Okay kiddo, so when people do really brave, important or amazing things, we want to reward and honor them for it. The United States government gives out special medals and ribbons, called awards and decorations, to show that they did something really good.
There are lots of different medals and ribbons, each with a different meaning. Some are for being in the military and doing a really good job. Others are for being a hero and saving people's lives. And some are for just being a really good worker or doing important research.
These medals and ribbons usually have different colors and shapes, and they even have special names. For example, there's a medal called the Medal of Honor, which is the highest award you can get from the government. It's given to people who did something really brave or heroic during a war.
So basically, these awards and decorations are like special prizes that are given out to people who deserve them. They make the person feel really proud and happy, and they show everyone else how amazing that person is too!