Is The National Defense Service Medal A Protected Veteran?

American service medal

Award

National Defense force Service Medal
Obverse
Blazon	Service medal
Awarded for	Military service during periods of national emergency or any other periods designated by the Secretary of Defence.
Clarification	Obverse: Shows a Northward American baldheaded eagle, perched on a sword and palm. Above this, in a semicircle, is the inscription "National Defense". Contrary: Shows a shield, taken from the coat of arms of the Usa; it is half encircled below with an open wreath, the correct side of oak leaves and laurel leaves the left. Ribbon: The ribbon has a wide yellow stripe in the heart, flanked past narrow stripes of red, white, blue, white and broad red stripes.
Presented by	the Department of Defense^[1]
Eligibility	Member of the United States Armed Forces during qualifying periods of national emergency
Campaign(south)	Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, and the Global War on Terrorism
Clasps	Service star for subsequent awards
Condition	Awarded
Established	Executive Guild 10448, Apr 22, 1953 (equally amended by E.O. 11265, January xi, 1966; E.O. 12776, Oct 8, 1991; Due east.O. 13293, March 28, 2003.
Start awarded	April 22, 1953 – July 27, 1954 (retroactive to June 27, 1950)
Last awarded	April 26, 2002 – nowadays (retroactive to September xi, 2001)

Service ribbon and campaign streamer

Precedence
Next (higher)	Army: Army of Occupation Medal Air Forcefulness: Medal for Humane Action^[2] Navy: Navy Occupation Service Medal Marine Corps: Navy Occupation Service Medal Coast Guard: Navy Occupation Service Medal
Next (lower)	Korean Service Medal
Related	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

The National Defense force Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Military machine who has served during whatsoever i of four specified periods of armed disharmonize or national emergency from 1950 to the nowadays. Gainsay or "in theater" service is not a requirement for the laurels.

History [edit]

The National Defence force Service Medal (NDSM) was first intended to be a "blanket campaign medal" awarded to service members who served honorably during a designated time period of when a "national emergency" had been declared during a time of war or conflict. It may also be issued to active armed forces members for whatsoever other period that the Secretary of Defense designates.

To date, the NDSM has been awarded for four specific time periods, which roughly represent to the Korean (1950-1954), Vietnam (1961-1974) and Gulf (1990-1995) wars as well as the Global War on Terrorism (2001 to date).

Establishment [edit]

The NDSM was established by Executive Order 10448, issued past President Dwight Eisenhower, on Apr 22, 1953. While no document is known which explains the rationale for the award, it was apparently established to recognize all service members who served during the Korean State of war, to include those who did non serve in the war zone. (Service members who served in the war zone received the Korean Service Medal, established by President Harry Due south Truman in 1950.) Originally, awards of the NDSM were restricted to personnel serving on active duty and were retroactive to June 27, 1950 - the appointment the Korean State of war began.

Design [edit]

The Heraldic Sectionalization, Quartermaster General's Office, of the U.S. Army was requested to provide designs for the NDSM. A blueprint adult by T. H. Jones was submitted to the U.S. Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel (G1) on 26 May 1953. A committee appointed by the Department of Defense, which included representatives of all services, met on 27 May 1953 and 3 June 1953 and selected Jones' blueprint for final approving. An hawkeye holding a sword and an olive co-operative (on the obverse), together with the shield of the Coat of Artillery of the U.s. (on the opposite), was used to symbolize the defense force of the The states. The combination of oak and palm leaves effectually the shield signify strength and preparedness.^[3]

Eligibility changes [edit]

Eligibility for the NDSM was expanded by executive orders issued in 1966 (EO 11265), 1991 (EO 12776) and 2003 (EO 13293).

Executive Club 11265, dated January eleven, 1966, extended eligibility for the NDSM to service members "who served during whatsoever menstruum afterward December 31, 1960, which the Secretary of Defense designates every bit being a flow for which active military service merits special recognition." The closing date of this menstruum of eligibility was later set at August fourteen, 1974 past a letter from the Assistant Secretarial assistant of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, subject field: Termination of Eligibility for the National Defense Service Medal, dated June 30, 1974.^[3]

The NDSM was again authorized by a memorandum, dated xx February 1991, from Secretarial assistant of Defense Richard Cheney for active service on or after ii August 1990 with no termination date established.^[3] Executive Order 12776 of October 8, 1991 extended eligibility for the NDSM to members of the Reserve Components during the period of the Gulf State of war. This eligibility period was later defined as from Baronial 2, 1990 to November 30, 1995.

A memorandum from the Function of the Deputy Secretarial assistant of Defense force, dated April 26, 2002, authorized the reinstatement of the NDSM for all active duty personnel retroactive to September 11, 2001. Executive Order 13293, dated March 28, 2003, amended EO 10448 to extend eligibility to all Selected Reserve personnel (i.e. actively drilling members of the reserve components to include the National Baby-sit). As EO 13293 amended the EO which established the NDSM, this fabricated Selected Reserve personnel from all previous eligibility periods eligible for the NDSM, to include those who served during the Korean and Vietnam eras.

