A gold frame is an attachment to a military decoration

Awards and decorations of the United States military

Awards and decorations of the United States Military are military decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces...

 which is issued by most of the world’s militaries. The gold frame is designed to enclose an award ribbon and is usually a means of distinguishing the ribbon’s special quality or denoting some additional achievement to the award's basic criteria.

The gold frame is normally an automatic attachment to a ribbon decoration. In certain cases, however, awards may be issued both with and without the gold frame depending upon the level of achievement. Such is the case in the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 which denotes the gold frame as a "gold border". The Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon

Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon

The Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon is a military award of the United States Air Force which was first created in June 2003. The ribbon is awarded to any member of the Air Force who completes a standard contingency deployment....

 may be presented with a gold border when the decoration is presented for service in a designated combat zone.

The gold frame and gold border is a device for ribbon awards only, and there are no provisions for issuing the attachment for medals.

Ribbons with gold frames

• Presidential Unit Citation (Army & Air Force)
• Joint Meritorious Unit Award
  Joint Meritorious Unit Award
  The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a military award that was established on June 4, 1981 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982...
  
  
• Valorous Unit Award
  Valorous Unit Award
  The Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
  
   (Army)
• Meritorious Unit Commendation
  Meritorious Unit Commendation
  The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
  
   (Army)
• Superior Unit Award
  Superior Unit Award
  The Superior Unit Award is a decoration of the United States Army which is awarded in peacetime to any unit of the Army which displays outstanding meritorious performance of a difficult and challenging mission carried out under extraordinary circumstances....
  
   (Army)
• Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon
  Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon
  The Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon is a military award of the United States Air Force which was first created in June 2003. The ribbon is awarded to any member of the Air Force who completes a standard contingency deployment....
  
   (Air Force) (may be issued without gold frame)
• Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award
  Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award
  The Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award is a U.S. government unit decoration which was established in 1992.The Presidential Unit Citation and Joint Meritorious Unit Award are considered senior to the Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award...
  
   (USCG; now obsolete)

• Presidential Unit Citation
  Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines)
  The Philippine Presidential Unit Citation is a decoration of the Republic of the Philippines which has been awarded to certain units of the United States military for actions both during and subsequent to the Second World War....
  
   (Philippines)
• Presidential Unit Citation
  Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)
  The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is issued by the government of South Korea to both Korean military and foreign units. The last major issuance of the decoration was during the Korean War when the decoration was bestowed to several U.S., U.K., and Commonwealth military units...
  
   (Korea)
• Presidential Unit Citation
  Presidential Unit Citation (Vietnam)
  The Republic of Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation was awarded by the Vietnamese government to all personnel in the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Indo-China, during August and September 1954. The emblem consists of three vertical red stripes on a golden yellow background, in a gold...
  
   (Vietnam)
• Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
  Vietnam Gallantry Cross
  The Vietnam Gallantry Cross was a military decoration of South Vietnam which wasestablished in August 1950. Also known as the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Gallantry Cross was awarded to any military personnel who have accomplished deeds of valor or displayed heroic conduct while fighting an...
  
   (Vietnam)
• Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation
  Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
  The Vietnam Civil Actions Medal was a decoration of South Vietnam which was first established in 1964. The decoration is a mid-level service award which was awarded to any member of the Vietnamese military who performed outstanding civic service to the state or who participated in civil service...
  
   (Vietnam)
• Luxembourg Croix de guerre unit award
• Unit Citation for Gallantry
  Unit Citation for Gallantry
  The Unit Citation for Gallantry is a collective group decoration awarded to members of Australian military units. It recognises extraordinary gallantry in action. The Unit Citation for Gallantry was created in 1991, along with the Meritorious Unit Citation. The actual citation is a warrant...
  
  (Australia)