BACKGROUND
The American Defense Service Medal was established per Executive Order 8808, dated June 28, 1941, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and announced in War Department Bulletin 17. The criteria was announced in Department of the Army Circular 44 in Feb. 13, 1942.
CRITERIA
The American Defense Service Medal will be awarded to all persons who served on active duty at any time between Sept. 8, 1939 and Dec. 7, 1941, if the active duty order specified service for a 12-month period or longer. A Foreign Service Clasp is attached to the ribbon and medal if the same requirements are met and the service was performed outside the continental United States (CONUS).
MEDAL DESCRIPTION
The medal is 1.25 inches in diameter, bearing in front an armed figure symbolic of defense under the inscription American Defense. The ribbon is basically yellow, with blue, white, and red stripes right to left and left to right symmetrically near the edges.
AUTHORIZED DEVICES
Service Star
WEIGHTED AIRMAN PROMOTED SYSTEM POINT VALUE: 0