Military Medals and Honor Sacrifice
We owe much to our armed forces, beginning with the freedoms we enjoy every day down to the peace and security that allows us to exercise those freedoms. Military medals and military ribbons stand as testaments to military service. They do more than pay tribute; they tell the story behind the military career.
The first formal military awards for individual gallantry stem back to George Washington, who created the Badge of Military Merit in 1782 to recognize “any singularly meritorious action.” Although it fell out of use after the Revolutionary War, the medal started the tradition of recognizing soldiers for individual acts of heroism.
The Medal of Honor is by far the highest decoration military personnel can achieve. It is bestowed on anyone in the armed forces who “conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.” It is given to all branches of military service. Traditionally, the medal is personally bestowed on the individual by the President of the United States. Because it is such a high award, the Medal of Honor enjoys special protection under US law.
Other military medals and military ribbons for acts of “extraordinary heroism” include The Army Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, and the Air Force Cross.
One of the highest medals for heroism is the Soldier’s Medal. The Medal is awarded to “any person of the Armed Forces of the United States or of a friendly foreign nation who, while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, distinguished himself or herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy,” according to army regulation.
There are also a number of campaign medals to commemorate service in a particular conflict or area. Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars each have their own particular medal. There are also awards for humanitarian service and volunteer service.
Military medals serve as testaments to the courage and bravery of those who fought so hard for our freedoms. Though nothing we do can ever match their sacrifice, our honor for their service serves to remind us all that such contributions should never be forgotten.