"V" device - WikiHQ

A "V" device is a metal capital letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes a decoration awarded for combat valor or heroism from the same decoration being awarded for a member's actions under circumstances other than combat.

The decorations with which a "V" may be authorized differ among the military services, as well as the manner in which the "V" is worn and the name by which it is referred to. Until 2017, each service also used different criteria in determining whether a "V" could be authorized.

Etymology

The Department of Defense, Army, and Air Force refer to the "V" as the "V" device. Soldiers, including Army airmen, who were awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroism in combat were now authorized to wear a bronze "V" on the suspension and service ribbon of the medal. Only one "V" was allowed to be worn on a ribbon. The Department of the Navy introduced the "V" as the "Combat Distinguishing Device", and on 15 February 1946, authorized the "V" device to be worn on the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star Medal for services or acts performed in actual combat with the enemy; in February 1947, this was changed to acts or services involving direct participation in combat operations.

Most World War II veterans who were entitled to the "V" probably did not know about or apply for the device, since large-scale separations from the services were taking place after the war ended. Stocks of the device also were not available for issue for at least a year after the issuance of the Army circular. Although there were indications these "combat distinguishing devices" were authorized to be worn on his Navy Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal, the Department of the Navy Board For Correction of Naval Records determined after his death that both of the devices were not authorized to be worn on the two decorations.

thumb|right|General [[Martin Dempsey in 2012 wearing a Bronze Star ribbon (third row from top, right side) with "V" device.]]

In 2011, the Department of Defense changed its awards manual regulations concerning the Medal of Honor (MOH), specifying that the "V" device instead of the oak leaf cluster and inch star would be used to denote additional citations in the rare event of a service member being awarded a second MOH. By May 2015, the Department of Defense changed its awards manual again concerning the MOH, specifying that a separate MOH is presented to an individual for each succeeding act that justifies an award. There has not been a living repeat MOH-recipient since the World War I era, so the "V" device was never worn in this fashion by a living recipient.

Until 2017, the criteria and conditions under which the "V" device could be awarded differed among the services. For the Army, the "V" was worn solely to denote "participation in acts of heroism involving conflict with an armed enemy". The "C" device and "R" device, introduced in March 2017, are now also used on relevant awards.

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan="6" |V Device Multiple Awards since 2016

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<nowiki>*</nowiki>Standard device for the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force before December 2016

<nowiki>**</nowiki>Standard device for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps before December 2016

On 21 December 2016, the "V" device ceased being authorized for Achievement Medals. Retroactive to January 2016, the "V" device ceased being authorized for the Legion of Merit, being replaced by the "C" device.

{| class="wikitable"

! Decoration !!Army!!Naval Service!!Air and Space Forces!!Coast Guard!!DoD Joint Service Marine Corps refer to it as Combat Distinguishing Device.

The Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard continue to award and issue the bronze version. The Marine Corps allows anodized medals and anodized Combat "V"s to be worn on the dress blues uniform.

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||Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for valor

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||Bronze Star Medal, two awards, of which at least one was for valor

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||Air Medal, three awards, of which at least one was for valor (The gold award numeral 3 on the left denotes three individual awards of the Air Medal (only for Navy and Marine Corps))

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||Air Medal, three awards, of which at least one was for valor (Coast Guard uses award stars)

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||Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, eight awards, of which at least one was for valor

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||Coast Guard Commendation Medal, five awards, of which at least one was for valor

Combined with Arabic numerals

Golden or brass Arabic numerals may be used to indicate the total number of times the medal was awarded if the total number of devices, of any types, exceed 4 total devices and would thus not fit on a single ribbon.