Navy Expeditionary Medal

Last updated
Navy Expeditionary Medal
Navexpmed front.jpg
TypeMedal
Awarded forLanded on foreign territory and engaged in operations against armed opposition, or operated under circumstances which, after full consideration, shall be deemed to merit special recognition and for which service no campaign medal has been awarded.
Presented bythe Department of the Navy [1]
EligibilityUS Navy officers and enlisted
Clasps Wake Island
StatusCurrently Awarded
EstablishedAugust 5, 1936
First awarded12 Feb 1874 (Retroactive) (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands)
Last awarded15 Dec 2002 [2]
Navy Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg
Precedence
Next (higher)U.S. Marine Corps - Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal
EquivalentU.S. Marine Corps - Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
Next (lower) Antarctica Service Medal
Related Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon

The Navy Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States Navy which was established in August 1936.

Contents

Award criteria

The General Orders of the Department of the Navy which established the medal states, "The medal will be awarded to the officers and enlisted men of the Navy who were confirmed to have landed on foreign territory and engaged in operations against armed opposition, or operated under circumstances which, after full consideration, shall be deemed to merit special recognition and for which service no campaign medal has been awarded. The Navy Expeditionary Medal is retroactively authorized to February 12, 1874."

Design

The medal was designed by A. A. Weinman and features a sailor beaching a craft carrying Marines, an officer, and a US flag with the word "Expeditions" above. On the reverse of both the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal and Navy Expeditionary Medal, in the center of the bronze medallion an eagle is shown alight upon an anchor; the eagle is facing to the left and the flukes of the anchor are to the right. The eagle is grasping sprigs of laurel, which extend beyond the anchor in both directions. Above the eagle are the words UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS or UNITED STATES NAVY presented as an arch. Above the laurel are the words FOR SERVICE presented horizontally. The eagle is the American bald eagle and represents the United States, the anchor alludes to Marine Corps or Navy service, and the laurel is symbolic of victory and achievement.

Marine Corps eligibility

The medal is one of the few Navy awards which are not concurrently bestowed to the United States Marine Corps, as Marine Corps personnel are eligible for the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal as an equivalent award. In addition, since 1961, some Navy commands have permitted service members to choose between the Navy Expeditionary Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for participation in certain operations. Both awards may not be bestowed simultaneously for the same action. [3] [4]

Additional awards

Additional awards of the Navy Expeditionary Medal are denoted by service stars.

Wake Island Device

The Wake Island Device is authorized for those service members who were awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal through the defense of Wake Island. [5] As the vast majority of the defenders of Wake Island were U.S. Marines, the Navy Expeditionary Medal with the Wake Island device is one of the rarest awards in the U.S. military history, with only 68 eligible recipients.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legion of Merit</span> Military award of the US Armed Forces

The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight uniformed services of the United States as well as to military and political figures of foreign governments.

The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth version existing for acts of joint military service performed under the Department of Defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of the United States Marine Corps</span>

The flag of the United States Marine Corps is the flag used to represent the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as its subsidiary units and formations.

The China Service Medal was a service medal awarded to U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. The medal was instituted by Navy Department General Order No. 176 on 1 July 1942. The medal recognized service in and around China before and after World War II.

The Navy "E" Ribbon or Battle Efficiency Ribbon was authorized on March 31, 1976, by Secretary of the Navy J. William Middendorf as a unit award for battle efficiency competition. The service ribbon replaced the "E" patch previously sewn on the right sleeve of the enlisted naval uniform for rates/pay grades E-1 through E-6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defense Meritorious Service Medal</span> United States military award

The Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM) is an award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense. In the order of precedence of the United States Armed Forces, it is worn between the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal. The medal is awarded in the name of the Secretary of Defense to members of the Armed Forces who, while serving in a joint activity, distinguish themselves by non-combat outstanding achievement or meritorious service, but not of a degree to warrant award of the Defense Superior Service Medal.

The Vietnam Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. Armed Forces provided they meet the award requirements.

