Coast Guard Auxiliary Awards

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

My recent acquisitions.

US CGA awards may seem a little boring, as there are only two types of planchet in use.

Type I:

This type is used only with the following awards (the reverse is blank):

Distinguished Service Award (the only one in silver)Plaque of MeritMeritorious Service AwardAward of Operational MeritCommendation Award (depicted) Achievement Award

All other awards/medals use type II planchet:

Depicted are the following medals: Flotilla CME Achievement Medal, Flotilla PEC Achievement Medal, Flotilla Public Relations Achievement Medal (all three are obsolete by now).

To my surprise even the new Auxiliary Legion of Merit (est. 2005) uses type II planchet:

(credit to www.cgaux.info)

[Paul R]

I am in the US Coast Guard... I had no idea that the Auxiliary had medals!!

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

There are many. Go to http://www.medals.lava.pl/us/uschk.htm and tick Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Surprisingly, CGA medals take precedence over the corresponding medals of other services (CGA Distinguished Service Award before other DSMs, CGA Commendation before other commendations etc.) when worn by CGA members. As far as I know, guardsmen or members of other services in the active service are not authorized to wear CGA awards. The only exception I know was Cmdr Harmon Raab who used to wear something that looked like the Commendation Award ribbon next to his other ribbons.

[Paul R]

Lukasz,

Thanks for the link! It is the best rackbuilder program I have seen!

I had no idea that the Auxiliary has so many awards. It is a shame that more imagination was not used in their design though!

Paul

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Thanks Paul. Glad you liked it.

Lukasz