The Bronze Star Medal was established by Executive Order 9419, 4 February 1944 (superseded by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962, as amended by Executive Order 13286, 28 February 2003). The Bronze Star, awarded for meritorious service or acts of valor while serving in combat operations, is the ninth-highest military award in order of precedence of overall U.S. military decorations. Copyright 2023 www.OperationMilitaryKids.org. The star hangs from its ribbon by a rectangular metal loop with rounded corners. It is awarded for acts of heroism or merit under combat, and can be awarded to members of any of the Armed Forces of the United States of America. To earn a Bronze Star, you have to perform an action that shows bravery and courage. The result of those changes allowed those serving on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to be awarded a Meritorious Service Medal instead of the Bronze Star for achievements in a combat theater. In the middle there can be found another bronze star with a diametre of 3/16 inch (4,8 mm). Devices: Bronze Letter. Effective Jan. 7, 2016, the V device is authorized on the Bronze Star Medal. (2) In action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which the Armed Forces of the United States are or have been engaged. They may also denote additional achievements. An accumulation of minor acts of heroism normally does not justify the award, but unusual or exceptional cases will be decided on their merits. (3) While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. In the middle there can be found another bronze star with a diametre of 3/16 inch (4,8 mm). of Veterans Affairs, please visit their website atva.gov. Distinguished Service Cross (Army) Service Cross Medal. Editorial Disclosure: Editorial content on Veteran.com may include opinions. ASVAB Scores For Air Force Jobs: All 130+ For 2022, How To Choose The Right Military Branch For You, 3. Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs. The acts of merit or acts of valor must be less than that required for the Legion of Merit but must nevertheless have been meritorious and accomplished with distinction. Minor acts of heroism in actual combat, single acts of merit or meritorious service connection with military or naval operations may justify this award. Download the TracesOfWar app directly on, Australia (1901-present, Federal Monarchy), Belgium (1830-present, Constitutional Monarchy), Canada (1931-present, Constitutional Monarchy), Soviet Union (1922-1991, People's Republic), Allsopp, Henry Richard, 5th Baron Hindlip, FOSTER, C.F. The Bronze Star Medal recognizes service members who show acts of heroism in the field, or who are meritorious in their work. These achievements must take place according to the following criteria: -Not during aerial flight The medal may be awarded either for meritorious service. General George C. Marshall, in a memorandum to President Franklin D. Roosevelt dated 3 February 1944, wrote .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. Any opinions are those of the author alone, and not those of an advertiser to the site nor of Veteran.com. The suspension ribbon is 1+38 inches (35mm) wide and consists of the following stripes: 132 inch (0.79mm) white 67101; 916 inch (14mm) scarlet 67111; 132 inch (0.79mm) white; center stripe 18 inch (3.2mm) ultramarine blue 67118; 132 inch (0.79mm) white; 916 inch (14mm) scarlet; and 132 inch (0.79mm) white.[15]. Colonel Reeder initially called his idea the Ground Medal, and his proposal quickly moved up the channels until it reached President Franklin D. Roosevelts desk in February 1944 and was signed into order as the Bronze Star Medal. The Bronze Star, also known as the Bronze Star Medal or BSM for short, is a military medal awarded for heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. U.S. Air Force graphic by Staff Sgt. Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Bill Graham (born Wulf Wolodia Grajonca; January 8, 1931 - October 25, 1991) was a German-American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death in 1991 in a helicopter crash. This allowed for awards where US service members become involved in an armed conflict where the United States was not a belligerent. The Bronze Star became part of the military award catalog in 1944. The Bronze Star was authorized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Executive Order 9419, 1944, (made retroactive to 7 December 1941). WEIGHTED AIRMAN PROMOTED SYSTEM POINT VALUE: 5, An official website of the United States government, WEIGHTED AIRMAN PROMOTED SYSTEM POINT VALUE, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. According to the Air Force, non-combat awards of the Bronze Star are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and that is what helps maintain the integrity of the award. From that moment on the medal could also be awarded to any member of the United States Army that were mentioned in orders after December 6th, 1941 or who had received a certificate for exceptional service in goundbattle against an armed enemy between December 7th, 1941 and September 2nd, 1945 or whos merit could be proven by documents dated before July 1st, 1947. The Bronze Star Medal with the "V" device to denote heroism is the fourth highest military decoration for valor. To