Awards and decorations of the Texas Military


Awards and decorations of the Texas Military are medals, ribbons, badges, tabs, trophies, plaques, certificates, memorials, and monuments that recognize service and achievement while serving in the Texas Military Forces.

Regulation

The Texas Military Department medal and ribbon awards are governed by the Texas Government Code and Joint Force Texas Regulation. Because Texas Military Forces existence is authorized under Title 32 of the United States Code, wear and precedence of medals and ribbons on the service uniform and duty uniform is governed by the United States Department of the Army Pamphlet regulation 670-1.
Because Texas National Guard service members are also subject to Title 10 of the United States Code, they are also authorized to wear and eligible to earn awards, decorations, and badges of the United States National Guard and United States Armed Forces.
Texas State Guard service members who previously earned awards, decorations, and badges of the United States National Guard and United States Armed Forces are authorized to wear them.

Order of precedence

Because Texas Military Forces existence is authorized under Title 32 of the United States Code, precedence of medals and ribbons on the service uniform and duty uniform is governed by the Department of Defense Instruction 1348.33 and United States Department of the Army Pamphlet regulation 670-1.
Like the United States Armed Forces, Texas Military medals and ribbons are distinctly categorized by general service and achievement awards, and distinguished service and achievement decorations, which is reflected in the order of precedence.
General order of precedence:
  1. United States Armed Forces personal decorations
  2. United States Armed Forces unit awards
  3. United States Non-Military Decorations, to include certain Military Society Decorations and Medals, as outlined in DOD Instr. 1348.33 section 11, and as defined by 10USC§1123, Right to Wear Badges of Military Societies, but only those to wit: 'a society originally composed of men who served in an armed force of the United States during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, or the Chinese Relief Expedition of 1900', as well as US Government Agency personal decorations.
  4. United States civilian unit awards
  5. United States Armed Forces campaign and service medals
  6. United States Armed Forces service and training awards
  7. United States Merchant Marine awards and non-military service awards
  8. Foreign military personal decorations
  9. Foreign military unit awards
  10. International service awards
  11. Foreign military service awards
  12. United States Armed Forces marksmanship awards
  13. United States organization awards, and badges of military societies not included in/defined by 10USC1123 and/or formed after that statute, predominantly in the 20th century and later .
  14. United States National Guard personal decorations
  15. United States National Guard unit awards
  16. United States National Guard campaign and service medals
  17. United States National Guard service and training awards
  18. Texas Military decorations
  19. Texas Military unit awards
  20. Texas Military campaign and service awards
  21. Texas Military service and training awards

    Department level awards

Medals and ribbons

Because Texas National Guard service members are also subject to Title 10 of the United States Code, they are also authorized to wear, and eligible to earn, medals and ribbons of the United States National Guard and United States Armed Forces. Texas State Guard service members who previously earned medals and ribbons of the United States National Guard and United States Armed Forces are authorized to wear them.
The following is a list of medals and ribbons from the Texas Military. They are distinctly categorized by distinguished service and achievement decorations, and general service and achievement awards, which is reflected by the order of precedence. It is generally stated that decorations are conferred and awards are issued.

Badges

Because Texas National Guard service members are also subject to Title 10 of the United States Code, they are also authorized to wear, and eligible to earn, Military badges of the United States. Texas State Guard service members who previously earned Military badges of the United States are authorized to wear them.
The following is a list of badges from the Texas Military:

Special Skills

Identification

Tabs

Certificates

The Hall of Honor was established by the Texas Military Department in 1980 to "recognize outstanding service and leadership" of Texas Military Forces service members operating under state or federal command. As of 2018, it has 120 inductees.
It is hosted by the Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry. It is both an exhibit with a digital kiosk that showcases inductee biographies, and an eponymous conference center that may be rented for conventions or banquets. Inductees also receive a trophy, which has varied in type since 1980.

Hall of Fame

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame was established in 1964 to recognize service members who "significantly contributed to the development of the service or died heroically in the line of duty." As of 2019, it has 31 inductees — 24 of which served under the Texas Military Department. The Texas Rangers were a branch of the Texas Military Forces from 1835-1935, providing cavalry, special operations, and military police capabilities. Administrative control of the Texas Rangers was transferred from the Texas Military Department to the Texas Department of Public Safety in 1935. Under DPS, the Texas Rangers perform duties similar to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for Texas as a State Bureau of Investigation.

