Air Force Armed Forces Reserve Medal

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Air Force Armed Forces Reserve Medal

The Air Force Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRESM) is awarded to Armed Forces of the United States Reserve component members or former members who complete or have completed a total of 10 years service. This service need not be consecutive, if the service was performed within a period of 12 consecutive years.

For the purpose of this award, service as a member of Reserve component includes:

1. The United States National Guard.
2. The National Guard while in the United States Service.
3. The federally recognized National Guard before 1933.
4. A federally recognized status in the National Guard.
5. The Officers' Reserve Corps and Enlisted Reserve Corps before 25 March 1948.
6. The Organized Reserve Corps
7. The United States Army without component (Usually, all enlisted service before July 1940 was with the regular component and not creditable. Conversely, service after 1 July 1940 was with the United States Army and is creditable for the award.)
8. The Naval Reserve and the Naval Reserve Force, excluding members of the Fleet Reserve and the Fleet Naval Reserve transferred thereto after completing 16 or more years' active naval service.
9. The Marine Corps Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve Forces excluding members of the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve transferred thereto after completing 16 or more years' service.
10. The Limited Service Marine Corps Reserve.
11. The Naval Militia who have conformed to the standards prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy.
12. The National Naval Volunteers.
13. The Air National Guard.
14. The Air Force Reserve.
15. The United States Air Force without component (includes Reserve Officers serving on active duty).
16. The Coast Guard Reserve.

Creditable Service: Each year of active or inactive honorable service as a member of any of the above listed Reserve components may be credited towards the Armed Forces Reserve Medal until 1 July 1949. For service performed on or after 1 July 1949, members must accumulate during each anniversary year a minimum of 50 retirement points according to Title 10 U.S.C. Section 1332(a)(2), except that persons in the US Army or US Air Force must compute time as follows:

1. Active or inactive service before 1 July 1948, only creditable for US Army or US Air Force officers appointed under the Act of 22 September 1941 (55 States at Large 728). After 1 July 1948, only active participation under such US Army or US Air Force appointments is creditable.
2. Active or inactive service before 1 July 1949 is creditable US Army or US Air Force officers appointed under Title 10 U.S.C. Section 8444 and 8445.
3. For the purpose of computing eligibility for the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, all US Army or US Air Force appointments are considered as having been made under the Act of 22 September 1941, unless otherwise indicated in the official records.

Service Not Creditable: Service in the following may not be credited:

1. Inactive National Guard.
2. Inactive Air National Guard.
3. Non-Federally recognized status in the National Guard or Air National Guard.
4. Inactive Reserve Section or Honorary Reserve Section of the Officers' Reserve Corps.
5. Inactive Section or Honorary Section of the Air Force Reserve.
6. Honorary Retired List of the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve.
7. Inactive Status List of the Standby Reserve.
8. Retired Reserve.
9. Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
10. Regular Service. Service as a Regular officer, warrant officer, or Regular enlisted person in the Armed Forces, including the Coast Guard, and service for which the Naval Reserve Medal, Organized Marine Corps Reserve Medal, or the Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon has been or may be awarded, will not be credited toward the Armed Forces Reserve Medal. Service may be credited if performed as a member of a Reserve component that is concurrent, in whole or in part, with service in a Regular Armed Forces component. Any period during which Reserve service is interrupted (terminated) by service in a Regular Armed Forces component is excluded in computing the 10 years' Reserve service, but is not considered a break in the specified period of 12 years' consecutive service.
11. Attendance at Aviation Cadet Training Schools: For the purpose of this regulation, periods of attendance at aviation cadet training schools (for persons appointed "Aviation Cadets") are considered Regular Service.

Authorized Devices:

1. Hourglass Device: One hourglass device may be worn to denote service for each additional 10-year period served under the same conditions as prescribed for awarding the basic medal. Upon completion of the first 10 years of service, a bronze hourglass will be awarded. Upon completion of the second 10 years of service, a silver hourglass will be awarded. Upon completion of the third 10 years of service, a gold hourglass will be awarded. Upon completion of the fourth 10-year period, award a gold hourglass followed by a bronze hourglass.
2. Mobilization "M" Device: The "M" device will be awarded when the member has been, on or after 1 August 1990, either called to active duty and served under sections 12301(a), 12304, 12406 or Chapter 15 of title 10 U.S.C. or volunteered and served on active duty in support of specific US military operations or contingencies designated by the SECDEF, as defined in section 101(a)(13) of title 10 U.S.C.
3. Numerical Device: A numerical device will designate the number of times the "M" device has been awarded; no number is worn for the first award of the "M" device.
4. Appropriate Wear of Devices when more than one is worn: If no "M" device is authorized, the appropriate hourglass shall be positioned in the center of the ribbon. If no hourglass is authorized, the "M" device shall be positioned in the center of the ribbon, followed by the Arabic numeral device. If both the hourglass and the "M" device are awarded, the hourglass(es) shall be positioned to the wearer's right, the "M" device in the middle, and the numerical device at the wearer's left.

Category of Award: DoD Campaign and Service Medals, Personal Service

Approved by: The SECAF on June 21, 2000

Authorized Device(s): Hourglass Device, and/or "M" Device, and/or Numerical Device

References:
AFI 36-2803, The Air Force Military Awards and Decorations Program; Pages 145 to 147
AR 600-8-22, Army Regulation, Military Awards; Pages 66 and 67
SECNAVINST 1650.1H, Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual; Pages 4-60 to 4-63
COMDTINST M1650.25E, Coast Guard Military Medals and Awards Manual; Pages 5-31 and 5-32
DoD Manual 1348.33-M, Manual of Military Decorations and Awards; Pages 150 and 151
DoD Manual 1348-33, Vol 1, Nov 23, 2010, Change 5, 15 May 2015, Manual of Military Decorations & Awards, General Information, Medal of Honor; Page 69
DoD Manual 1348.33, Volume 2, Manual of Military Decorations and Awards: DoD Service Awards 2 Campaign, Expeditionary, and Service Medals; Pages 35 to 38