Silver Star (medal)

The Silver Star is a pre-war military commendation.

Background
The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. It is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest personal decoration for valor in combat.

The Silver Star medal is the successor award to the Citation Star which was established by an Act of Congress on July 9, 1918. On July 19, 1932, the Secretary of War approved the Silver Star to replace the Citation Star. The original Citation Star is incorporated into the center of the Silver Star, and the suspension and service ribbon for the Silver Star is based closely on the Certificate of Merit Medal.

Authorization for the Silver Star was placed into law by an Act of Congress for the U.S. Navy on August 7, 1942 and an Act of Congress for the U.S. Army on December 15, 1942. The current statutory authorization for the Silver Star is Title 10 of the United States Code, 10 U.S.C. § 3746 for the Army, 10 U.S.C. § 8746 for the Air Force, and 10 U.S.C. § 6244 for the Naval Service.

Characteristics
The medal consists of a gold five-pointed star, surrounded by a laurel wreath with a silver star superimposed in the center. The pendant is suspended from a rectangular shaped metal loop with rounded corners. The ribbon is a rectangle, consisting of red, white, and blue verticle stripes.

Locations

 * Mentioned on the Museum of History placard.
 * Seen on the cap worn by Boomers at Nellis Air Force Base.

Behind the scenes
The Silver Star is a real-world medal given by the U.S. military.