Status [edit]

The National Defense Service Medal is the oldest service medal (as opposed to decorations for particular achievements such equally valor or meritorious service and Good Conduct Medals) awarded by all branches of the United states Armed forces. The merely two older awarded service medals are the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, established in 1919, and the Navy Expeditionary Medal, established in 1936. The oldest awarded gainsay decoration is the Medal of Honor, which was established in 1862, and the oldest awarded non-combat ornament is the Ground forces's Distinguished Service Medal, established in 1918. The Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Army Good Conduct Medals were established in 1869, 1896, 1923 and 1941 respectively. The Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal was established in 1925.

As the NDSM has been awarded to all military personnel during four wartime periods, it has millions of recipients and is the near widely awarded medal in the history of the United States war machine, with the possible exception of the World War II Victory Medal.

Periods of eligibility [edit]

The National Defense Service Medal is authorized for all active duty and Selected Reserve United states military personnel, regardless of length of service, with no requirement for overseas or combat service, for the following time periods:^[4]

Era	From	To
Korean War	June 27, 1950	July 27, 1954
Vietnam War	January i, 1961	August xiv, 1974
Gulf War	Baronial 2, 1990	November 30, 1995
Global War on Terrorism	September 11, 2001	Nowadays

Award criteria [edit]

The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is awarded to anyone who has served on active duty, or as an active reservist, in the United States Armed Forces during any of four specified time periods.^[5] Originally, reserve component service during the Korean and Vietnam periods of eligibility, other than those Reserve Component personnel in a full-time condition or on active duty greater than 89 days, did not qualify for accolade of the NDSM. This was changed by Executive Club 13293, signed on 28 March 2003, to include Selected Reserve personnel (i.east. drilling reservists) during all periods of eligibility.

For service in the Persian Gulf War, members of the Reserve Components, to include the National Guard, were initially awarded the NDSM when called to active duty service, but this was later expanded to include all members of the Reserve or National Guard in good continuing in the Selected Reserve during the eligibility menstruum.^{[half dozen]}

For service in the Global War on Terrorism, Selected Reserve and National Guard members need but to have been in adept standing to receive the NDSM and no active duty service is required.^[7] Inactive Set up Reserve and Retired Reserve are not eligible to be awarded the NDSM unless called to active duty.

The medal is authorized to cadets and midshipmen at the military service academies subsequently they are sworn into service, too every bit pre-commission officer candidates/trainees at the Officeholder Candidate Schools or Officer Training Schools of the diverse U.Southward. Military; merely is not granted to discharged or retired military personnel who did not serve in i of the to a higher place time periods; nor is it authorized for Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets and midshipmen at colleges and universities who enlisted in the inactive reserve (i.e., Obligated Reserve Department or ORS) during qualifying periods.

The NDSM ranks fourth out of twenty-ix in the order of precedence of service medals. There is no time requirement for the medal's issuance, pregnant that someone who joins the United states Military for just a few days, and and so receives an entry level discharge, would technically be entitled to the NDSM; in exercise, however, armed services clerks will not add the NDSM on a DD Form 214 if the service fellow member performed duty for less than 90 days from the completion of their initial entry training. This accounts for the medal's omission from many "uncharacterized" and "entry level" separation documents. Veterans who accept this medal so omitted may apply to the military service departments to have the NDSM added to records via a DD Grade 215.^[8]

Additional awards [edit]

Additional awards of the National Defense Service Medal are authorized for members of the military machine who served in more than than one of the eligible time periods. Each additional accolade is denoted by a iii⁄16 -inch statuary service star fastened to the ribbon. A 2nd laurels of the medal is not granted for reenlisting during the same time period or transferring between branches of service.^[9]

Starting in 1966, when the NDSM was authorized for service in the Vietnam era, members of the U.Due south. Army who had received two NDSMs (i.e. for both the Korean and Vietnam eras), wore an oak foliage cluster on the ribbon, rather than a star (as was done by the other branches of service).

Recipients of 3 NDSMs are uncommon, and no individual received the NDSM for all four eligibility periods.

NDSM ribbons with 3⁄xvi inch bronze stars

First award: service ribbon only
Second award: one 3⁄sixteen -inch bronze star
Third award: two 3⁄sixteen -inch bronze stars
Quaternary award: three 3⁄16 -inch bronze stars (never awarded)

References [edit]

^ "Issuances" (PDF). www.esd.whs.mil. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
^ "Air Force Personnel Center - Awards and Decorations". Afpc.af.mil. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Awards". Third Infantry Sectionalization Realism Unit . Retrieved July 22, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
^ National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) – AUTHORIZED CONFLICTS Department of Defense, Office of the Under Secretarial assistant for Personnel and Readiness.
^ "National Defense Service Medal". The Establish of Heraldry. Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Regular army. Archived from the original on Feb 4, 2015. Retrieved February four, 2015.
^ Executive Order 12776
^ "Executive Club 13293" (PDF). gpo.gov . Retrieved April fifteen, 2018.
^ SECNAVINST 1650.1H 2006 4-16 page 128 Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
^ "National Defence Service Medal". edocket.access.gpo.gov . Retrieved April 15, 2018.