The Department of Defense has authorized the Armed Forces Service Medal and Humanitarian Service Medal to acknowledge service members’ contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This recognition is available to both Active and Reserve Component personnel who participated in qualifying COVID-19 operations or activities. This article focuses on the Armed Forces Service Ribbon, a symbol of this recognition.
Eligibility for both the Armed Forces Service Medal, and consequently the Armed Forces Service Ribbon, spans from January 31, 2020, and continues to a future date yet to be determined. Due to the widespread nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, a specific ‘area of eligibility’ isn’t defined. Instead, authorities responsible for awards will determine eligibility based on the individual’s involvement in Department of Defense (DoD) COVID-19 operations and activities that meet the criteria.
Secretaries within each Military Department are tasked with establishing eligibility for service members within their respective departments, using the DoD’s established award criteria. For National Guard members not under the jurisdiction of a Military Department Secretary, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau will determine eligibility.
It’s important to note that service members cannot receive both medals for the same set of activities, deployment, or period of service. However, acknowledging the unique global circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Armed Forces Service Medal, represented by the Armed Forces Service Ribbon, can be awarded for 30 cumulative or consecutive days of qualifying service.
Furthermore, the typical deployment requirement associated with the Armed Forces Service Medal is waived for non-deployed service members in this instance. Eligibility extends to members reassigned from their regular duties to primarily engage in tasks directly related to DoD COVID-19 operations or activities for a period of 30 consecutive or non-consecutive days.
In a significant provision recognizing the health risks of COVID-19, the Armed Forces Service Medal, symbolized by the Armed Forces Service Ribbon, can be authorized for just one day of qualifying service if that service resulted in the member contracting the virus. It is worth noting that similar waivers are not necessary for the Humanitarian Service Medal as its award criteria does not include deployment requirements or a minimum service period.
For more comprehensive information, you can refer to the related memo here. This document provides further details regarding the Armed Forces Service Ribbon and the criteria for its award during the COVID-19 pandemic.
