The first recognized medals of the US Army appeared during the American Civil War and were generally issued by local commanders on an unofficial basis. The Medal of Honor was the first award to be established in regulations as a permanent Army decoration, complete with benefits. The Medal of Honor is the only Civil War era award which has survived as a decoration into the modern age.

Furthermore, the US Army mandates that all unit awards will be worn separate from individual awards on the opposite side of a military uniform. The Army is the only service to require this separation between unit and individual decorations. All Army unit awards are worn enclosed in a gold frame.

The Spanish-American War was the first widespread award of campaign medals, both for service in the actual conflict and for participation in subsequent garrison and occupation duty. After the Spanish-American War, however, medals in the US Army fell into disuse and, apart from a few peacetime Medal of Honor decorations, there were no further Army medals created until the First World War. World War I saw the first widespread distribution of medals for combat, as the Medal of Honor returned awarded for bravery in battle against an enemy force. The Distinguished Service Cross was also created for those soldiers who had performed feats of bravery but not to the level required of the Medal of Honor. The only other medal of World War I was the World War I Victory Medal, accompanied by a confusing array of battle clasps to denote combat participation.

In the 1920s and 30s, the US Army issued very few decorations and it was often common for a service member to spend an entire career without receiving a single medal. With the outbreak of World War II, however, the Army began the largest expansion of medals since the Spanish-American War as well as the first wide scale issuance of inter-service awards. In addition, several World War II campaign medals were created for various theaters and a World War II Victory Medal was established at the end of the conflict as well as an occupation medal.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Army expanded both its number of medals and ribbons, as well as having its service members eligible for several new inter-service campaign and service medals (such as the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the National Defense Service Medal).

In the modern age, members of other military branches serving under an Army command are also eligible to receive Army decorations. All Army service members may receive inter-service awards, international decorations, and authorized foreign medals. The Department of the Army also awards a limited number of civilian awards.

Only time and fate knows the future of peace, wars and the new missions that the subordinate units of the 1st Cavalry Division may be called on to perform. In any situation, they stand ready and can look to its combat record with justifiable pride and hard earned satisfaction. All of the tasks have been tough and they have been done well.

Special Troop Battalion, 3rd Brigade Decorations

The following decorations have been earned by the Special Troop Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division in service for their country. Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered PLEIKU PROVINCE (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period 23 Oct to 26 Nov 1965; DA GO 40, 1967) Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered QUANG TIN PROVINCE (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period 01 to 31 Oct 1967; DA GO 39, 1970) Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered FISH HOOK (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period 01 May to 29 Jun 1970; DA GO 43, 1972) Merit Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered EUROPE 1944 (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 9th Armored Division Trains, cited for the period 01 Nov 1944 to 01 Jan 1945; DA GO 82, 1945) Merit Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered EUROPE 1945 (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 9th Armored Division Trains, cited for the period 01 Jan to 01 Jul 1945; DA GO 143, 1945) Merit Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2004 - 2005 (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period ..... ; DA GO __, 20__) Merit Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2007 (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period 04 Oct 2006 to 15 Dec 2007; PO 264-15, 2009) Merit Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2009 (Headquarters, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period 16 Dec 2008 to 19 Nov 2009; PO 105-03, 2010) Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965 - 1969 (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period 09 Aug 1965 to 19 May 1969; DA GO 59, 1969) Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1969 - 1970 (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period May 1969 to Feb 1970; DA GO 11, 1973, amended DA GO 42, 1972) Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1970 - 1971 (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period 21 Feb 1970 to 28 Feb 1971; DA GO 11, 1972, amended DA GO 42, 1972) Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1971 - 1972 (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period 17 Sep 1965 to 29 Jun 1972; DA GO 54, 1974) Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1969 - 1970 (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, cited for the period 01 Jan 1969 to 01 Feb 1970; DA GO 42, 1972)