National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces.
| National Defense Service Medal | |
|---|---|
 National Defense Service Medal | |
| Awarded by the Department of Defense[1] | |
| 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(s) | Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Global War on Terrorism |
| Status | Active |
| Description | Obverse: Shows a North 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 | April 22, 1953 – July 27, 1954 (retroactive to June 27, 1950) |
| Last awarded | March 28, 2003 – present (retroactive to September 11, 2001) |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Army: Army of Occupation Medal Air Force: 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 |
  Service ribbon and Campaign streamer | |
References
- ↑ "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.
