The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States Armed Forces.

The Good Conduct Medal, each one specific to one of the six branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, is currently awarded to any active duty enlisted member of the United States military who completes three consecutive years of "honorable and faithful service," or the initial term of enlistment if less than three years.

[1] Such service implies that a standard enlistment was completed without any non-judicial punishment, disciplinary infractions, or court martial offenses.

The Good Conduct Medal may also be awarded posthumously, to any enlisted service member who dies in the line of duty.

[4] The various services have established separate Reserve Good Conduct Medals, albeit under various names, as a comparable award available to enlisted Reserve and National Guard members who satisfactorily perform annual training, drill duty and any additional active duty of less than 3 consecutive years duration.

The original Navy Good Conduct Medal was also not worn on a uniform, but issued with discharge papers as a badge to present during reenlistment.

[7] The current Navy Good Conduct Medal is issued to every active-duty enlisted sailor who completes three years of honorable and faithful service since 1 January 1996.

The four-year requirement also applies for award of the Navy Good Conduct Medal from its original establishment until 1 November 1963.

[10] Since that latter date, members of the Marine Corps must have three consecutive years of honorable and faithful service in order to be eligible for the medal.

The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal (CGGCM) was authorized by the Commandant of the Coast Guard on 18 May 1921, but not designed until 1923 and originally used enlistment bars as attachments, in the same manner as the Marine Corps and Navy Good Conduct Medals.

Officially, the Good Conduct Medal is awarded for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity in active Federal Military service.

Also for the first award only, for those individuals who died before completing one year of active Federal military service if the death occurred in the line of duty.

During the Vietnam War it was known as the "Dentyne wrapper" (chewing gum brand) owing to it being red and white like the medal's suspension ribbon.

The Air Force Good Conduct Medal has remained unchanged in appearance since its original design over fifty years ago.

Additional awards of the Air Force Good Conduct Medal are denoted by bronze or silver oak leaf clusters.