Both the Army and Air Force Presidential Unit Citations find their origins in Executive Orders issued by Franklin Roosevelt, one on 26 February 1942 and another on 2 December 1943, but neither of them spelled out the name of the award, which was to be “public evidence of deserved honor and distinction, to any organization, unit, detachment, or installation of the Army of the United States or Army of the Philippine Commonwealth.” Rather, these orders authorized the Army to create the award, which it originally designated the Distinguished Unit Citation. It was not until 1966 that the Army redesignated the award as the Presidential Unit Citation.
Because the Air Force was formed from the U.S. Army Air Force in 1947, it simply inherited the Distinguished Unit Citation. In 1957, President Eisenhower signed an Executive Order that authorized the Air Force to create its own award, which it named the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC).
An identical ribbon is used for both the Army and Air Force PUC; the only distinguishing factor is the size of the frame. Use the drop-down selector to choose the service award that is appropriate for you. Be aware that if you were awarded an Air Force PUC but are now in the Army, you should choose the Army option because regulations specify that “Unit awards received from other U.S. services that have a frame are worn with the Army (large-size) unit award citation frame.”