Unit Citations Determination

Administered by Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Legislation au C2010Q00006 In force Prerogative Instrument

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UNIT CITATIONS

 

DETERMINATION

 

I, WILLIAM GEORGE HAYDEN, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, having received the approval of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for the designs of the Unit Citation for Gallantry and the Meritorious Unit Citation, and acting under regulations 4 and 5 of the Unit Citation Regulations, determine as follows:

A. The Unit Citation for Gallantry

Award of Unit Citation for Gallantry

1. The Unit Citation for Gallantry comprises an award of a Certificate of Citation to a Unit signed by the Governor-General and insignia of the Citation worn by members of the Unit. 

Insignia design

2.1 The insignia of the Citation is a gilt sterling silver rectangular frame 32 millimetres wide and 15 millimetres deep surrounding a deep-green ribbon bar 28 millimetres wide and 10 millimetres deep with a design of flames emanating from the frame’s outer edges to the centre.

2.2 A gilt sterling silver Federation Star 7 millimetres in diameter is placed at the centre of the ribbon bar in accordance with paragraph 3.1.

Entitlement to wear insignia

3.1 When a Unit is awarded a Citation, each person who was a member of the Unit at the time of the action for which a Citation is awarded, or during the period to which the Citation relates, is entitled to wear the Federation Star.

3.2 The insignia of the Citation and Federation Star may be worn by those members mentioned in paragraph 3.1 whenever full-size orders, decorations and medals are worn.

3.3 A person who joins the Unit after the time for which a Citation has been awarded may be entitled, while the person remains a member of the Unit, to wear the insignia of the Citation without the Federation Star according to the relevant Service dress regulations.

Wearing of insignia dress

4. The Chief of Staff or the delegate of the Chief of Staff of each arm of the Defence Force may determine eligibility to wear the insignia of the Citation and its manner of wearing in accordance with:

 (a) the custom of wearing on the left breast honours and awards instituted by The Sovereign; and

 (b) the relevant Service dress regulations.

Insignia miniature

5.1 The insignia miniature is a two-thirds size replica of the insignia of the Citation surrounding a miniature ribbon bar 18 millimetres wide.

5.2 The miniature is worn in accordance with the appropriate Service dress regulations whenever miniatures of orders, decorations and medals are worn.

Further awards

6.1 Second and subsequent awards are recognised by the presentation of a further Certificate of Citation to the Unit signed by the Governor-General.

6.2 Only one insignia of the Citation may be worn by a member.

B. The Meritorious Unit Citation

Award of Meritorious Unit Citation

7. The Meritorious Unit Citation comprises an award of a Certificate of Citation to a Unit signed by the Governor-General and insignia of the Citation worn by members of the Unit.

Insignia design

8.1 The insignia of the Citation is a rhodium plated sterling silver rectangular frame 32 millimetres wide and 15 millimetres deep surrounding a ribbon bar of old gold 28 millimetres wide and 10 millimetres deep with a design of flames emanating from the frame’s outer edges to the centre.

8.2 A rhodium plated sterling silver Federation Star 7 millimetres in diameter is placed at the centre of the ribbon bar in accordance with paragraph 9.1.

Entitlement to wear insignia

9.1 When a Unit is awarded a Citation, each person who was a member of the Unit at the time of the action for which a Citation is awarded, or during the period to which the Citation relates, is entitled to wear the Federation Star.

9.2 The insignia of the Citation and Federation Star may be worn by those members mentioned in paragraph 9.1 whenever full-size orders, decorations and medals are worn.

9.3 A person who joins the Unit after the time for which a Citation has been awarded may be entitled, while the person remains a member of the Unit, to wear the insignia of the Citation without the Federation Star according to the relevant Service dress regulations.

Wearing of insignia dress

10. The Chief of Staff or the delegate of the Chief of Staff of each arm of the Defence Force may determine eligibility to wear the insignia of the Citation and its manner of wearing in accordance with:

 (a) the custom of wearing on the left breast honours and awards instituted by The Sovereign: and

 (b) the relevant Service dress regulations.

Insignia miniature

11.1 The insignia miniature is a two-thirds size replica of the insignia of the Citation surrounding a miniature ribbon bar 18 millimetres wide.

11.2 The miniature is worn in accordance with the appropriate Service dress regulations whenever miniatures of orders, decorations and medals are worn.

Further awards

12.1 Second and subsequent awards are recognised by the presentation of a further Certificate of Citation to the Unit signed by the Governor-General.

12.2 Only one insignia of the Citation may be worn by a member.

Dated  31st October 1991

Original Signed by Bill Hayden

GOVERNOR-GENERAL

Overview

The Unit Citation Regulations, enacted in 1991 by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, William George Hayden, provide the framework for the establishment and awarding of the Unit Citation for Gallantry and the Meritorious Unit Citation. These awards recognise the outstanding bravery and meritorious service of units within the Australian Defence Force, filling a specific need to honour collective acts of courage and exceptional service in the military context. The regulations detail the design of the insignia, the conditions for wearing these insignia, and the procedures for recognising subsequent awards. The policy objective is to ensure that units that have distinguished themselves through exceptional acts of bravery or service are duly recognised and honoured in a manner that reflects the high standards of the Australian Defence Force.

Scope and Application

The Unit Citation Regulations, as established by the Governor-General under the authority of the Australian Sovereign, pertain specifically to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and its units. This legislation governs the awarding and presentation of two types of citations: the Unit Citation for Gallantry and the Meritorious Unit Citation. The awards are designed to recognise exceptional bravery and meritorious service by military units. The Act applies to all members of the ADF who were part of a unit at the time of the action for which the citation is awarded or during the relevant period. The insignia, including the Federation Star, is to be worn in accordance with specific guidelines set by the Chief of Staff or their delegate, aligning with the customs of wearing honours and awards instituted by The Sovereign, as well as relevant service dress regulations. The issuance of further awards for subsequent citations is recognised by presenting additional Certificates of Citation to the unit.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of this legislation (C2010Q00006) outline the design and awarding of the Unit Citation for Gallantry (UCG) and the Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC). The UCG is comprised of a certificate signed by the Governor-General and insignia which includes a gilt sterling silver frame surrounding a deep-green ribbon bar with flames design and a Federation Star at the centre (section 1 and 2). Similarly, the MUC includes a rhodium-plated sterling silver frame surrounding an old gold ribbon bar with flames design and a Federation Star at the centre (section 7 and 8). Entitlement to wear the insignia is extended to members of the Unit who were present during the action or the period to which the Citation relates, and to new members according to Service dress regulations (sections 3 and 9). The manner of wearing the insignia is determined by the Chief of Staff or their delegate, considering the custom of wearing honours and awards and relevant Service dress regulations (sections 4 and 10). The Act imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. Firstly, the Governor-General is responsible for determining the award of the UCG and MUC, following the approval of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for the designs (section 1). Secondly, the Chief of Staff or their delegate is responsible for determining the eligibility to wear the insignia and its manner of wearing, in accordance with the custom of wearing honours and awards and relevant Service dress regulations (sections 4 and 10). Further, each arm of the Defence Force must ensure that the insignia is worn correctly as per the regulations. Breaches of the provisions of this Act may result in legal consequences. However, the specific offences, penalties, or consequences for non-compliance are not detailed in the provided text. Generally, unauthorised wearing of military insignia may be considered a disciplinary offence under military law, potentially leading to penalties such as fines or other disciplinary actions. The maximum penalties are not specified in the text provided, and would typically be determined by the relevant military regulations or service law.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.