Members of the military helping to battle the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for a new medal if their service qualifies.
The Department of Defense recently greenlighted the award of the Armed Forces Service Medal and Humanitarian Service Medal to both active duty service members and members of the Reserves.
“The period of award for both medals is from Jan. 31, 2020, to a future `to be determined’ termination date,” a DoD release states.
There is no designated "area of eligibility" for the award due to the global nature of the coronavirus.
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“Award authorities determine eligibility based on the nature of the member’s participation in qualifying DoD COVID-19 operations and activities,” the release reads.
Service secretaries will determine award eligibility based on the criteria of their specific service branch and the DoD. The Chief of the National Guard Bureau determines eligibility for National Guard members who do not fall under the purview of a service secretary.
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Service members are not eligible for both medals based on the same activities, deployment, or period of service. The Armed Forces Service Medal may be awarded for 30 consecutive or non-consecutive days of qualifying service.
The Armed Forces Service Medal may be awarded for one day of qualifying service if it resulted in the service member contracting the virus.
More details can be found in a memo here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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