Distinguished Warfare Medal

The Distinguished Warfare Medal is a United States military decoration announced by U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on February 13, 2013. It is the first American combat-related award to be created since the Bronze Star Medal in 1944. The new blue, red and white-ribboned medal will be awarded to individuals for "extraordinary achievement" related to a military operation occurring after September 11, 2001. It is intended to recognize military achievement in cyberwarfare or combat drone operations for actions that do not include valor in combat.

Reception for the new medal has been mixed, with veterans criticizing the placement of the medal in the order of precedence. Production of the medal is currently halted, pending a review of its precedence as ordered by the Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel.

Criteria
Awarded in the name of the Secretary of Defense, the Distinguished Warfare Medal may be awarded for extraordinary achievement to members of the United States Armed Forces. This achievement must have taken place after 11 September 2001, and may not involve acts of valor. Qualifying achievement must have a direct impact, through any domain, on combat or other military operations. These operations must occur under one of the following circumstances:
 * Engaged in military operations against enemies of the United States.
 * Engaged in operations in conflict against an opposing foreign force.
 * While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in operations with an opposing armed force where the United States is not a belligerent party.

Direct impact of an operation means the "hands-on" employment of weapons systems, including those controlled remotely, or other activities through any domain that had a direct impact on an engagement or operation. When making reference to "through any domain" in the award criteria, this means operations may take place in air, sea, land, and cyberspace.

The achievement must have been of such an outstanding or exceptional nature so as to set the individual apart from their peers who are serving in similar duties or situations. The medal may only be awarded for single exemplary acts and cannot be awarded for sustained operational service. The Distinguished Warfare Medal may be awarded posthumously.

Additional awards of the Distinguished Warfare Medal are shown with oak leaf clusters for U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force awardees, and with 5/16 inch stars for U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard awardees.

As of 27 February 2013, the service secretaries are still developing the criteria for the medal for each of their military services. The awarding criteria will be included in the next Manual of Military Decorations and Awards.

Appearance
The Distinguished Warfare Medal consists of a 1 7/8 inch bronze medallion. The obverse depicts a grid lined globe surrounded by a laurel wreath. Superimposed over the globe is the eagle from the Seal of the United States Department of Defense in front of a lozenge. The top of the medallion is surmounted by a six-pointed star. The reverse continues the laurel wreath design surmounted by a six-pointed star. In the center is a blank space for engraving the recipients name. Above the space is the inscription DISTINGUISHED WARFARE, below is the inscription DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

The medallion is borne by a light blue ribbon with dark blue edges. In the center are two white stripes bordered by red on their outsides and dark blue on the inside.

The symbolism of the medal is stated as follows: "The wreath honors the recipient's significant meritorious achievement to battlefield operations. The globe and gridlines signify that the operational support or other military engagement may be performed remotely. The diamond shape symbolizes the four corners of the globe, representing the operational reach of our armed forces in the defense of liberty and justice. The DoD Eagle indicates that the medal is presented in the name of the Secretary of Defense. Operational magnitude and mission success are denoted by the six pointed star, symbolizing an ordinance burst and target neutralization."

Designed by the United States Army Institute of Heraldry, it was reviewed by the United States Commission of Fine Arts.

Reception
The medal's order of precedence was criticized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The commander of this organization, John Hamilton, explained, "It is very important to properly recognize all who faithfully serve and excel, but this new medal – no matter how well intended – could quickly deteriorate into a morale issue. Medals that can only be earned in direct combat must mean more than medals awarded in the rear." The Military Order of the Purple Heart joined in condemnation, stating "To rank what is basically an award for meritorious service higher than any award for heroism is degrading and insulting to every American Combat Soldier, Airman, Sailor or Marine who risks his or her life and endures the daily rigors of combat in a hostile environment. The Military Order of the Purple Heart strongly urges the newly appointed Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to either reconsider the precedence of the Distinguished Warfare Medal or develop another way to recognize the achievements of those whose indirect actions contribute greatly to the accomplishment of the mission without diminishing the sacrifice of life and limb by those who confront the enemy firsthand on the battlefield." The Association of the United States Navy also expressed criticism of the medal's placement, stating "While AUSN supports the medal itself, as well as the achievements and importance of the cyber warfare community, the concern lies with the ranking of the medal." Doug Sterner, military medals expert and curator of the Military Times Hall of Valor, expressed confusion, saying, "I understand the need to recognize the guys at the console who are doing some pretty important things. But to see it ranking above the Bronze Star (with) V?" Nick McDowell, a member of the Orders and Medals Society of American said that an alternative to adding a new medal could be adding a new ribbon device to an existing medal, and said that "The problem is that we're adding another non-valor personal decoration into a system that is already crowded with non-valor personal decorations."

Outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta defended the award's precedence, saying "Our military reserves its highest decorations obviously for those who display gallantry and valor in actions when their lives are on the line and we will continue to do so. But we should also have the ability to honor the extraordinary actions that make a true difference in combat operations. The contribution they make does contribute to the success of combat operations, particularly when they remove the enemy from the field of battle, even if those actions are physically removed from the fight." Pentagon spokesman, Lieutenant Commander Nate Christensen, added, "Extraordinary achievement directly impacting combat operations at this level deserves to be recognized with a distinctive medal, not a device on an existing medal. The DWM is visionary in that it fills a need for a non-valorous combat impact medal."

On 27 February, three military veteran congressmen (Duncan D. Hunter, Tom Rooney, and Tim Murphy) introduced legislation to reduce the precedence of the medal, by banning it from being rated equal to, or above, the Purple Heart. On 12 March, it was reported that the Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, ordered a review of the medal and its initial place in the order of precedence.