merit this award, the acts or services must be accomplished or performed in a manner above that normally expected and sufficient to distinguish the individual above those performing similar services, as set forth in the following: (1) For Acts of Heroism. The criteria, however, should not be the period of service involved, but rather the circumstances and conditions under which the service was performed. (1) Professional achievement which merits the award must: The medal is awarded in three categories: valor, merit and achievement. Today, it is the fourth-highest ranking award a service member can receive for a heroic and meritorious deed performed in an armed conflict. Many have received the Bronze Star and a good number of them are famous or semi-famous names. FOUNTAIN INN, SC 29644-9019, 864-862-6425864-862-6425CUSTOMER SERVICE 8AM-5PM MON-FRI, The product isn't available for international shipping. Not to be confused with, United States Department of the Air Force, United States Department of Homeland Security, United States Army Forces in the Far East, "Army Regulation 600822: Military Awards", "SecNav Instruction 1650.1h: Navy And Marine Corps Awards Manual", "The Air Force Military Awards and Decorations Program", "Coast Guard Military Medals And Awards Manual", "PHS Officer Awarded Bronze Star for Year Long Deployment in Afghanistan", "Australian officer awarded US Bronze Star", "From the front lines of Ia Drang Valley: 'Killing, dying and suffering indelibly marked us all', National Archives and Records Administration, "Title 32, Volume 3, Section 578.16 Bronze Star Medal", "Army Regulation 600-8-22 Personnel-General Military Awards", "Title 32, Volume 3, Section 578.18 Meritorious Service Medal", "2013 UNHCR country operations profile Afghanistan", "Department of Defense Manual 1348.33 Volume 3", "Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards", "Tech. Customer needs to contact a Military Awards Specialist at 800-308-0849 to purchase the Bronze Star Medal. These devices can be worn on a ribbon bar or the ribbon of the medal itself. The Bronze Star Medal(also known asBronze Star) is aUnited States decorationawarded to members of theUnited States Armed Forcesfor either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Medal of Honor. As a result, non-U.S. troops were honored with the Bronze Star in World War 2, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, Iraq War, and Afghanistan. Only one "V" device will be worn on the medal or ribbon regardless of the number of times awarded. The reverse bears the inscriptionHEROIC OR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENTwith a space for the name of the recipient to be engraved. A civilian photographer named Joe Galloway received the medal during the Vietnam War for rescuing a wounded soldier in 1965. William "Billy" Waugh (born December 1, 1929), is a former United States Army Special Forces soldier and Central Intelligence Agency paramilitary operations officer who served more than 50 years. If a ranking or list has a company noted to be a partner the indicated company is a corporate affiliate of Veteran.com. Most Filipino and American servicemembers who served in the United States Army Forces in the Far East from 6 December 1941 to 10 May 1942 qualify to be awarded the Bronze Star Medal. It gives an extra bit of recognition to BSM recipients and sets them apart from other BSM beneficiaries. Operation Military Kids was founded to be a resource for teens and young adults who are interested in joining the military, but don't know where to begin. 9419 on Feb. 4, 1944, is awarded to a person in any branch of the military service who, while serving in any capacity with the armed forces of the United States on or after Dec. 7, 1941, shall have distinguished himself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy. Second Haitian Campaign Medal Marine Corps. They can also signify additional achievements. The Bronze Star Medal was designed by Rudolf Freund (1878-1960) of the jewelry firm Bailey, Banks & Biddle. Here are also notable Purple Heart winners and pro athletes who served in the military. The Department of Defense investigated the award of the Bronze Star Medal (BSM) by the USAF to some 246 individuals after operations in Kosovo in 1999. It established a, retroactive precedent for service members. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. At Medals of America, we honor our nations veterans with a large selection of medals and ribbons. To receive a Bronze Star, a commander must recommend the service member to receive the medal with a citation in their orders. For example, UPI reporter Joe Galloway was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" device during the Vietnam War for rescuing a badly wounded soldier under fire in the Battle of Ia Drang, in 1965. (a) Be noteworthy; The action it was to be awarded for had to be of significant value. Colonel Reeder saw this medal as the ground version of the Air Medal and first introduced the name "Ground Medal". No tables, rankings or lists are fully comprehensive and do not include all companies or available products. The awards sparked a debate as to whether or not the Air Force was awarding too many medals to its members, and whether the Bronze Star should be awarded for non-combat service. Every