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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive
Air Force Cross

Valor — second highest

Air Force Cross

Extraordinary heroism in combat against an enemy, not justifying the Medal of Honor.

Air Force Cross ribbon
Established
1960
Awarded by
Air Force, Space Force
Criteria
Extraordinary heroism in combat against an enemy, not justifying the Medal of Honor.
Precedence
#4 of 18 in this guide · below Navy Cross · above Coast Guard Cross

The Air Force Cross replaced the Distinguished Service Cross for airmen in 1960. Its medallion shows a golden eagle against a cloud formation, set on a bronze cross wreathed in laurel.

From Wikipedia

The Air Force Cross (AFC) is the United States Air Force (USAF) and U.S. Space Force's (USSF) second highest military decoration for airmen and guardians who distinguish themselves with extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is awarded to any person, while serving in any capacity with the USAF or USSF, who distinguish themselves by heroism which is extraordinary but not sufficient for the award of a Medal of Honor. The Air Force Cross is equivalent to the Distinguished Service Cross of the U.S.

Excerpt from “Air Force Cross (United States)” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Notable recipients

All 12 notable recipients →

Images: medal (CC BY-SA 4.0, Instant gratification); ribbon (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.