When was the last time the US Navy Expeditionary Medal was awarded?

Answer 1

The U.S. Navy Expeditionary Medal (NEM), authorized by Navy Department General Order No. 84 of 5 August 1936, is currently being awarded to all Navy Veterans who are deployed overseas supporting Gulf Operations and the war in Afghanistan. Though the Marine Corps currently has its own Expeditionary Medal, after the current supply is exhausted, the NEM will be used for both Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

Being awarded the NEM has a relatively nice bonus that most Veterans don't realize until they depart the service, but recipients are afforded a 10 pt hiring preference for Government jobs, where the standard Veteran hiring preference is only 5 pts. This means if 20 people are in line for 1 job, 10 are civilians, and 9 are 5 point Veterans, the guy with the NEM gets the job.

The NEM is not awarded lightly however, and strict adherence to award criteria is followed by the CNO and recommending Commanders.

A Cold War recipient of the Navy Expeditionary Medal myself, (the details of which are highly classified), the Navy's criteria for award is:

Eligibility Requirements

(1) The medal will be awarded to the officers and enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps who shall have actually landed on foreign territory and engaged in operations against armed opposition, or operated under circumstances which, after full consideration, shall be deemed to merit special recognition and for which service no campaign medal has been awarded.

(2) No person in the Navy or Marine Corps service is entitled to more than one Expeditionary Medal (either Navy or Marine Corps). Participation in more than one expedition will be recognized by the issue of bronze stars (one star for each expedition in excess of one), to be worn on the ribbon of the Expeditionary Medal.

(3) At present, there is a supply of Marine Corps Expeditionary Medals on hand which will be awarded to Marine Corps personnel participating in authorized expeditions. After this supply is exhausted, the Navy Expeditionary Medal will be the only medal awarded to either Navy or Marine Corps personnel for participation in expeditions.

(4) All officers and men of the Navy and Marine Corps who, under the above-mentioned conditions, took part in an operation listed below may submit to the Chief of Naval Personnel or the Commandant, United States Marine Corps, respectively, through official channels, applications for the above medal. The applications should include the names and dates of the expeditions and a statement to the effect that the applicant actually served ashore as a member of a landing party during the period for which the medal is claimed.

(5) Navy and Marine Corps personnel who served in the defense of Wake Island, 7 to 22 December 1941, will wear a bar inscribed "Wake Island" on the suspension ribbon and a silver "W" on the service ribbon bar of the appropriate Expeditionary Medal. (Navy Department General Order No. 84 of 15 August 1936.)

Below are examples of past operations where the NEM was awarded. However, as I indicated previously, the NEM can be authorized and awarded to individuals or units who have participated in classified operations not necessarily in connection with larger operations in which the public is aware. This was very common during the Cold War.

CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

03 Jan 61 - 23 Oct 62

THAILAND

16 May 62 - 10 Aug 62

INDIAN OCEAN/IRAN/YEMEN

08 Dec 78 - 06 Jun 79

IRAN/INDIAN OCEAN

21 Nov 79 - 20 Oct 81

LEBANON

20 Aug 82 - 31 May 83

LIBYA

20 Jan 86 - 27 Jun 86

PERSIAN GULF

01 Feb 87 - 23 Jul 87

LIBYA (Operation SHARP EDGE)

05 Aug 90 - 21 Feb 91

DISTANT RUNNER (Rowanda)

07 Apr 94 - 18 Apr 94

Source Credit: Navy Awards Manual, Naval Historical Center