Troops deployed to US-Mexico border will get a new medal

WASHINGTON — U.S. troops serving along the southern border since Jan. 20 to support Border and Customs Protection agents can now receive the Mexican Border Defense Medal, according to a Pentagon memo.

A defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed the authenticity of the Aug. 13 memo shared on social media but could not provide additional information.

To qualify for the Mexican Border Defense Medal, troops must have been “permanently assigned, attached, or detailed” to a unit that deployed as part of a designated Defense Department operation supporting federal border agents for 30 days, according to the memo.

Military personnel must have deployed within 100 nautical miles of the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas including San Antonio, New Mexico, Arizona and California, or in U.S. waters up to 24 nautical miles from the border.

Eligible service members will receive the Mexican Border Defense Medal instead of the Armed Forces Service Medal, which had been awarded to troops supporting federal agents along the U.S.-Mexico border starting in 2019, according to the memo.


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