National Defense Service Medal

National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Awarded by United States
Type	Service medal
Eligibility	Member of the United States Armed Forces during qualifying periods of national emergency
Awarded for	Military service during periods of national emergency or any other periods designated by the Secretary of Defense.
Campaign	Korean War; Vietnam War; Persian Gulf War; Global War on Terrorism
Status	Active
Description	Obverse: Shows the American bald eagle, perched on a sword and palm. Above this, in a semicircle, is the inscription "National Defense". Reverse: Shows a shield, taken from the Coat of Arms of the United States; it is half encircled below with an open wreath, the right side of oak leaves and laurel leaves the left. Ribbon: The ribbon has a wide yellow stripe in the center, flanked by narrow stripes of red, white, blue, white and wide red stripes.
Clasps	Service star for subsequent awards
Statistics
Established	Executive Order 10448, April 22, 1953 (as amended by E.O. 11265, January 11, 1966; E.O. 12776, October 8, 1991; E.O. 13293, March 28, 2003.
First awarded	Korean War era: June 27, 1950 – July 27, 1954
Last awarded	Global War on Terrorism: September 11, 2001 – present
Precedence
Next (higher)	Navy: Navy Occupation Service Medal Marine Corps: Navy Occupation Service Medal Army: Army of Occupation Medal Air Force: Medal for Humane Action^[1] Coast Guard: Navy Occupation Service Medal
Next (lower)	Korean Service Medal
Related	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Service ribbon and Streamer

The National Defense Service Medal is a service medal of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. The medal was first intended to be a "blanket campaign medal" awarded to service members who served honorably during a designated time period of which a "national emergency" had been declared during a time of war or conflict. It may also be issued to active military members for any other period that the Secretary of Defense designates.

Currently, the National Defense Service Medal is the oldest "service medal" in use by the United States Armed Forces.

Eligible periods

The National Defense Service Medal is authorized for the following time periods:^[2]

War	From	To
Korean War	June 27, 1950	July 27, 1954
Vietnam War	January 1, 1961	August 14, 1974
Persian Gulf War	August 2, 1990	November 30, 1995
Global War on Terrorism	September 11, 2001	Present day

Award criteria

The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is awarded to anyone who serves on active duty in the United States military during the above time periods.^[3] Reserve Component service during the Korean and Vietnam periods, other than those Reserve Component personnel in a full-time status or on active duty greater than 89 days, did not qualify for award of the NDSM.

For service in the Gulf War, members of the Reserve Component (in good standing), 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 standing on the Reserve Active Status List (or equivalent) during the eligibility period.^[4]

For service in the War on Terrorism, Selected Reserve and National Guard members need only to have been in good standing to receive the NDSM and no active duty service is required.^[5] Inactive Ready 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 service academies after they are sworn into service, as well as pre-commission officer candidates/trainees at the Officer Candidate Schools or Officer Training Schools of the various U.S. services; but is not granted to discharged or retired military personnel who did not serve in one of the above time periods; nor is it authorized for Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadets and Midshipmen at colleges and universities who enlisted in the inactive reserve (i.e., Obligated Reserve Section or ORS) during qualifying periods.

The NDSM ranks eleventh out of twenty-nine in the order of precedence of service medals. There is no time requirement for the medal's issuance, meaning that someone who joins the military for simply a few days, and then receives an entry level discharge, would technically be entitled to the NDSM; in practice, however, military clerks will not add the NDSM on a DD Form 214 if the service member performed duty for less than 90 days from the completion of their initial entry training. This accounts for the medal's omission from a large number of "uncharacterized" and "entry level" separation documents. Veterans who have this medal so omitted may apply to the military service departments to have the NDSM added to records via a DD Form 215.^[6]

Additional awards

Additional awards of the National Defense Service Medal are authorized for members of the military who served in more than one of the eligible time periods; such additional awards are denoted by ³⁄₁₆-inch bronze service stars (a six award is indicated by one ³⁄₁₆-inch silver star). A second award of the medal is not granted for reenlisting during the same time period or transferring between branches of service.^[7]

First award: service ribbon only
Second award: service ribbon with one ³⁄₁₆-inch bronze star
Third award: service ribbon with two ³⁄₁₆-inch bronze stars
Fourth award: service ribbon with three ³⁄₁₆-inch bronze stars

References

↑ "Air Force Personnel Center - Awards and Decorations". Afpc.af.mil. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
↑ National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) – AUTHORIZED CONFLICTS Department of Defense, Office of the Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness.
↑ "National Defense Service Medal". The Institute of Heraldry. Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
↑ Executive Order 12776
↑ Executive Order 13293
↑ SECNAVINST 1650.1H 2006 4-16 page 128
↑ 578.23 National Defense Service Medal

External links

Media related to National Defense Service Medal at Wikimedia Commons

Inter-service awards and decorations of the United States military

Federal military decorations	Medal of Honor Silver Star Medal Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal

Department level military decorations	Defense Distinguished Service Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Defense Meritorious Service Joint Service Commendation Joint Service Achievement Joint Meritorious Unit

Federal service medals	Prisoner of War National Defense Service Medal Antarctica Service Korean Service Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Southwest Asia Service Kosovo Campaign Afghanistan Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign Medal Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Outstanding Volunteer Service Armed Forces Reserve

United States Campaign, Expeditionary, and Service Medals

19th century	Civil War Campaign Medal Indian Campaign Medal Dewey Medal Sampson Medal Cardenas Medal of Honor West Indies Campaign Medal Spanish Campaign Medal Spanish War Service Medal Army of Cuban Occupation Medal Army of Puerto Rican Occupation Medal Philippine Campaign Medal Philippine Congressional Medal

Early 20th century	China Campaign Medal (Army) China Relief Expedition Medal (Navy) Army of Cuban Pacification Medal Cuban Pacification Medal Nicaraguan Campaign Medal Haitian Campaign Medal Dominican Campaign Medal

World War I era	Mexican Service Medal Mexican Border Service Medal World War I Victory Medal Texas Cavalry Medal Army of Occupation of Germany Medal

Inter war era	Navy Expeditionary Medal Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal Haitian Campaign Medal NC-4 Medal Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal Yangtze Service Medal Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal United States Antarctic Expedition Medal

World War II era	China Service Medal American Defense Service Medal Women's Army Corps Service Medal American Campaign Medal European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal Medal for Humane Action

Late 20th century	National Defense Service Medal Korean Service Medal Antarctica Service Medal Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal Kosovo Campaign Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal

21st century	Afghanistan Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign Medal Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Medal Air and Space Campaign Medal Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal

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