The Navy Good Conduct Medal is the second oldest continuous award for enlisted sailors, first authorized in 1869. The medal was originally a Maltese cross made of nickel but was redesigned in 1884 to a bronze circular medal depicting a sailing ship. To qualify, sailors had to maintain good conduct over multiple enlistments. Over time, the eligibility period and requirements varied, but the medal is still awarded today for three years of continuous good conduct service.

1. Morning Quarters
“Quarters is the formation for muster and inspection.”
The Bluejackets’ Manual, 6th Edition
07/2010
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To have a thorough understanding of naval customs and traditions;
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into decision making processes, training and daily leadership; and
1869‐1884 Navy Good Conduct Medal to consistently use naval history to demonstrate who we are as a
service.
NAVY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL 1869‐present
The Navy Good Conduct Medal is second to the Medal of Honor as being the oldest, continuous, award for enlisted Sailors. The medal was first authorized by
Secretary of the Navy A.E. Borie in a Circular Letter dated 26 April 1869. The medal, referred to as a good conduct badge, was awarded to a Sailor at the end of
his enlistment who was “distinguished for obedience, sobriety, and cleanliness, and … proficient in seamanship and gunnery.” When a Sailor earned three
consecutive badges, and if qualified, was enlisted as a Petty Officer on his next enlistment. For subsequent awards, Sailors were given another medal.
The original medal was a Maltese cross, 31mm in diameter, made of nickel, bearing the words FIDELITY ZEAL OBEDIENCE around the edge with U.S.N. in the
center. The reverse was plain and engraved with the recipient’s name. The medal was suspended from a red, white, and blue ribbon that was one half inch wide.
The medal was redesigned and the requirements modified by General Order 327, dated 21 November 1884. The new medal was bronze, circular, and 32mm in
diameter. The obverse was encircled by a rope with a full rigged ship sailing to the right‐‐ the whole resting on an anchor. The anchor, along with the words
UNITED STATES NAVY, was circled by a chain. The reverse was a plain field with circled by the words FIDELITY ZEAL OBEDIENCE. The letters C.S.C., for Continuous
Service Certificate, along with the number of the certificate, the Sailor’s name, the name of his ship, and the date of expiration of the enlistment were engraved
on the reverse. For subsequent awards a Sailor received an engraved bar to be worn with the original medal. The bar was engraved on the front with the name
of the Sailor’s ship.
Regulations were modified to provide that the medal would no longer be awarded for a Sailor’s first enlistment. Also, in order to qualify for the award on future
enlistments, Sailors had to maintain a 4.5 on their Conduct Records and be recommended by their Commanding Officer. Initially, a red, white, and blue ribbon
was worn with the new Good Conduct Medal. In 1885, the color of the ribbon was changed to a solid red. In 1886, the suspension of the medal was modified to
present a squared‐off appearance. That form of suspension was used until the early 1960s when it was changed to a ring suspension which is still in use today.
During the early 1900s, Sailors received extra pay, 75‐90 cents, each month, for each award. The time requirements to earn the medal have varied over the
years from simply completing an enlistment, to completing 3 or 4 years of continuous active duty. In the early 1930s, the bars for subsequent awards were
stamped with the number of the award instead of the name of the ship. In the 1950s, the Navy stopped engraving the name of the Sailor on the reverse of the
medal. Today, the same medal from 1885 is still in use but instead of stamped bars, bronze stars are attached to the ribbon of the medal to denote subsequent
awards. The Navy began issuing Good Conduct Award Certificates along with the medal in 1962. In November 1963, the time required to earn the medal was
changed from three years to four years. Since 1996, the eligibility period for the Navy Good Conduct Medal has been three years of continuous active service‐‐
with good conduct.
1884‐1885 Navy Good 1885 Navy Good Conduct 1931 ‐1961 Navy Good Conduct Medal (Second 1961 ‐ Present Navy
Conduct Medal with red, Medal with red ribbons Award) with stamped bar denoting second award. Good Conduct Medal
white, and blue ribbon is and ship bars. Obverse and reverse are shown. first award.
shown.