The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... Awards and decorations of the United States military are military decorations which recognize a service members service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces. ...

General information

The medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the military of the United States after December 6, 1941, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. Owned By Jorge. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Awards may be made for acts of heroism, performed under circumstances described above, which are of lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star. Awards may also be made to recognize single acts of merit or meritorious service. The required achievement or service while of lesser degree than that required for the award of the Legion of Merit must nevertheless have been meritorious and accomplished with distinction. The Silver Star is a United States military award which is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Armed Forces, is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces which is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ...

The Bronze Star Medal is typically referred to by its full name (including the word "Medal") to differentiate the decoration from bronze service stars which are worn on campaign medals and service awards. Bronze and Silver Service Stars A Service star is an attachment to a military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. ... A Campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of the military who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater. ... A service medal is a military award generally of the lowest degree. ...

History

General George C. Marshall, in a memorandum to President Franklin D. Roosevelt dated February 3, 1944, wrote: George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall (December 31, 1880–October 16, 1959), an American military leader and statesman, was born into a middle-class family in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. ... The President of the United States (often abbreviated POTUS) is the head of state of the United States. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States (1933-1945), the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

“The fact that the ground troops, Infantry in particular, lead miserable lives of extreme discomfort and are the ones who must close in personal combat with the enemy, makes the maintenance of their morale of great importance. The award of the Air Medal have had an adverse reaction on the ground troops, particularly the Infantry Riflemen who are now suffering the heaviest losses, air or ground, in the Army, and enduring the greatest hardships.”

The Air Medal had been adopted two years earlier to raise airmen's morale. President Roosevelt authorized the Bronze Star Medal by Executive Order 9419 dated February 4, 1944, retroactive to December 7, 1941. This authorization was announced in War Department Bulletin No. 3, dated February 10, 1944. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Close combat is combat within close range. ... The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942. ... Infantry in the First World War Infantry (or Infantrymen) are soldiers who fight primarily on foot, using personal weapons. ... The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942. ... An executive order is an edict issued by a member of the executive branch of a government, usually the head of that branch. ... February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The Executive Order was amended by President John F. Kennedy, per Executive Order 11046 dated August 24, 1962, to expand the authorization to include those serving with friendly forces. Such an honor has been presented but three times: JFK redirects here. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

1. To the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry for their fight in the Medak Pocket in the former Yugoslavia;
2. To the 1st Battalion of the Royal 22^e Régiment for its defense of the airport at Sarajevo;
3. To 26 members of 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group, including posthumously to four killed when a U.S. F-16 fighter-bomber mistakenly attacked them as they conducted a night firing exercise on the outskirts of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Cap Badge Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry is one of the most decorated regiments in the Canadian Armed Forces. ... Operation Medak Pocket (Croatian: Medački džep) was a military operation undertaken by the Croatian army between September 9 — September 17, 1993 in which the small area around the village of Medak in the south-central Lika region of Croatia, then under the control of the rebel Republic of... Badge of Le Royal 22e Régiment The Royal 22e Régiment is an infantry regiment and the most famous francophone organization of the Canadian Forces. ... Sarajevo at night. ... Kandahār (or Qandahār) is a city in southern Afghanistan, the capital of Kandahar province. ...

CIB & CMB Conversion

As a result of a study conducted in 1947, the policy was implemented that authorized the retroactive award of the Bronze Star Medal to soldiers who had received the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge during World War II. The basis for doing this was that the badges were awarded only to soldiers who had borne the hardships which resulted in General Marshall's support of the Bronze Star Medal. Both badges required a recommendation by the commander and a citation in orders. 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Combat Infantryman Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is an award of the United States Army which is presented to those officers and soldiers, in the grade of Colonel and below, who participate in active ground combat while assigned as a member of an infantry or special forces unit, brigade... Combat Medical Badge The Combat Medical Badge is a decoration of the United States Army which was first created in January 1945. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe...

Appearance

The Bronze Star is a bronze star 1 1/2 inches (38 mm) in circumscribing diameter. In the center thereof is a 3/16 inch (48 mm) diameter superimposed bronze star, the center line of all rays of both stars coinciding. The reverse has the inscription "HEROIC OR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT" and a space for the name of the recipient to be engraved. The star is suspended from the ribbon by a rectangular shaped metal loop with the corners rounded. The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches (35 mm) wide and consists of the following stripes: 1/32 inch (1 mm) white 67101; 9/16 inch (14 mm) scarlet 67111; 1/32 inch (1 mm) white; center stripe 1/8 inch (3 mm) ultramarine blue 67118; 1/32 inch (1 mm) white; 9/16 inch (14 mm) scarlet; and 1/32 inch (1 mm) white.

Devices

Additional awards of the Bronze Star Medal are denoted in the U.S. Army and United States Air Force by oak leaf clusters. The U.S. Navy, United States Marines, and U.S. Coast Guard issue award stars to denote subsequent decorations. US Army Seal The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... Bronze and Silver oak leaf clusters An Oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on military awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Coast Guard shield The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the coast guard of the United States. ... Gold and Silver Award Stars An Award star is a decoration issued by the United States military to denote multiple military awards issued to personnel of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and United States Marines. ...

The Valor device (or "V" device) is authorized by all services and is awarded to represent valor and does not denote an additional award. Only one may be worn on any ribbon. The Valor device, also known as V-device, V device, and Combat V, is an award of the United States military which is authorized by the military services as an attachment to certain awards and decorations. ... Courage is the ability to confront fear in the face of pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. ...