The Navy Recruit Honor Graduate Ribbon was created on 18 August 2015, when U.S. Secretary of the NavyRay Mabus released a statement authorizing the establishment of the Recruit Honor Graduate Ribbon. This ribbon is awarded to "initial accession enlisted personnel of the U.S. Navy who are designated as Honor Graduates." No more than three percent of each training group will be designated as honor graduates. Fifteen recruits from Recruit Division 281 at Recruit Training Command, Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, were first awarded the ribbon on 20 August 2015. No retroactive awards will be made. In the Navy's military award order of precedence, the ribbon is worn after the Navy Ceremonial Guard Ribbon and before the Armed Forces Reserve Medal. Seaman Recruit Joseph Agbingpadua was the first recruit to receive the ribbon.
U.S. Air Force
The Air ForceBasic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon was established on 3 April 1976 by order of the Air Force Chief of Staff, GeneralDavid Charles Jones. The ribbon is awarded to graduates of Air Force basic training who have obtained an honor graduate designation and demonstrate excellence in all areas of academic and military training. An airman must achieve at least a 90% on his/her physical fitness level during the final AFBMT physical fitness test. The AFBMT physical fitness test has four parts: 1.5-mile run time, number of sit ups in a minute, number of push ups in a minute, and waist measurement. If the trainee fails to reach a score of at least 90%, the airman is ineligible no matter how well he or she performed in other areas of basic training. Additionally, the airman must average over a 90 percent on all the written examinations, and never fail a graded inspection. The airman must never receive a negative mark in a written evaluation. Current regulations limit the number of selectees to no more than ten percent of the graduating squadron. The U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon is a one-time award and may not be presented retroactively. Those awarded are entitled to wear the Air Force Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon for the rest of their U.S. Air Force careers.
U.S. Coast Guard
The Coast Guard Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon was created on 3 March 1984, with the first presentation in April of that same year to Seaman apprentice Scott Woodard. The Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon is presented to the service member who graduates at the top of their basic training instruction class. Retroactive presentations of the Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon may be awarded upon application from the service member to the United States Coast Guard. In such cases, the award will be presented for basic training graduation prior to 1984, only with supporting documentation and a written request from the service member.
