What Service Ribbons Am I Eligible For

Receiving a medal for your service in the military is non always automatic. In many cases, military service members have to apply to receive their medals, or to replace lost or damaged medals. Family members may besides exist curious as to what kind of awards and distinguishments their veterans have received, and if their veterans received their proper awards. If you're not sure which U.S. armed forces medals yous qualify for, there are steps y'all can take to verify and submit an application to receive your medals.

Obtain Your DD-214

It can be difficult to call up precisely which accomplishments yous achieved many years after your service. Family members of a veteran may be completely unaware of the accomplishments of their loved i's service. The first step is to obtain the DD-214s of the service member–also known as their discharge papers. These papers will outline important information about a veteran's service, including:

Record of service years
War machine education
Last duty assignment and major control
Primary specialty
Graphic symbol of service (honorable or dishonorable)
Decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons

If your DD-214 has been lost or destroyed, you tin can obtain a new copy through the Veterans Diplomacy website . You'll demand to create an account and confirm your identity earlier you can request your DD-214. For family members of a veteran, you can mail an SF-180 form to the National Personnel Records Centre or contact your local Veterans agency for aid. Yous will also need to prove your relationship to the veteran, along with a re-create of their expiry document if applicable.

Additionally, if you lot experience that accomplishments or awards were left off the DD-214s in error, you tin can request these military records be corrected by submitting a DD-149 form with the proper updates.

Next-of-kin personnel file requests are honored differently according to the date of separation and branch. The Marine Corps, Navy, and Regular army will process requests for veterans who separated from their service before 1956. The Coast Guard and Air Force, still, crave side by side-of-kin requests for pre-1956 service to pay to receive these personnel files.

For military service later on 1957, all branches volition process these requests at no accuse to the next-of-kin.

Utilize the Resources for Your Branch

In one case you've obtained your DD-214s, you tin then seek out assistance from your specific armed services branch. In some cases, yous may need to entreatment a decision of an accolade, or you may encounter a problem that needs to be addressed.

You can mail a letter to the headquarters of the Ground forces, Air Force, Navy, Coast Baby-sit, and Marine Corps in case of a trouble or an entreatment. Additionally, veterans and active service members can become to the administration department of their visitor or squad to get copies of their records and apply to receive medals.

mounted medals

Know the Abbreviations

Many family members of veterans don't know which kind of medals they are searching for, or which ones should exist awarded for their veterans' service. Additionally, near DD-214 forms abbreviate awards and medals, which can stump people who are unfamiliar with reading these forms.

Some of the nearly common abbreviations to know include :

ARCOM: Ground forces Commendation Medal
BSM: Statuary Star Medal
GWOT: Global War on Terrorism
AAM: Army Accomplishment Medal
JSCM: Joint Service Citation Medal
AFAM: Air Force Achievement Medal
NCM: Navy Commendation Medal
PH: Purple Heart
MOH: Medal of Laurels

For more abbreviations, y'all tin can look online or achieve out to your local Veterans Council for aid. Knowing these abbreviations can aid you decipher which medals to apply to receive.

Filling out the DD-149

While the DD-149 is used to correct military service, it is also the same form you use to utilize to receive your medals, ribbons and other award recognitions. If you demand assistance filling out this grade, yous can stop by your local Veterans Services, or reach out to an American Legion or VFW mail. These posts commonly take people in leadership who have experience with forms and know all the necessary evidence you'll need to supply.

You'll need to attach a copy of the DD-214, along with any other show of yours or your veteran's service. If you even so have copies of your travel documents or orders, these can help bear witness your eligibility for U.S. military medals and awards .

You can choose to take your request reviewed remotely, or appear before the lath in Washington, D.C. If you lot choose to announced, you lot volition have to pay for all travel expenses; however, some people choose this road considering information technology allows them to clarify their evidence.

box of medals

Last Words

When you finally receive your hard-earned medals, a military medal display rack can be a source of pride and award in your home. At Medals of America, we empathize the importance of honoring the service and sacrifice of our military. Let us help you find the perfect manner to display your medals, ribbons and awards. Call united states of america at i-800-308-0849 or explore our website today.