View source for Navy Unit Commendation

{{Short description|US Navy award}}
{{Refimprove|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox military award
|name=Navy Unit Commendation
|image=[[File:U.S. Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|116px|border|alt=The Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon]]
|caption=The Navy Unit Commendation ribbon
|presenter=the [[United States Department of the Navy|Department of the Navy]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://awards.navy.mil/awards/webdoc01.nsf/(vwDocsByID)/DL060927142728/$file/1650.1H.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918020113/https://awards.navy.mil/awards/webdoc01.nsf/(vwDocsByID)/DL060927142728/$file/1650.1H.pdf |archive-date=2010-09-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|type=[[Service ribbon]] (decoration)
|eligibility= U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard units; and friendly foreign armed forces units serving with the U.S. Armed Forces 
|awarded_for=Outstanding heroism in action against the enemy or extremely meritorious service (non-combat) in support of military operations.
|status=Currently awarded
|established=December 1944 
|firstawarded=
|lastawarded=Ongoing
|total_awarded=
|total_awarded_posthumously=
|total_recipients=
|higher=[[Joint Meritorious Unit Award]]
|same=Army: [[Valorous Unit Award]] <br/> Air and Space Forces: [[Gallant Unit Citation]] <br/> Coast Guard: [[Coast Guard Unit Commendation]] <br/> Department of Transportation: [[Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award]]
|lower=[[Meritorious Unit Commendation]]
|image2= [[File:Navy Unit Commendation streamer.svg|300px]]<br />Streamer
}}
[[File:1st_Marine_Expeditionary_Force_(I_MEF)_Navy_Unit_Commendation_Citation_2004-2005_Iraq.jpg|thumb|upright|An official Navy Unit Commendation, 2004-2005]]
The '''Navy Unit Commendation''' ('''NUC''') is a [[United States Navy]] and [[United States Coast Guard]] unit award that was established by order of the [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]] [[James Forrestal]] on 18 December 1944.

==History==
[[United States Navy|Navy]] and [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]] commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Corps unit for the NUC that has distinguished itself by outstanding heroism in action against the enemy, but not sufficient to justify the award of the [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]]. A unit must have performed service of a character comparable to that which would merit the award of a [[Silver Star Medal]] for heroism, or a [[Legion of Merit]] for non-combat meritorious service to an individual. Normal performance of duty or participation in many combat missions does not, in itself, justify the award. An award will not be made to a unit for actions of one or more of its component parts, unless the unit performed uniformly as a team, in a manner justifying collective recognition.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/SecNavInst%201650.1H.pdf|title=SECNAVINST 1650.1H, Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual|date=22 August 2006|pages=8–9|website=Marines.mil|access-date=28 September 2018|archive-date=26 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626124804/http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/SecNavInst%201650.1H.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[U.S. Army]], [[U.S. Air Force]], [[U.S. Space Force]], and [[United States Coast Guard|U.S Coast Guard]] units are also eligible to be awarded the NUC as long as they are directly attached or assigned to U.S. Navy or Marine Corps units during the time period or event for which the award is given. U.S. Army members of units awarded the NUC wear the Navy Unit Commendation ribbon on the right side of the uniform jacket rather than left side along with any other unit award emblems which are authorized for wear. The NUC may be conferred upon the armed forces of friendly foreign nations serving with the U.S. Armed Forces, provided such units meet the standards established for Navy and Marine Corps units.<ref name="auto"/>

Additional awards of the Navy Unit Commendation are denoted by [[Service star|{{frac|3|16}} inch bronze stars]].

==See also==

*[[Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces|Military awards of the United States Armed Forces]]
*[[Military awards of the United States Department of the Navy]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{US navy department decorations}}

[[Category:Awards and decorations of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard]]
[[Category:1944 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1944]]