The Army Superior Unit Award (ASUA) was established by the Secretary of the Army on 8 April 1985 to recognize outstanding meritorious performance by a unit during peacetime while carrying out a difficult and challenging mission under extraordinary circumstances. Because the wording alone seems to allow a rather broad interpretation of what types of performances would qualify a unit for the award, additional parameters were set forth to narrow the scope of the award.
First, “extraordinary” is defined as not representing the typical day-to-day events under which the unit normally operates or is expected to operate while carrying out its peacetime mission. Second, there must be such a display of devotion and evidence of superior performance that they set the unit apart from others with similar missions. Third, “peacetime” is defined as “any period during which wartime or combat awards are not authorized in the geographical area in which the mission was executed.” While the award may be issued to units that displayed the requisite behavior and performance while carrying out humanitarian missions for a period ranging from 30 days to up to two years, a unit is not eligible for the ASUA for acts or periods of service for which it has been recognized with another unit award.
The U.S. Army unit citation comes with the large gold frame. The standard unit citation (smaller gold frame) is worn by other services in the Armed Forces of the United States.