Both the Air Force and the Coast Guard offer Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbons for exceptional recruits who graduate at the top of their basic training classes.  The Air Force was the first to create these military awards by order of the Air Force Chief of Staff back in April of 1976, and the Coast Guard did not follow suit with their version until March of 1984.  

These military ribbons are bestowed upon those Air Force service members who have obtained an honor graduate designation and demonstrate excellence in all areas of academic and military training.  An airman must achieve the “Thunderbolt” physical fitness level during the final AFBMT physical fitness test.  Lacking this achievement, the airman is ineligible no matter how well he or she performed in other areas of basic training. Additionally, the airman must average over a 90 percent on all the written examinations, and never fail a graded inspection (graded inspections are conducted randomly after week #3).   Finally, the airman must also never receive a negative mark in his or her written evaluations.  The number of airmen to receive this award is limited to no more than ten percent of the flight.  Those exceptional airmen who receive this award are entitled to wear these military ribbons for the rest of their Air Force Careers.  The Air Force has no corresponding military medals for these awards.

The Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon is not awarded retroactively, and due to the one-time-only nature of graduating from basic training, there are no provisions for additional awards.  These military ribbons are worn below the Air Force Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon, and above the Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksman Ribbon in the order of precedence for all military awards.   The Air Force Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon is available as a lapel pin, and in both the traditional slide on, or custom thin ribbon configurations.