Texas State Cemetery

The Texas State Cemetery was established by the Fifth Texas Legislature in 1854 as the burial site for General Edward Burleson in Austin. It is considered the "Arlington of Texas." It was extensively expanded after the American Civil War for the burial of 2,000 officers and their wives. It has expanded over the ensuing years for the burial of "prominent" Texans. It is operated by the Texas State Preservation Board but remains predominately occupied by Texas military service members.

Other awards

Gonzales Cup

The Gonzales Cup is the top award of the Commander's Small Unit Excellence Challenge, an annual, two-day team and individual competition that tests core skills and physical endurance of Texas State Guard service members. It was established in 2013 and its namesake is the Battle of Gonzales.

300 Club

The 300 Club is an unofficial award colloquially referred to by service members who achieve the maximum score of 300 points in the Army Physical Fitness Test. While it is universally recognized among the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, and Texas State Guard, there is no official list that documents its members. It is generally an esprit de corps tradition at the unit level.

Unit level awards

Unit level awards that may be worn on a service or duty uniform are authorized as a military tradition in United States Department of the Army Pamphlet regulation 670-1 at the discretion of the commanding officer.

Spur Walk

Spur Walk, also known as Operation Heavy METL, is a 24hr, 18-mile team competition that consists of land navigation, leadership reaction tasks, obstacle course, and mission skills. Service members who earn enough points are awarded silver spurs. It was established in 2008 and its namesake is the Order of the Spur, for which the competition mirrors.

Officer Candidate School (TXSG)

Honor Graduate

The Honor Graduate award, officially the BG Thomas C. Hamilton Distinguished Honor Graduate and formerly the MG Raymond C. Peters Distinguished Honor Graduate, is the top award of the Texas State Guard Officer Candidate School. It is awarded to graduates of the Officer Candidate Course based on their combined Leadership, Academic, Physical Fitness, and Peer Evaluation performance.
The award was established in 2003 by COL Mervyn J. Doherty when he established Officer Candidate School. Its first given namesake was the Commanding General of the Texas State Guard, MG Raymond C. Peters, in 2009. It was renamed after BG Thomas C. Hamilton in 2014, who redesigned the school in 2010.

Crucible MVP

The Crucible MVP award, officially the Final Field Training Exercise Most Valuable Player Award, is the second highest award of the Texas State Guard Officer Candidate School. It is awarded to candidates of the Officer Candidate Course final field training exercise based on their combined Leadership, Academic, and Physical Fitness performance during the exercise.
The award was established in 2014 by CPT H. Lee Burton and its namesake is week 10 of United States Marine Corps Recruit Training, for which the exercise mirrors.

Other awards

Honor Graduate

The Honor Graduate award, officially the COL Stephen B. Springer Academic Excellence Award is the top award of the Texas State Guard Command and General Staff College. It is awarded to graduates based on their academic performance.
The award was established in 2014 by COL Stephen B. Springer when he established the Commander and General Staff College. It was given his namesake in 2015.

Inactive and obsolete awards

  1. Texas Military Department Awards:
  2. *Texas National Guard:
  3. ** Texas National Guard Medal of Merit
  4. ** Texas National Guard Mexican War Service Medal
  5. ** Texas National Guard Outstanding Service Medal
  6. ** Texas National Guard Provost Marshall Section Ribbon
  7. ** Texas National Guard State Guard Civil Defense Ribbon
  8. *Texas State Guard:
  9. **Special Operations Tab
  10. **Small Arms Marksmanship Ribbon
  11. **Marksmanship Qualification Badge
  12. **Occupational Badges:
  13. ***Command and Control Law Enforcement/Security Forces Enlisted Medical Medical Corps Medical Services/Biomedical Sciences Nurse Material Acquisition Chaplain Chaplain Services Communications/Computer Systems Information Management Judge Advocate Logistics Personnel and Manpower Management Operations Support Public Affairs Paralegal Services Supply
  14. Texas State Guard Association awards:
  15. *Texas State Guard Association Medal
  16. *James Bowie Award
  17. *Sam Houston Award
  18. *William Travis Award
  19. *Juan Seguin Award