A gold frame is an attachment to a military decoration which is issued by the militaries of some countries. The gold frame is designed to enclose an award ribbon and is usually a means of distinguishing the ribbon's special quality or denoting some additional achievement to the award's basic criteria.

The gold frame is normally an automatic attachment to a ribbon decoration. In certain cases, however, awards may be issued both with and without the gold frame depending upon the level of achievement. Such is the case in the United States Air Force which denotes the gold frame as a "gold border". The Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon may be presented with a gold border when the decoration is presented for service in a designated combat zone.

The gold frame and gold border is a device for ribbon awards only, and there are no provisions for issuing the attachment for medals.

United States

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Active duty

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  Presidential Unit Citation (Army & Air Force; Air Force version may be issued without gold border)
  Presidential Unit Citation (Public Health Service; A gold frame indicates a second award)[1]
  Joint Meritorious Unit Award
  Valorous Unit Award (Army)
  Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)
  Superior Unit Award (Army)
  Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (Air Force; may be issued without gold border)
  Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award (USCG; now obsolete)
  DHS Outstanding Unit Award

National Guard and State Guard Forces

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  State Guard Association of the United States Superior Unit Citation
  Military Emergency Management Specialist Academy Unit Citation
  Alabama State Defense Force Outstanding Unit Commendation
  Alaska Governors Distinguished Unit Citation
  California Governor's Outstanding Unit Citation
  California Commanding General's Meritorious Unit Citation
  California State Military Reserve Governor's Outstanding Unit Citation
  Delaware National Guard Governor's Meritorious Unit Award
  Delaware National Guard Unit Strength Award
  Florida Governor's Meritorious Unit Citation
  Georgia Distinguished Unit Ribbon
  Georgia State Defense Force Outstanding Unit Citation
  Idaho Governor's Outstanding Unit Citation
  Idaho Adjutant General's Excellence Award
  Indiana Guard Reserve Superior Unit Citation
  Iowa Outstanding Unit Award
  Louisiana F.E. Herbert Meritorious Unit Commendation
  Maryland Adjutant General's Special Recognition Ribbon
  Massachusetts Meritorious Unit Citation
  Mississippi State Guard Outstanding Unit Citation
  Nevada Governor's Outstanding Unit Award
  New Jersey Governor's Unit Award
  New Jersey Unit Strength Award
  New Mexico Outstanding Unit Citation
  New York Guard Commander's Citation
  North Carolina Governor's Unit Citation
  North Carolina Meritorious Unit Citation
  North Carolina Outstanding Unit Award
  North Dakota State Outstanding Unit Citation
  North Dakota Governor's Outstanding Unit Citation
  Ohio Military Reserve Commanding General's Meritorious Unit Service Award
  Oklahoma Governor's Distinguished Unit Award
  Oklahoma Commander’s Trophy Award Ribbon
  Oregon Superior Unit Ribbon
  Pennsylvania Governor's Unit Citation
  Rhode Island Gubernatorial Unit Award
  South Carolina Governor's Unit Citation
  South Carolina State Guard Outstanding Unit Citation
  South Carolina State Guard Unit Achievement Award
  South Dakota Desert Storm Unit Citation
  South Dakota Unit Citation
  South Dakota Distinguished Unit Award
  Tennessee Meritorious Unit Citation
  Tennessee Distinguished Unit Citation
  Tennessee Outstanding Unit Performance Commendation
  Tennessee Volunteer Recruiting and Retention Unit Citation
  Texas Governor's Unit Citation
  Texas Organizational Excellence Unit Award
  Texas State Guard Meritorious Unit Award
  Virginia Defense Force Unit Readiness Citation (Dead Eye)
  Washington Unit Citation
  West Virginia Distinguished Unit Award

Australia

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  Unit Citation for Gallantry
  Meritorious Unit Citation

Vietnam

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  Presidential Unit Citation (Vietnam)
  Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (Vietnam)
  Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation (Vietnam)

Other countries

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  Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)
  Croix de Guerre unit award (Luxembourg)
  Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "COMMISSIONED CORPS INSTRUCTION 511.01" (PDF). Commissioned Corps Issuance System (CCIS). US Department of Health and Human Services. 19 January 2021. p. 7. Retrieved 6 April 2022.