US Marine Corps Battle Streamers
                                                  Authorized Battle Streamers for the US Marine Corps | Streamer pictures
                                                                                           

                                                                                                    Lettering | Devices
 

The Marine Corps adorns its flagstaff with 54 (as of April 2007) distinctly different Streamers that commemorate the battles, campaigns, service and unit citations of the Corps beginning in 1775 with the Revolutionary war through the current campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Five of the Streamers were awarded by foreign governments (France, Philippines, Korea and Vietnam (2)); Seven Unit Citations were awarded by other US departments (Army, Air Force, Navy and DOD).  These 7 are at the top of the list below.  The other 42 Streamers are battle, campaign and service Streamers  authorized by the US Government.

Marine Corps Streamers use embroidered stars to indicate participation in campaigns, expeditions or battles for which individual medals, citations and commendations were authorized.
The first award is an unadorned Streamer and thereafter a bronze star represents an additional engagement.  Up to four bronze stars are used and for the next award a silver star replaces the four bronze stars.  A silver star indicates participation in five particular engagements or designated phases of a campaign or war, or specific battles and is used in lieu of five bronze stars.
 

United States Unit Citations

Presidential Unit Citation (Navy)     Ribbon #125
Presidential Unit Citation (Army)     Ribbon #054
Joint Meritorious Unit Award     Ribbon #289
Naval Unit Commendation     Ribbon #107
Valorous Unit Award     Ribbon #155
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Navy)     Ribbon #167
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)     Ribbon #092
 

Foreign Unit Citations

French Croix de Guerre World War I     Ribbon #039
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation     Ribbon #122
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation     Ribbon #127
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross    Ribbon #173
Vietnamese Civil Actions    Ribbon #181

Authorized Battle Streamers for the US Marine Corps

                                                           

All Battle Streamers are made to military specifications (2 3/4" x 36").

NOTES:
Marine Corps name used for the French Naval War Streamer is "Quasi-War with France."
Marine Corps name used for the African Slave Patrol Streamer is "African Slave Trade."
Marine Corps name used for the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross Streamer is "Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Citation of the Gallantry Cross."
Marine Corps name used for the Vietnamese Civil Actions Streamer is "Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Actions."
The "W" on the Marine Corps Expeditionary ribbon denotes defense of Wake Island in WWII.
 

                        Authorized Battle Streamers for the US Marine Corps
                                                                                           

Part #MC125     Presidential Unit Citation (Navy)     Ribbon #125

 

Part #MC054     Presidential Unit Citation (Army)    Ribbon #054

Part #MC289     Joint Meritorious Unit Award    Ribbon #289


Part #MC107     Naval Unit Commendation    Ribbon #107


Part #MC155     Valorous Unit Award    Ribbon #155


Part #MC167     Meritorious Unit Commendation (Navy)    Ribbon #167


Part #MC092     Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)    Ribbon #092


Part #MC129     Revolutionary War    Ribbon #129


Part #MC168     French Naval War (Quasi-War with France)     Ribbon #168


Part #MC185     Barbary Wars    Ribbon #185


Part #MC152     War of 1812    Ribbon #152


Part #MC186     African Slave Patrol (African Slave Trade)    Ribbon #186


Part #MC187     Operations Against West Indian Pirates    Ribbon #187


Part #MC075     Indian Wars    Ribbon #075


Part #MC095     Mexican Wars    Ribbon #095


Part #MC025     Civil War Campaign    Ribbon #025


Part #MC081     Marine Corps Expeditionary    Ribbon #081


Part #MC138     Spanish Campaign    Ribbon #138


Part #MC117     Philippine Campaign    Ribbon #117


Part #MC022     China Relief Expedition    Ribbon #022


Part #MC042     Cuban Pacification    Ribbon #042


Part #MC111     Nicaraguan Campaign    Ribbon #111


Part #MC094     Mexican Service    Ribbon #094


Part #MC071     Haitian Campaign    Ribbon #071


Part #MC056     Dominican Campaign    Ribbon #056


Part #MC148     World War I Victory    Ribbon #148


Part #MC015     Army of Occupation of Germany (1918-1923)    Ribbon #015


Part #MC132     Second Nicaraguan Campaign    Ribbon #132


Part #MC154     Yangtze Service    Ribbon #154


Part #MC023     China Service    Ribbon #023


Part #MC010     American Defense Service    Ribbon #010


Part #MC009     American Campaign    Ribbon #009


Part #MC057     European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign    Ribbon #057


Part #MC017     Asiatic-Pacific Campaign    Ribbon #017


Part #MC149     World War II Victory    Ribbon #149


Part #MC379     Navy Occupation Service World War II    Ribbon #379


Part #MC097     National Defense Service    Ribbon #097


Part #MC078     Korean Service    Ribbon #078


Part #MC012     Armed Forces Expeditionary    Ribbon #012


Part #MC151     Vietnam Service    Ribbon #151


Part #MC356     Southwest Asia Service    Ribbon #356


Part #MC119     Philippine Defense    Ribbon #119


Part #MC121     Philippine Liberation    Ribbon #121


Part #MC120     Philippine Independence    Ribbon #120


Part #MC039     French Croix de Guerre World War I    Ribbon #039


Part #MC122     Philippine Presidential Unit Citation    Ribbon #122


Part #MC127     Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation    Ribbon #127


Part #MC173     Vietnamese Gallantry Cross    Ribbon #173
(Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Citation of the Gallantry Cross)


Part #MC181     Vietnamese Civil Actions      Ribbon #181
(Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Actions)


Part #MC532     Kosovo Campaign    Ribbon #532

Part #MC579     Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary    Ribbon #579


Part #MC580     Global War on Terrorism Service     Ribbon #580


Part #MC593     Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon #593


Part #MC594     Iraqi Campaign    Ribbon #594

                                                                              

                                                    

All  Marine Corps Streamers are double sided, 2 3/4" width by 36" long.
All lettering should read from the viewer's left to right on both sides. On the front view from hoist to fly-end, and on the rear view from fly-end to hoist.  Distance from each end of Streamer to each word and between words are equal.  When only one word is required it is  located at the center of the Streamer.
Devices are embroidered on both sides and line up to match the other side then sewn together completely around the Streamer.

                           
                                                                                    Back side

 

                                                                                   

Stars
Bronze, Silver or Gilt.
1 Bronze star indicates an additional award. 1 Silver star is used in lieu of 5 bronze stars.  The gilt star indicates additional awards on the French Croix De Guerre Streamer Ribbon #39.

Maltese Cross
Embroidered on the Victory WWI Streamer   Ribbon #148. 

 

Oak Leaf Cluster
Silver or Bronze.

 

Taguek (Korean emblem)
Embroidered with red thread on the top and blue on the bottom.
   

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation    Ribbon #127


 

Bronze Palm (Vietnam Award)
Leaves and stem are bronze, veins and fruits are green.
Embroidered on Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Citation of the Gallantry Cross Ribbon #173
and Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Actions   Ribbon #181.

 

Vietnam Gallantry Cross    Ribbon #173
(Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Citation of the Gallantry Cross)

"W" (Silver)
The embroidered "W" represents the defense of Wake Island in the Pacific during WWII.

Marine Corps Expeditionary    Ribbon #81