Revival of the 1918 Mexican Border Defense Medal
The Department of Defense (DOD) has officially brought back the Mexican Border Defense Medal, a decoration established in 1918, according to announcements made by Director Pete Hegseth. This move aims to honor the service members stationed at the southern border.
As of August 13th, the DOD confirmed the revival of this medal, a decision that has been corroborated by U.S. defense officials in recent communications.
The new memorandum also rescinds a previous 2019 directive that had designated the Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) as recognition for Department of Defense support to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Under these updated guidelines, service members who previously received the AFSM for border patrol activities may now apply for the revived Mexican Border Defense Medal. However, they cannot be awarded both honors for the same qualifying service period.
The AFSM was initially established by former President Bill Clinton through an executive order in 1996. It is awarded to military personnel who have engaged in specific military operations since June 1, 1992.
For service members to qualify for the Mexican Border Defense Medal, they must be permanently assigned or deployed to specific units as part of a DOD mission supporting CBP operations for at least 30 consecutive days. Additionally, they must have been stationed within 100 nautical miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, in states such as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Notably, this service must have occurred after President Donald Trump’s second inauguration on January 20th.
On his first day back in office, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border through an executive order that tasked the DOD with supporting the Department of Homeland Security in securing the border.
The Pentagon reported that approximately 8,500 military personnel were assigned to a Joint Task Force, established earlier in March, designed to coordinate military assistance for border operations.
Latest updates about the revived decoration were shared by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on social media. He pointed out that the original medal was created by Congress to honor those involved in various operations along the U.S.-Mexico border, dating back to 1916, during the conflict with Mexican revolutionary Francisco “Pancho” Villa.
“Border Medal, yes. New Medal, no. We proudly revive the 1918 Mexican Border Service Medal. Same mold, same ribbon, same name, same service. I look forward to quickly awarding this to brave border soldiers…” he stated.
I guess there’s something quite significant about reviving a medal tied to such historical events. It makes you wonder how these decorations resonate with the service members today. The connections to previous conflicts serve as a poignant reminder of past challenges and commitments at the border.
