IDF Citations

The Law of Decorations permits the IDF Chief of Staff or those who are authorized by him to grant citations.

Citations of various levels were instituted.

The level of the citation is indicated by a number of symbols of a sword crossed over an olive branch, like the rank of brigadier general.

If the act for which the citation is awarded took place in a period for which no campaign ribbon exists, then the citation has a neutral army green background.
       

Awarded by:

 

Chief Of Staff Citation

Chief Of Staff Citation

Chief of General Staff (Rav Aluf)
 

 

 

 
 

Officer Commanding Territorial Command Citation

Regional Commander Citation

Major General (Aluf)
 

 

 

 
 

Divisional Commander Citation

Divisional Commander Citation

Brigadier General (Tat Aluf)
       

 
 

Brigade Commander Citation

 Brigade Commander Citation

Colonel (Aluf Mishne)
 

 

 

  

IDF regulations state that in case the citation relates to an act performed during a period for which a campaign ribbon exists, then this campaign ribbon will serve as the background for the crossed sword and olive branch.

For the first 3 citations this is no problem, but the brigade commander citation is an empty ribbon, so this is connected to the side of the campaign ribbon.

Here the various citations in combination with the campaign ribbon for the Second Lebanon War.
 

Chief Of Staff Citation + =  
           
+ =  
           
+ =  
           

+ =  
 
 

 

Multiple citations
No rules exist that limit the amount of citations that can be awarded and no arrangement exists that deals with multiple similar ribbons on the uniform.

 
Samples of award documents - at this special page

 

Picture samples:

 

Chief Of Staff Citation to Shayetet 13 – The naval commando unit ..more
 

Lieutenant General Ehud Barak, with four Chief Of Staff Citations and one Medal of Distinguished Service, one of the two wearers of the highest number of decorations in Israel. The grounds for awarding two of the citations are still classified. Note that the citations are placed around the blue ribbon, contrary to present IDF rules.
 

Major General Nitzan Alons, awarded the Chief of Staff Citation
 

 

Yosef Mishlav + OC territorial Command Citation

Major General Yusef Mishleb, Head of the Home Front Command, with Regional Commander Citation, above campaign ribbons from left to right for "Peace For Galilee" and Yom Kippur war. This order of wearing is incorrect and should be reversed.

 

Rafael Abutbul decorated with a Brigade Commander Citation for acts on December 20, 2007 in Gaza.

Source: www.gvura.org

 

Shimon Sisu is awarded a citation by the GOC Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant

Picture taken by Avihu Shapira
 

Another picture of Shimon Sisu being congratulated with his citation for acts during the fights in Gaza in 2008.

Picture taken by Avihu Shapira
 

Dmitri Kamishlin, decorated with the Chief Of Staff Citation for saving the lives of a tank crew during the Second Lebanon War. Background of the decoration is the campaign ribbon for this war.
Source: IDF Spokesman

 

Thanks to Nati Cantorovich
 

Brigadier General Moshe (Chico) Tamir with Regional Commander Citation
 
 
Samples of Citation ribbons

 

 Chief Of Staff Regional Commander Divisional Commander Brigade Commander
Between campaigns Chief Of Staff Citation Officer Commanding Territorial Command Citation Divisional Commander Citation Brigade Commander Citation
enamel versions
Operation Protective Edge
Second Lebanon
Peace for Galilee    
Yom Kippur War  
 
Contributors:
- Eli Moskowitz
- Nati Cantorovich
- Ofer Drori