U.S. Sea Service Ribbons

A Sea Service Ribbon is an award of the United States Navy and U.S. Coast Guard which recognizes those service members who have performed military duty while stationed on a ship at sea. The Navy and Coast Guard each issue a separate version of the Sea Service Ribbon.

Sea Service Deployment Ribbon

The Sea Service Deployment Ribbon is a decoration of the United States Navy which was established in May 1980 and retroactively authorized to August 1974.

The Sea Service Deployment Ribbon is granted to any member of the U.S. Navy or United States Marines who are assigned to a Naval Afloat Command and who perform ninety or more consecutive days of a seaward deployment within a one year period.

After 1999, for those service members stationed on U.S. vessels home-ported in foreign ports (such as Yokosuka, Japan), the Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon is also authorized for one year of foreign duty and may be awarded simultaneously with the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Naval Reserve Sea Service Ribbon

The Naval Reserve Sea Service Ribbon was created in May 1986 and is awarded to any member of the U.S. Naval Reserve who, while serving as a drilling reservist, completes twenty four cumulative months of duty onboard a U.S. Naval Reserve Ship.

The term “Naval Reserve Ship” refers to any self-propelled Naval Reserve ship, boat, or craft operated under the operational control of fleet or type commanders.

The Naval Reserve Sea Service Ribbon is also granted to members of embarked Naval Reserve staffs, provided that at least half of the embarked reserve drills qualified as underway drills.

Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon

The Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon was created in 1984 and is awarded to those members of the Coast Guard who serve more than twelve consecutive months of sea duty onboard a Coast Guard cutter, attached to a Fleet Training Group, or onboard certain other Coast Guard and non- Coast Guard vessels that are under official Coast Guard orders.

Devices

Additional awards of the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Naval Reserve Sea Service Ribbon, and Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon are annoted by bronze service stars on the ribbon. A silver service star is issued for the ribbon's sixth, eleventh, and sixteenth award.

See also

Awards and decorations of the United States military