[Title 32 CFR 578.27]
[Code of Federal Regulations (annual edition) - July 1, 2002 Edition]
[Title 32 - NATIONAL DEFENSE]
[Chapter V - DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY]
[Subchapter F - PERSONNEL]
[Part 578 - DECORATIONS, MEDALS, RIBBONS, AND SIMILAR DEVICES]
[Sec. 578.27 - Good Conduct Medal.]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


32NATIONAL DEFENSE32002-07-012002-07-01false578.27Sec. 578.27NATIONAL DEFENSEDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMYPERSONNELDECORATIONS, MEDALS, RIBBONS, AND SIMILAR DEVICES
Sec. 578.27  Good Conduct Medal.

    (a) Purpose. The Good Conduct Medal, established by Executive Order 
8809 and amended by Executive Order 9323 and by Executive Order 10444 is 
awarded for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity in active 
Federal military service. It is awarded on a selective basis to each 
soldier who distinguishes himself from among his fellow soldiers by his 
exemplary conduct, efficiency, and fidelity while in an enlisted status. 
There is no right or entitlement to the medal until the immediate 
commander has made positive recommendation for its award, and until the 
awarding authority has announced the award in General Orders. To qualify 
for an award of the Good Conduct Medal, an enlisted person must meet 
specified criteria throughout a specified period of continuous enlisted 
active Federal military service, as outlined in this section.
    (b) Awarding authority. General and field grade officer commanders 
are authorized to award the Good Conduct Medal (original and subsequent 
awards) to enlisted personnel serving under their command jurisdiction 
who meet the established criteria. This delegated authority is limited 
to service during the 36 calendar months immediately

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preceding the date of current considerations. Personnel processing 
installation or activity commanders are prohibited from awarding the 
Good Conduct Medal to personnel other than members of their own 
permanent party.
    (c) Special provisions. (1) Qualifying periods of service must be 
continuous enlisted active Federal military service. When an interval in 
excess of 24 hours occurs between enlistments, that portion of service 
prior to the interruption is not creditable toward an award.
    (2) Entry into service as a cadet or midshipman at any United States 
service academy or discharge from enlisted status for immedate entry on 
active duty in an officer status is considered termination of service 
for the purpose of awarding the Good Conduct Medal.
    (3) A qualified person scheduled for separation from active Federal 
military service should receive the award at his last duty station. Such 
award is authorized up to 30 days prior to the soldier's departure en 
route to a separation processing installation in CONUS or overseas. 
Orders announcing such advance awards will indicate the closing date of 
periods for the award prefixed with ``DOSOA'' (indicating ``Date of 
separation on or about'').
    (4) An award made for any authorized period of less than 3 years 
must be for the total period of obligated active Federal military 
service.
    (5) Discharge under provisions of AR 635-205 for immediate (re) + 
enlistment is not termination of service.
    (6) Retroactive awards will be made only by The Adjutant General 
after favorable consideration of requests, submitted through channels, 
which include adequate evidence of injustice.
    (d) Qualifying periods of service. Any one of the following periods 
of continuous enlisted active Federal military service qualifies for 
award of the Good Conduct Medal or of a Clasp, in conjunction with the 
criteria in paragraph (e) of this section.
    (1) Each 3 years completed on or after August 26, 1940.
    (2) For first award only, 1 year served entirely during the period 
December 7, 1941 to March 2, 1946.
    (3) For the first award only, upon termination of service on or 
after June 27, 1950, of less than 3 years but more than 1 year.
    (4) For first award only, upon termination of service, on or after 
June 27, 1950, of less than 1 year when final separation was by reason 
of physical disability incurred in line of duty.
    (e) Criteria. Throughout a qualifying period each enlisted person 
must meet all of the following criteria for an award.
    (1) All conduct (character) and efficiency ratings must be recorded 
as ``Excellent'' except that:
    (i) Ratings of ``Unknown'' for portions of the period under 
consideration are not disqualifying.
    (ii) Service school efficiency ratings based upon academic 
proficiency of at least ``Good'' rendered subsequent to November 22, 
1955 are not disqualifying.
    (2) No conviction by court-martial during the period.
    (3) The individual must not be serving in, nor have been serving at 
the time of separation in, an assignment of the type designated as 
``specially controlled duties'' in AR 604-10.
    (f) Basis for recommendation. Recommendation by the individual's 
immediate unit commander is required for award of the Good Conduct Medal 
by the approving authority. Such commander's recommendation will be 
based on his personal knowledge and on the individual's official records 
for periods of service under prior commanders during the period for 
which the award is to be made. The lack of official disqualifying 
comment by such previous commanders qualifies the use of such periods 
toward the award by current commander.
    (g) Clasp. A good Conduct Medal Clasp is awarded for wear on the 
Good Conduct Medal suspension ribbon and service ribbon to denote a 
second or subsequent award of the medal. Not more than one Good 
Conduction Medal may be awarded to any one person.
    (h) Presentation. Presentation of the Good Conduct Medal to military 
personnel may be made at troop formations.
    (i) Description. The Good Conduct Medal of bronze is 1\1/4\ inches 
in diameter. On the obverse is an eagle standing

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on a closed book and Roman sword, encircled by the words ``Efficiency-
Honor-Fidelity.'' On the reverse is a five-pointed star and a scroll 
between the words ``For Good'' and ``Conduct,'' surrounded by a wreath 
formed by a laurel branch on the left and an oak branch on the right. 
The medal is suspended by a ring from a silk moire ribbon 1\3/8\ inches 
long and 1\3/8\ inches wide composed of stripes of red (\1/16\ inch), 
white (\1/16\ inch), red (\1/16\ inch), white (\1/16\ inch), red (\1/16\ 
inch), white (\1/16\ inch), red (\5/8\ inch), white (\1/16\ inch), red 
(\1/16\ inch), white (\1/16\ inch), red (\1/16\ inch), white (\1/16\ 
inch), and red (\1/16\ inch).

[26 FR 6436, July 18, 1961]