Overview

• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized the medal in an Aug. 13 memorandum with immediate effect, now publicly announced by the Department of Defense.
• Service members qualify with at least 30 days of consecutive or nonconsecutive duty in designated operations starting Jan. 20, 2025, with no end date set.
• Eligibility covers U.S. areas within 100 nautical miles of the Mexico border and adjacent waters out to 24 nautical miles in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
• Personnel who previously received the Armed Forces Service Medal for these missions may request the new decoration instead, but cannot hold both for the same period of service.
• The Army Institute of Heraldry will produce the medal and the Defense Logistics Agency will expedite acquisition and distribution for eligible active-duty members and veterans.