The Marine Corps Brevet Medal, also known as the Brevet Medal, was a military decoration of the United States Marine Corps; it was created in 1921 as a result of Marine Corps Order Number 26. The decoration was a one-time issuance and retroactively recognized living Marine Corps officers who had received a brevet rank. The similar practice of frocking continues in all six branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Service star</span> Military decoration

A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star 316 inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or service period. The service star may also be referred to as a campaign star or battle star depending on which award the star is authorized for and the manner in which the device is used for the award. "Battle star" is also the term used to refer to decorations issued by the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War to individual ships, recognizing a vessel's participation in a particular battle or operation.

The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John F. Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, after July 1, 1958, participated in U.S. military operations, U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations, or U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia</span>

The Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia is a miniature 516 inch bronze United States Marine Corps emblem that may be authorized by the Secretary of the Navy for wear on specific campaign, expeditionary, and service medal ribbons issued to United States Navy sailors attached to and on duty with Fleet Marine Force (FMF) units during combat operations and sailors on duty with Navy units attached to and operating with Fleet Marine Force units while under Marine Corps operational control during combat operations. The device was instituted in 1953 with the Navy and Marine Corps Award Manual dated 1953.

The American Defense Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces, established by Executive Order 8808, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on June 28, 1941. The medal was intended to recognize those military service members who had served on active duty between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global War on Terrorism Service Medal</span> American service medal

The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (GWOT-SM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created through Executive Order 13289 on 12 March 2003, by President George W. Bush. The medal recognizes those military service members who have supported operations to counter terrorism in the War on Terror from 11 September 2001, to a date yet to be determined.

The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) is a United States Armed Forces award created by George W. Bush on 12 March 2003, through Executive Order 13289. The medal recognizes those military service members who have deployed overseas in direct service to the War on Terror from 11 September 2001 to a date to be determined. Prior to 30 April 2005, the medal was awarded for service within Iraq and Afghanistan, but has been replaced with the Iraq Campaign Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal and serves primarily as recognition for personnel who have deployed in support of the War on Terror to locations beyond Iraq and Afghanistan. In a similar fashion the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal is issued for service in the fight against ISIS, with eligibility retroactive to 15 June 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Forces Reserve Medal</span> United States military service award

The Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) is a service medal of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1958. The medal recognizes service performed by members of the reserve components and is awarded to both officers and enlisted personnel. The medal is considered a successor award to the Naval Reserve Medal and the Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon, which were discontinued in 1958 and 1965, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Island Device</span> Metal device attached to American military medals for service in WWII Battle of Wake Island

The Wake Island Device is an award device of the United States military which is presented as a campaign clasp to both the Navy and Marine Corps Expeditionary Medals.

The Navy Occupation Service Medal was a military award of the United States Navy which was "Awarded to commemorate the services of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel in the occupation of certain territories of the enemies of the United States during World War II" and recognized those personnel who participated in the European and Asian occupation forces during, and following World War II. The medal was also bestowed to personnel who performed duty in West Berlin between 1945 and 1990.

The Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States Marine Corps. It was established on 8 May 1919 as the Marine Corps Expeditionary Ribbon. A full-sized medal was authorized on 1 March 1921. The Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal is therefore one of the oldest medals of the United States military which is still issued to active duty personnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meritorious Service Medal (United States)</span> United States Armed Forces military award

The Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) is a military award presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves with outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badges of the United States Navy</span> Military badges of the US Navy

Insignias and badges of the United States Navy are military badges issued by the United States Department of the Navy to naval service members who achieve certain qualifications and accomplishments while serving on both active and reserve duty in the United States Navy. Most naval aviation insignia are also permitted for wear on uniforms of the United States Marine Corps.

References

  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-18. Retrieved 2018-01-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. End date for Operation Determined Response (for forces involved in the response to the USS Cole bombing and subsequent investigation in Yemen). This is the most recent public awarding. The dates of awardings for any classified operations are not public knowledge
  3. "HISTORY OF COMBAT SERVICE INSIGNIAS" (PDF). AIR FORCE ENLISTED HERITAGE RESEARCH INSTITUTE. 29 August 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  4. Navy and marine corps awards manual, secnavinst 1650.1 series
  5. "Service Medals and Campaign Credit of the United States Navy, Navy Expeditionary Medal". History.navy.mil. Retrieved 28 September 2018.