Airman of the Quarter is one of the Air Force Quarterly Awards, recognizing a unit’s strongest performer each quarter. Selection comes from a supervisor-submitted nomination package, and winners typically receive a certificate, a coin, and consideration for the annual award.
These awards significantly intensify the overall visibility of Air Force personnel, including Air National Guard and Reserve, and their accomplishments.
How Are Airman of the Quarter Winners Selected?
The process generally starts with a supervisor identifying an Airman whose performance during the quarter stands out. The supervisor builds a nomination package documenting that performance, which is then submitted through the chain of command for consideration.
From there, the package is reviewed, often by a board or by squadron and group leadership, alongside other nominees competing in the same category. The specifics of how a board is composed and scored vary by wing and major command, so there’s no single process that applies Air Force-wide.
Once a winner is selected, the recognition is announced at the unit level, often at a commander’s call or a similar gathering. The Airman typically receives a certificate and a coin, and their package may then be forwarded for consideration in that unit’s annual award competition alongside the other quarterly winners from throughout the year.
What Are the Air Force Quarterly Award Categories?
Quarterly awards commonly recognize performers across a handful of categories: Airman, NCO, Senior NCO, and Civilian of the Quarter. Some wings also include additional categories, such as Company Grade Officer or Field Grade Officer, depending on how that unit structures its recognition program.
Each category competes separately, so an Airman’s package is judged against other Airmen, not against NCOs or civilians in the same cycle. The exact categories and how they’re weighted can vary from wing to wing, since individual commands are permitted to tailor their quarterly award structure within Air Force policy.
What Is AF Form 1206?
To standardize the nomination process, the Air Force requires that all nomination packages for awards be submitted on AF Form 1206, Nomination for Award, IAW AFPD 36-28, Awards and Decorations Program. It’s also referred to as DAF Form 1206 in current Department of the Air Force naming, though “AF Form 1206” remains in common use across official publications.
The form documents the case for quarterly and annual awards at all organizational levels, from Flight to the Headquarters Air Force, built in a distinctive single-spaced bullet format rather than full paragraphs.
Writing a strong 1206 is its own skill. In short, it’s the document that turns a quarter’s worth of performance into an Air Force award package that stands out.
Merits and Awards are effective tools to recognize outstanding achievements by US Air Force personnel, and they also boost morale and public support of the Air Force by communicating the accomplishments of its members.
How Squadrons Recognize Quarterly Award Winners
A certificate documents the achievement, but it tends to end up in a folder. A coin goes in a pocket, gets carried, and gets shown. That’s part of why Air Force challenge coins have become such a common piece of quarterly award recognition.
Squadron and group commanders often present a coin alongside the certificate at the recognition ceremony, sometimes designed specifically for that unit’s quarterly award program so every quarter’s winner receives the same coin. Some units order enough for all four quarters at once, keeping the design consistent and the process simple.
The coin becomes something the Airman keeps well past the ceremony itself, a physical marker of a specific quarter’s recognition that a certificate alone doesn’t carry the same way.
Finished Coin (Front)
Finished Coin (Back)
About This Airman of the Quarter Coin
We had the opportunity to design and manufacture a custom challenge coin for the Airman of the Quarter award. It was an elegant concept:
- The front is shield-shaped, bordered by a yellow ribbon-style edge. It features a crest combining a gold star with red rays radiating outward against a blue field, along with an eagle emblem at the top.
- The back reads “Airman of the Quarter” across the center, framed above by an arc of stars and below by a laurel wreath.
While it’s a relatively straightforward design, we had to make sure everything was proportionally placed and machined. The result is one prestigious and clean-looking custom challenge coin.
Design Custom Award Coins for Your Unit
If your unit runs a quarterly recognition program, we can build a coin design once and use it to recognize the winner in every quarter, the same way we design honor guard coins and other recurring recognition pieces.
- Free professional artwork
- Unlimited design revisions
- Free shipping within the continental U.S.
- 50-coin minimum
- 100% veteran-owned and operated challenge coin company
Tell us about your unit’s award program. Request a free coin design to get started with your custom Military Award challenge coins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Airman of the Quarter award?
Airman of the Quarter is a quarterly Air Force recognition award given to the top-performing Airman in a unit, selected from a supervisor-submitted nomination package.
How is Airman of the Quarter selected?
A supervisor nominates an Airman by building a nomination package documenting their performance during the quarter. The package is then reviewed by leadership or a board and a winner is announced.
What are the Air Force quarterly award categories?
Quarterly awards commonly include Airman, NCO, Senior NCO, and Civilian of the Quarter, with some wings adding categories such as Company Grade or Field Grade Officer.
What is AF Form 1206 used for?
AF Form 1206, Nomination for Award, is the standard form used to build a quarterly or annual award nomination package, written in a bullet-point format.
Do Airman of the Quarter winners receive a coin?
Coins are a common way squadrons recognize quarterly winners, often presented alongside the certificate at the recognition ceremony, though the practice varies by unit. Many are designed as part of a broader collection of Air Force squadron coins.
What is the difference between Airman of the Quarter and Airman of the Year?
Airman of the Quarter recognizes a three-month performance period at the unit level. Quarterly winners are typically eligible for consideration in that unit’s annual award competition, which recognizes performance across the full year.
Who nominates someone for Airman of the Quarter?
A supervisor typically submits the nomination package on behalf of the Airman being recognized.
What goes on a custom award challenge coin?
Designs commonly include the award name, unit insignia, stars, wreaths, and other recognition symbolism, customized to the unit’s own identity.
Can we order coins covering all four quarters at once?
Yes. Many units order a single design in a batch large enough to cover all four quarters of the year, keeping the process simple and the design consistent.