Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia

The Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia is a miniature 5⁄16 inch bronze United States Marine Corps emblem that may be authorized by the Secretary of the Navy for wear on specific campaign, expeditionary, and service medal ribbons issued to United States Navy sailors attached to and on duty with Fleet Marine Force (FMF) units during combat operations and sailors on duty with Navy units attached to and operating with Fleet Marine Force units while under Marine Corps operational control during combat operations.^[1]^[2] The device was instituted in 1953 with the Navy and Marine Corps Award Manual (NAVPERS 15,790, Revised 1953) dated 1953.^[3]

Criteria and wear

The Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia (FMFCOI) must be authorized by the Marine Corps unit commander in order to be worn by U.S. Navy sailors such as hospital corpsmen, Religious program specialist, and chaplains assigned to Marine Corps units and Seabees assigned to naval units operating with Marine Corps units. The Marine Corps unit and sailor must have engaged in active combat action with an armed enemy during the sailor's service with the Marine Corps unit, or the sailor and the Navy unit must have engaged in active combat action with an armed enemy during the Navy unit's operating service with the Marine Corps unit. No more than one Marine Corps emblem may be worn on the ribbons.^[1]

The FMFCOI is positioned in the center of both the suspension ribbon and service ribbon of the medal. Any other authorized ribbon device such as the 3⁄16 inch service star or campaign star, are placed on either side of the FMF combat operation insignia, with the first star on the wearer's right of the insignia, the second star on the wearer's left of the insignia, and so on.

The FMFCOI is or was authorized to be worn on the following medals -

Currently awarded:

Previously awarded:

Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon with
FMF Combat Operation Insignia
and 3⁄16" bronze campaign star

Notable recipients

Medal of Honor recipients

Navy chaplains

Vietnam War:

Vincent R. Capodanno

Navy hospital corpsmen

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

References

^ ^a ^b "Navy and Marine Awards Manual" (PDF). SECNAVINST 1650.1H. United States Navy. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
^ "Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia". Navy personnel who have been attached to a Fleet Marine Force Unit in active combat with an armed enemy beginning with World War II are authorized to wear a 1/8 inch bronze miniature Marine Corps emblem centered on the suspension ribbon of the World War II Area Campaign Medal, Korean Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Southwest Asia Service Medal. Only one device is centered on a ribbon or medal. Other attachments (stars, etc.) are arranged on either side, with first to wearer's right, second to wearer's left, and so on.
^ Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual[1]
^ Office of the Secretary of the Navy (September 2017). "CHANGE TO INHERENT RESOLVE CAMPAIGN MEDAL CRITERIA". Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on 2019-06-17. Retrieved June 17, 2019. (2) Fleet Marine Force Combat Operations Insignia. A miniature bronze Marine Corps emblem is authorized by the Secretary of the Navy for U.S. Navy Service Members assigned to Marine Corps units that participate in combat during the assignment. Worn in accordance with article 123 of reference (e).

[SECNAVINST1650.1H-1] "Navy and Marine Awards Manual" (PDF). SECNAVINST 1650.1H. United States Navy. Retrieved 7 March 2017.

[2] "Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia". Navy personnel who have been attached to a Fleet Marine Force Unit in active combat with an armed enemy beginning with World War II are authorized to wear a 1/8 inch bronze miniature Marine Corps emblem centered on the suspension ribbon of the World War II Area Campaign Medal, Korean Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Southwest Asia Service Medal. Only one device is centered on a ribbon or medal. Other attachments (stars, etc.) are arranged on either side, with first to wearer's right, second to wearer's left, and so on.

[3] Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual[1]

[4] Office of the Secretary of the Navy (September 2017). "CHANGE TO INHERENT RESOLVE CAMPAIGN MEDAL CRITERIA". Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on 2019-06-17. Retrieved June 17, 2019. (2) Fleet Marine Force Combat Operations Insignia. A miniature bronze Marine Corps emblem is authorized by the Secretary of the Navy for U.S. Navy Service Members assigned to Marine Corps units that participate in combat during the assignment. Worn in accordance with article 123 of reference (e).

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