Do you ever wonder what the attractive medal on an Army, Air Force or a Navy officer’s uniform means? Like we all see them sometimes walking around us and the television series, well definitely – they are sometimes full of officers wearing such medals. 

We understand that curiosity must be killing you, so we thought of discussing these realistic military medals, what they are, and how you can get them.

What Are Military Medals?

Before we proceed with discussing what are military medals, how about letting you know what medals are? Well, Merriam Webster defines a medal as ‘a piece of metal often resembling a coin and having a stamped design that is issued to commemorate a person or event or awarded for excellence or achievement.'

We all are familiar with a medal for academic performance, medal for performance in a competition, etc. But military medals are awarded to soldiers for their military heroism against an enemy, military service, or achievement. Now, the soldier or officers get the medal directly, and sometimes their family members get it if the recipient has passed away. 

What Is The Difference Between an Award And a Decoration?

Do you know the medals we are talking about are not as simple as they seem? They have quite a lot of details attached to them. So let us discuss this with you. These medals have two categories.

• Awards
• Decorations

Soldiers, officers, and members of the unit or sometimes the whole unit receive the award for their performance. However, an individual gets decoration due to an event or incident against the enemy that makes them worthy of receiving the medal. Many people take medals as ‘decorations’ because of the personal nature associated with them, so as you will now scroll down, we will be discussing some of the most popular medals (read: decorations) of the US Army and how you can get them.

Types Of Military Medals:

There are different types of military medals out there, but we will be discussing a few here which includes The Congressional Medal of Honor, The Distinguished Service Cross (Army), the Navy Cross (Navy and Marine Corps), the Air Force Cross (Air Force), The Silver Star, The Bronze Star, and The Purple Heart. 

So let’s delve into details of each.

The Congressional Medal of Honor

If someone is involved in combat or action against the United States' enemy and goes the extra mile to fight them, the Congressional Medal of Honor is awarded to the heroes. It is the highest military decoration medal and enjoys being presented by the President of the United States.

The Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross (Navy and Marine Corps), and the Air Force Cross

 (Air Force) enjoy the second-highest status. Each member of the military group gets this for their strength, resilience, and heroism and for standing against the United States' enemy during military operations, armed conflicts, and friendly face-offs. The Secretaries of each group present these to the recipients.

Silver Star

This is the third-highest military medal awarded to those who again fight against the enemy of their homeland, but their actions do not match the criteria of getting a high ranked award mentioned above.

The Bronze Star

This medal, not combat specific, is awarded to US troops and foreign military organizations for their exceptional performance.

The Purple Star

This one is awarded to soldiers for the wounds or loss of life due to fighting against the enemy of the US.

How To Get Military Medals?

Some people fight against the enemies and then apply for these medals themselves, or a family member does for them. Then some people are obsessed with these medals and want to get their hands on them or replace the old ones to show to their young generation and tell stories. And some people never got an award but feel they deserve one. 

So for all these people, the below-mentioned steps are to be followed. 

Formally Request The Concerned Military Department

The requests for the military medals, awards, and decorations are made to the concerned and specific Branch of the military in which you or the veteran served, is forwarded.

Fill Out The Forms

Most of the medals after verification from Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) and The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) fill out the relevant forms as requested.

First Time Application

If you feel you deserved a medal or award you were never got, you may apply as a first-time recipient for it at your military department's Awards Branch using form DD-149. You will be asked to submit some documentary evidence to confirm your eligibility.

Do Online Store Research

Yes, you read it right. There are online stores that sell realistic military medals and uniforms. Online stores have the official full-service destination for military medals, ribbons, and uniforms, where you can shop for more than 30,000 products!

Conclusion

All the troops and soldiers who serve on the front line to keep us safe deserve these medals and awards. We thank you for your exceptional services. If there is anything we can help you with, please let us know!