Troops who served in the United States Capitol response to the insurrection on Jan. 6 and who served in the 2021 presidential inauguration qualify for the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday.
Both active and reserve service members are eligible for the medal if they served in the National Capital Region (District of Columbia, the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s; the Virginia counties of Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William from Jan. 6, 2021 to an as-yet-unknown termination date, according to the department.
An exception also exists because of the pandemic, according to the authorizing memo for the award. Service members can qualify for the award even if they served just one day on either Capitol or inauguration duty if that service resulted in the service member contracting the virus, or if their service was terminated early to comply with COVID-19 measures.
If troops were relieved from their Capitol or inauguration duties because they were determined "unsuitable" including for a "substantiated investigation or inquiry into conduct or relating to or associated with the events of the Jan. 6, 2021 breaching of the Capitol building," then they are not eligible for the award.
The Armed Forces Service Medal was originally authorized by a 1996 executive order. It is awarded to members of the U.S. military who, after June 1992, "participate or have participated ... in a U.S. military operation that is deemed to bea significant activity by the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and encounter no foreign armed opposition or imminent threat of hostile action."
In the center of the bronze medallion, a demi-torch, similar to that on the Statue of Liberty, is shown circled by an inscription with the name of the award. The torch "represents the principles of democracy as well as leadership and guidance," according to the Defense Department.
On the other side of the medal, an eagle, as on the seal of the Department of Defense, is shown between a wreath of laurel below and the inscription "In Pursuit of Democracy" above. The eagle "reflects the scope of the award and its applicability" since it is taken from the DoD seal. "Laurel is for honor and achievement," according to the department.
The medal is suspended from a gold, green and blue ribbon: "Green denotes life and growth, medium blue is the color used by the Department of Defense, and gold is for honor," according to a department description of the award.
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Reach Abbie Bennett: abbie@connectingvets.com or @AbbieRBennett.
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