powers Rod Powers Air Force NCO Academy Rod Powers was a retired Air Force First Sergeant with 22 years of active duty service. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 11/20/19 01 of 04 Description Army Achievement Medal is a Bronze octagonal medal with one angle centered at the top. It is 1 ½ inches in diameter. The face contains a rudimentary Department of the Army (DA) plaque with the date "1775" situated at the bottom. The words "FOR MILITARY ACHIEVEMENT" are written on three lines above a blank space for a name and two slips of laurel on the reverse side. 02 of 04 Ribbon The ribbon for the Army Achievement Medal is 1 3/8 inches wide and has eleven stripes. The first stripe is 1/8 inch of Green, the second is 1/16 inch of White, the third is 1/8 inch of Green and the fourth is 9/32 inch of Ultramarine Blue. The center stripe is center 1/16 inch of White, followed by a stripe of 9/32 inch of Ultramarine Blue, 1/16 inch of White, 1/8 inch of Green, 1/16 inch of White and the last stripe of 1/8 inch of Green. 03 of 04 Criteria The Army Achievement Medal is awarded to any member of the military of the United States, or to any member of the military of a friendly foreign nation, who on or after 1 August 1981, while performing in any way with the Army in a non-combat field, distinguished himself/ herself apart from his/her comrades by meritorious service or achievement of a lesser degree than necessary for award of the Army Commendation Medal . General Officers may not be awarded this award. 04 of 04 Background The Army Cohesion and Stability Study (ARCOST) of 1980 made the suggestion to institute the Army Achievement Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, and the NCO Professional Development Ribbon. The suggested awards were first created by the appeal of the MILPERCEN on 18 February 1981 to TIOH, who made the designs and sent them to MILPERCEN on 18 March 1981. The Secretary of the Army accepted the decorations by the ARCOST group and on 13 April 1981, the DCSPER accepted a design proposed by TIOH and ordered that it be developed.