next Bronze Star awarded was to be shown by a bronze oak leaf cluster (US Army, Air Corps and Air Force) or a golden star (US Navy, Marines and Coast Guard). Service members have received the award during such conflicts as World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is important to distinguish that a service star is not an individual medal, whereas the Bronze Star is. The heroic act(s) performed must render the individual conspicuous and well above the standard expected. Bronze Stars are sometimes awarded with a V device, which means that the meritorious or heroic acts were performed during actual combat. The criteria for earning a Bronze Star would be amended a second time. The decoration measures 1,5 inch (38 mm) over all. The content offered on Veteran.com is for general informational purposes only and may not be relevant to any consumers specific situation, this content should not be construed as legal or financial advice. The Bronze Star Medal, or BSM, dates back to World War II. If you have questions of a specific nature consider consulting a financial professional, accountant or attorney to discuss. He had launched the thought that it was good for the morale of the military when there was a decoration that could be awarded by Captains of a Company or Battery to the personnel who served under their command. The two airmen, who had received the medals in March 2012, had been finance NCOICs in medical units deployed to the War in Afghanistan. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. During World War II, the Army awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge and Combat Medical Badge to soldiers for exemplary conduct in sustained action against the armed enemy. Category:Recipients of the Bronze Star Medal (United States) From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository English: Recipients of the Bronze Star Medal Contents: 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Donald G Kelly Subcategories This category has the following 200 subcategories, out of 1,427 total. [5][6], Civilians serving with U.S. military forces in combat are also eligible for the award. Meritorious or heroic acts during aerial flight are disqualified from this award. First Recipient The identity of the first recipient of the Bronze Star Medal is unknown. The star hangs from its ribbon by a rectangular metal loop with rounded corners. Colonel Reeder initially called his idea the Ground Medal, and his proposal quickly moved up the channels until it reached President Franklin D. Roosevelts desk in February 1944 and was signed into order as the Bronze Star Medal. All rights reserved. This award may be presented to members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, and Coast guard. To qualify, service members must perform these acts during an armed conflict against an enemy of the United States. Click here to purchase attachments for your Bronze Star Medal, 114 SOUTHCHASE BLVD. Please enter your email address below to create account. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Rob V. is the founder of OperationMilitaryKids.org. Medal of Honor. COAST GUARD DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL. Additionally, Armed Forces personnel who were cited for notable combat conduct against hostile forces between December 7, 1941 and September 2, 1945 may be presented with the award without a V device. STIWOT, 1999-2023. Worthy of special recognition, but not to the degree required for the Bronze Star Medal when combat is involved or the Navy and Marine Corps Medal when combat is not involved. & BORTS L.H., A complete guide to all United States Military Medals 1939 to Present, MOA Press, Fountain Inn, 2005, Privacy statement, cookies, disclaimer and copyright. A civilian reporter and photographer, Joe Galloway, received this medal during the Vietnam War in 1965 for rescuing a wounded soldier under fire. (2) For Meritorious Achievement. At the time of the Executive Order, for example, the US was not a belligerent in Vietnam, so US advisers serving with the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces would not have been eligible for the award. The Bronze Star Medal was designed by Rudolf Freund of Bailey, Banks, and Biddle. In the center is a316inch (4.8mm) diameter superimposed bronze star, the center line of all rays of both stars coinciding. On the reverse of the star is the inscription, HEROIC OR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT, along with the recipients name. Learn more about this military medal here. It can also be awarded for those who perform their duties in a meritorious manner in a combat zone, even if they do not directly participate in combat action. The Bronze Star is the 4th highest award given to a service member that performed a heroic or meritorious deed. Wear of a "V" device on the medal is authorized for acts of valor in combat. The award recognizes acts of heroism performed in ground combat if they are of lesser degree than that required for the Silver Star. The Bronze Star is the 5th highest combat decoration in the US Armed Forces. The acts of heroism are of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star. If you have questions about Veteran programs offered through or by the Dept. 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