Criteria

a. The Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) was established by Executive Order 10163, as announced in Department of the Army Bulletin 15, 1950, and was amended by Executive Order 10439, announced in Department of the Army Bulletin 3, 1953 and Executive Order 13013, dated 6 August 1996.

    The reverse of this medal is struck in two designs for award to personnel whose Reserve Component service has been primarily in the organized Reserve or primarily in the National Guard.

     The first design portrays the Minute Man from the Organized Reserve Crest; the other design portrays the National Guard insignia.

b. The AFRM is awarded for honorable and satisfactory service as a member or former member of one or more of the Reserve Components of the Armed Forces of the United States, including the Coast Guard Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve, for a period of 10 years under the following conditions:

(1) Such years of service must have been performed within a period of 12 consecutive years.

(2) Each year of active or inactive status honorable service prior to 1 July 1949 in any Reserve Component listed in AR 135–180, will be credited toward award. For service performed on or after 1 July 1949, a member must accumulate, during each anniversary year, a minimum of 50 retirement points as prescribed in AR 135–180.

(3) Service in a regular component of the Armed Forces, including the Coast Guard, is excluded except that service in a Reserve Component which is concurrent in whole or in part with service in a regular component will be included. (Officers holding Reserve commissions serving on the Active Duty List (ADL) are, by statute, members of the Reserve Component. Time served as a Reserve officer on the ADL counts toward eligibility for the AFRM. For example, if a Reserve officer on ADL serves 10 active years prior to going Regular Army, or also received retirement points for other Reserve component service which, when added together with their ADL service adds up to 10 years, then that officer is eligible for the AFRM.)

(4) Any period during which Reserve service is interrupted by one or more of the following will be excluded in computing, but will not be considered as a break in the period of 12 years:

(a) Service in a regular component of the Armed Forces.

(b) During tenure of office by a State official chosen by the voters of the entire State, territory, or possession.

(c) During tenure of office of member of the legislative body of the United States or of any State, territory, or possession.

(d) While service as judge of a court of record of the United States, or of any State, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia.

(5) On or after 1 August 1990, the member was called to active duty and served under Sections 12301(a), 12302, 12304, 12406, Title 10, United States Code, or, in the case of the US Coast Guard Reserve, Section 712 of Title 14 USC. The member volunteered and served on active duty in support of specific U.S. military operations or contingencies designated by the Secretary of Defense, as defined in Section 101(A) (13) of Title 10 USC. Active Guard Reserve (AGR) members who receive orders changing their current duty status (legal authority under which they perform duty), their duty location, or assignment to support a contingency operation are eligible for the award of the “M” Device.

c. The Ten-year-device is authorized for wear on the Armed Forces Reserve Medal to denote each 10-year period as follows:

(1) A bronze hourglass will be awarded upon completion of the first 10-year period award.

(2) A silver hourglass will be awarded upon completion of the second 10-year period award.

(3) A gold hourglass will be awarded upon completion of the third 10-year period award

(4) A gold hourglass, followed by a bronze hourglass will be awarded upon completion of the fourth 10-year award.

d. The “M” Device is authorized for wear on the AFRM by members of the Reserve Components who are called or who volunteer and serve on active duty in support of specific U.S. military operations or contingencies designed by the Secretary of Defense, as defined in Section 101(A)(13) of Title 10, United States Code.

(1) When a member qualifies for the “M” Device, the Bronze “M” will be awarded, positioned on the ribbon and medal, and a number will be included on the ribbon and medal. No more than one AFRM may be awarded to any one person. Multiple periods of service during one designated contingency (under provisions of paragraph b(4)(a) and (b) above) will count as one “M” Device award.

(2) If no “M” Device is authorized, the appropriate hourglass will be positioned in the center of the ribbon. If no hourglass is authorized, the “M” device will be positioned in the center of the ribbon, followed by Arabic numerals indicating the number of times the device has been awarded, starting with the second award, no number is worn for the first award.

(3) If both the hourglass and the “M” Device are awarded, the hourglass will be positioned in first position on the ribbon (at the wearer’s right), the “M” Device in the middle position, and the number of times the “M” Device has been awarded in the remaining position (at the wearer’s left)