All five branches of the US military Services offer the same Armed Forces Reserve Medal which is presented to both officers and enlisted service persons. It is considered the successor to the military awards formerly known as the Naval Reserve Medal and the Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon in those two branches of service. These military ribbons were first authorized by President Harry Truman and have existed since 1950. These military medals recognize the service performed by the Reserve and National Guard forces of the United States. On the reverse of every Armed Forces Reserve Medal is a crest denoting the branch of service in which Reserve or National Guard duty was performed.
The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is awarded to service members that complete a total of ten years of service as a member of either a Reserve or National Guard component. The service may be cumulative provided that the requirements have been met within a period of 12 consecutive years. Service during voluntary recalls to active duty is not eligible for inclusion in the 10 year service requirement for this award, nor is service time spent within the Individual Ready Reserve. The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is also awarded to any member of the Reserve or National Guard who is involuntarily mobilized under Title 10 USC or Title 14 USC, or volunteers for federal active duty during any such mobilization. In such cases, the ten year period criterion is waived and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal is presented regardless of time in service. A service member’s disciplinary history is not considered a factor when authorizing these military ribbons.
Previous to 1995, the first award of the Armed Forces Reserve Medal was presented without a device, and subsequent awards were denoted by Hourglass Emblems. Today, these military ribbons are presented with a bronze Hourglass device upon the initial award for 10 years of service. Additional awards are represented by upgrading the Hourglass device to silver for twenty years and gold for thirty years of service. A rare fourth award of the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, for 40 years, is denoted by a bronze and gold Hourglass device worn simultaneously. The Mobilization Device is awarded as an attachment to the Armed Forces Reserve Medal in all cases of involuntary mobilization to active duty. Subsequent mobilizations result in the addition of an Award Numeral device which is worn in connection with the “M” device.
In the Army the Armed Forces Reserve Medal is worn below the Humanitarian Service Medal and above the Army Professional Development Ribbon. In The Air Force these military awards are worn below the Air Force Recruiting Ribbon and above the Air Force Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon. In the Navy these military decorations are worn below the Navy Recruiting Ribbon and above the Philippine Defense Medal. In the Marine Corps, the AFRM is worn below the Marine Recruiting Ribbon and above the Philippine Defense Medal. In the Coast Guard these military medals are worn below the Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon and above the Philippine Defense Medal. These awards are available as full size medals, mini-medals, custom thin mini-medals, traditional slide-on ribbons and the newer custom thin ribbons.