Humanitarian Service Medal
Awarded to an indiviual
for participation in a campaign where they distinguished
themselves by meritorious direct participation (hands on) in a significant military act or
operation of a humanitarian nature, or have rendered a service to mankind. This must included
participating in all cycles, ACK all messages and completing a SITREP for each cycle of a
campaign in a timely
manner.
This medal (pictured below) was authorized by Executive Order 11965, Jan. 19, 1977. It
was established to honor personnel of the Armed Forces of the United States who
distinguished themselves by meritorious direct participation (hands on) in a significant
military act or operation of a humanitarian nature, or have rendered a service to mankind.
Specifically excluded from eligibility are service members or elements remaining at a
geographically separated location or to a location and did not make a direct contribution
to influence the action. The medal was designed by Jim Hammond and sculptured by Jay
Morris of the Institute of Heraldry.
Centered on the obverse of the medal within a circle, is a right hand pointing
diagonally upward with open palm, (to symbolize a giving or helping hand). At the top of
the reverse of the medal is the inscription, "For Humanitarian Service" in three
lines. Below this is an oak branch, with three leaves and three acorns, and below this,
around the outside edge of the medal, is the inscription, "United States Air
Forces."
The ribbon has a wide center stripe of navy blue, flanked on either side by a broad
stripe of medium blue, a thin stripe of white, and a narrow stripe of purple-maroon at the
edges. Subsequent awards are indicated by a bronze service star worn on the medal ribbon
and ribbon bar.
The number of eligible operations are too numerous to mention and have included a wide
variety of services from the first operation of the Guyana Disaster Relief in Jonestown,
Guyana in 1978 and have included disaster, flood, tornado, and earthquake relief work and
snow removal work. Also included were Operation Boat People, Evacuation of Loas, Cuban
Refugee Resettlement, Beirut Evacuation, Cholera Epidemic in Truk Islands and operations
of humanitarian aid in the United States and every corner of the world. Please refer to
DOD 1348.33-M for approved operations.
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