A Good Conduct Loop is an award of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 which denotes additional decorations of the Army Good Conduct Medal. Good Conduct Loops were first created in 1941 and were based on the concept of the enlistment bar

Enlistment Bar

An Enlistment Bar is an obsolete decoration of the United States military which was previously awarded as an attachment to the Good Conduct Medal. The U.S. Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard were the only services to ever use enlistment bars. An enlistment bar was...

. Good Conduct Loops have remained the primary method of displaying multiple bestowals of the Army Good Conduct Medal, and may be said to show how many "hitches" a soldier has served.

Good Conduct Loops are attached to the ribbon and medal of the Good Conduct Medal. A Good Conduct Loop comprises a clasp with several inscribed loops. The second award of a Good Conduct Medal would display a bronze clasp with two loops, the third would show a bronze clasp with three loops, and so on. At six loops, the clasp changes to silver, and then at eleven loops the clasp changes to gold. Thus, a silver loop with two knots would denote the seventh award of the Good Conduct Medal while a gold loop with four knots would indicate the fourteenth award of the Good Conduct Medal.

The Army Good Conduct Medal is the only one of the service Good Conduct awards which uses Good Conduct Loops. The U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

 display additional Good Conduct awards with service stars, while 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...

 uses oak leaf clusters.
See also: Awards and decorations of the United States military

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...