"R" device
| "R" Device | |
|---|---|
| Type | Ribbon device |
| Awarded for | Achievement in remote combat operations |
| Sponsored by | United States Armed Forces |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | March 15, 2017 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | "C" device |
The "R" Device, or "Remote Impact Device", is a miniature bronze R that may be placed on certain individual awards of the United States Armed Forces to denote remote employment of a weapons systems that has a direct impact on a combat operation. Being established on March 15, 2017, the "R" device is one of the newer military devices. The "R" Device replaced the earlier effort by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta to create the Distinguished Warfare Medal in 2013.
The Navy awarded its first "R" devices to two unmanned aerial system (UAS) operators in 2017 from the Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 (VMU-3) based at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The Air Force awarded that service's first "R" devices in 2018 to five airmen from the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.