Decorations and Awards That Boost Your BTZ Score

Decorations contribute up to 50 points to your BTZ score — calculated as the number of qualifying decorations multiplied by 5, with a cap at 10 decorations. Three decorations give you 15 points. Eight decorations give you 40. The maximum of 50 points requires 10 or more qualifying awards.

For a junior A1C with 18 to 30 months of total active federal military service (TAFMS), 1 to 3 decorations is realistic. That puts most Airmen in the 5 to 15 point range for this category — which means the gap between someone with zero decorations and someone with 3 is 15 points right out of the gate.

Those 15 points are not locked in by circumstances. They can be earned before your board date if you start the process at the right time.

Which Awards Actually Count

Not all recognition is equal under AFI 36-2502. This is the distinction most junior Airmen miss — a certificate of appreciation is not a decoration. A coin from your commander is not a decoration. A letter of commendation is not a decoration. Only formally submitted, approved, and recorded decorations count toward the BTZ formula.

Air Force Achievement Medal (AFAM). This is the baseline award for junior enlisted Airmen and the most commonly earned decoration in the below-the-zone window. It recognizes meritorious service or achievement that sets the Airman above peers. For an A1C, an AFAM for a deployment, a significant project, or sustained superior performance is achievable.

Army Achievement Medal (AAM). If you've been attached to or worked alongside Army units — during a joint assignment, a deployment, or a contingency — Army leadership can submit you for an AAM. It counts the same as an AFAM for BTZ scoring purposes.

Air Force Commendation Medal (AFCM). This is a step above the AFAM, typically awarded for a higher level of accomplishment or a longer period of meritorious service. It's less common for A1Cs but not unheard of, particularly for those coming off deployments or serving in high-visibility billets.

Meritorious Service Medal (MSM). Rare at the A1C level but worth noting — it counts if you have it.

Unit awards. The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) and similar unit-level decorations count if they're on your record. These are typically awarded for the entire unit and reflect the organization's performance during a specific period, but they absolutely count toward your decoration total.

Joint and campaign awards. If you deployed and earned deployment-related decorations, those count. Verify they're all reflected in your official records through vMPF.

What Does NOT Count

Certificates of appreciation. Given out frequently by commanders and squadron leadership for small contributions — they do not count as decorations.

Coins. Commander's coins, challenge coins, special recognition coins — appreciated, but not decorations.

Letters of commendation or appreciation. These belong in your personnel file and may support EPB bullets, but they are not scored decorations.

Local trophies or squadron awards. "Airman of the Quarter" at the squadron level does not automatically produce a decoration. If it's accompanied by an AFAM submission, that medal counts. The award alone doesn't.

Good Conduct Medal equivalents. The Air Force doesn't have a direct equivalent to the Army Good Conduct Medal in the same context — don't confuse longevity-based awards with achievement decorations.

Before diving into the submission process, it's worth confirming where your current decoration count puts your overall score. The BTZ points estimator lets you plug in your current total and see its effect alongside every other category.

The Difference Between Having a Decoration and It Being on Record

This is a critical point. Some Airmen have earned decorations that never made it into their official records. This happens when paperwork gets lost during a PCS, when a decoration was submitted but the orders were never cut, or when a commander initiated a package that fell through the cracks.

Before your board date — at least 60 days out — log into vMPF and pull your decoration list. Compare it against any citations or orders you have in your personal files. If there's a discrepancy, contact your MPF (Military Personnel Flight) immediately. Fixing a records error takes time, and you want that time buffer.

Missing decorations on your official record are points you've already earned that you're giving away for free. Don't do that.

How to Work with Your Supervisor on a Decoration Submission

This is the conversation most A1Cs are afraid to have, and it's the one that can add 5 to 10 points to their BTZ score.

AFI 36-1004 governs decoration submissions. The process requires your supervisor to draft a citation (the written justification), submit it through the chain of command, and get approval before the decoration is formally awarded. This takes anywhere from 30 to 90 days depending on your unit's processing speed.

Here's how to approach the conversation:

Don't ask your supervisor to "write you a decoration." That framing puts them in an awkward position and makes it sound like you're requesting something you haven't earned.

Do ask your supervisor to review your accomplishments and assess whether a decoration is warranted. Something like: "I know my BTZ board is coming up in about four months. I wanted to ask if there's anything I've done over the past year that you think would merit a decoration submission. I want to make sure anything I've earned is reflected in my records before the board."

That framing is professional. It puts the decision in their hands and signals that you understand the process, not just that you want points.

If your supervisor agrees, help them. Provide a bullet-point list of your accomplishments with specific metrics — dates, outcomes, numbers, recognitions. The easier you make the write-up, the faster it gets processed.

If your supervisor says no, accept that answer professionally. Not every period of service rises to the level of a decoration, and a supervisor who can't honestly justify the submission shouldn't submit one.

What's Realistic for a Junior A1C

Here's an honest look at what an A1C with 18 to 30 months of TAFMS can expect:

0 decorations: Common for Airmen who haven't deployed and work in a high-volume AFSC where individual accomplishments can be hard to distinguish. Starting the conversation with your supervisor early is the main lever here.

1 decoration (5 points): Realistic for most A1Cs. An AFAM for sustained superior performance or a specific project, or a unit award for a deployment or high-visibility mission period.

2–3 decorations (10–15 points): Airmen who've deployed, received a unit award, and also earned an individual AFAM are in this range. This is a solid BTZ decorations score and gives you a competitive foundation.

4–5 decorations (20–25 points): Airmen who've had multiple deployments or worked in joint environments where Army/joint awards were also submitted. Less common, but not rare.

6+ decorations: Exceptional at the A1C level. Possible for those with significant deployments, combat awards, or multiple unit citations. If you have these, make absolutely certain every one of them is in your official record.

Timing the Submission

If you want a decoration on record before your board, work backward from the board date. Most units take 45 to 60 days to process an AFAM if the chain of command is responsive. Some units take longer. Plan for 90 days minimum if you want the decoration in your records — not just submitted, but actually awarded and reflected in vMPF.

If your board is in 6 months, have the conversation with your supervisor now. If your board is in 3 months, have the conversation this week. If your board is in 6 weeks, it may be too late for a new submission to make it through — but you can still verify that all existing decorations are on record.

To see exactly how your decoration count affects your BTZ total, run your numbers through the BTZ promotion calculator. The difference between 1 and 4 decorations is 15 points — which often shows up clearly when you adjust the slider.

For more context on where decorations fit relative to your other scoring categories, read what makes a competitive BTZ score. And if you're building your board prep plan from scratch, how to prepare for your BTZ board lays out the timeline in detail.

The about page explains the sources behind the BTZ scoring formula and how the calculator was built.

One More Thing to Check

If you've received any awards from civilian organizations, professional associations, or community groups, those are not counted as decorations for BTZ purposes — but they may support your community involvement score. Keep them documented separately.

Your decoration record should be accurate, complete, and verified. Everything else in the BTZ package is built on top of that foundation.