There were several compelling reasons in October 1980 for the United States Air Force to establish the Air Force Achievement Medal (AFAM), known as the Air and Space Achievement (ASAM) since November 2020. Perhaps the biggest was the paucity of decorations that could be earned by young Airmen coming into the service, particularly compared to the number of medals and awards that had been available as a result of the Vietnam War. A second, closely related argument for a new medal was that, in order to compensate for the lack of awards that could be given to junior officers and enlisted Airmen, awarding authorities were issuing Air Force Commendation Medals on a more frequent basis than seemed plausible, thus diminishing its prestige. Finally, it would bring the Air Force in line with the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, all of which had Achievement Medals designed specifically to recognize meritorious service or outstanding achievements by junior officers and enlisted personnel.
Thanks to the well-considered regulations written for the AFAM and inherited by the ASAM, its establishment did indeed address all these issues. Awarded to Air Force personnel for outstanding achievement or meritorious service that rendered on behalf of the Air Force that do not rise to the requirements spelled out for the Air Force Commendation Medal, the ASAM can be awarded only to enlisted personnel and officers at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or below.
Other restrictions on the Air and Space Achievement Medal include a prohibition on it being awarded to the same recipient more than once in a twelve-month period (except under extraordinary circumstances), for aerial achievement (there is a distinct award for that), for or simply for retirement. Also, academic achievement can not be the sole reason to issue the award for superior performance of duty or attainment of honors.
Authorized devices for wear with the ASAM are Oak Leaf Clusters (for additional awards beyond the initial ASAM) and, beginning in 2016, the “C” Combat Conditions and “R” Remote Operations devices. Intended to recognize the contributions to combat and military operations made by Airmen situated far from the action and not exposed to hostile action, the “R” device is awarded only if their actions had an immediate and direct impact on those operations. The “C” device indicates the ASAM was awarded for service or achievement under combat conditions, which includes exposure to hostile action or significant risk of exposure to hostile action.