Korea Defense Service Medal

President George W. Bush created The Korea Defense Service Medal as a third Executive Order issue which he added to the medals of America in 2002. These US military medals are authorized for service members who have served in the Republic of Korea to uphold the armistice since July of 1954. These US military medals are medals of America, and not foreign issued medals. These military medals and ribbons are the reward for serving at least thirty consecutive days in the Korean theater. They are also granted for 60 non-consecutive days of service which includes reservists on annual training in Korea. The time requirements are waived in the case of service persons that have participated in actual combat, were wounded, injured, or worked in flight crews who flew sorties which totaled more than 30 days of duty in Korean airspace. United States Service members from all five branches of the military who performed duties during October 1966 through June 1974 may be entitled to the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal as a simultaneous award.

Only one presentation of the Korea Defense Service Medal is authorized for any one person. These military ribbons and medals are worn below the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and above the Armed Forces Service Medal in the general order of precedence which has been established for the proper display of all military ribbons and medals. These military awards can be worn as traditional full size military medals, mini medals, military ribbons, and lapel pins. They are available as traditional slide-on, full size military medals, mini-medals, and slide-on military ribbons. Nowadays however, more and more military service personnel are realizing the value to their career goals of always having their uniform decorations looking their best, and have turned to the slimmer and trimmer thin military medals and mini medals and the ultra thin ribbon racks to provide them with the smartest looking military award displays possible.