Antarctica Service Medal

Antarctica Service Medal
Antarctica Service Medal (left image=obverse, right image=reverse)
Awarded by United States Department of Defense
Type	Medal
Awarded for	Training or service between fifteen to thirty consecutive days stationed in Antarctica.
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	, 74 Stat. 337, enacted July 7, 1960
First awarded	January 2, 1946 (retroactive)
Precedence
Next (higher)	Korean Service Medal
Equivalent	Navy & Marine Corps - Navy Arctic Service Ribbon Air Force - Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with Arctic "A" Device Coast Guard - Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal
Next (lower)	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Service ribbon

The Antarctica Service Medal (ASM) was established by the United States Congress on July 7, 1960 under of the 86th Congress. The medal was intended as a military award to replace several commemorative awards which had been issued for previous Antarctica expeditions from 1928 to 1941. With the creation of the Antarctica Service Medal, the following commemorative medals were declared obsolete;

The Antarctica Service Medal is considered an award of the United States Armed Forces, issued in the name of the U.S. Department of Defense, and is authorized for wear on active duty uniforms. The medal may also be awarded to U.S. civilians, but after the initial award, the civilian may only wear the miniature or the lapel pin depending on the occasion.

The Arctic equivalents of the Antarctica Service Medal are the Navy Arctic Service Ribbon, the Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal and the Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with Arctic "A" Device.

To qualify for the Antarctica Service Medal, personnel must train or serve between fifteen and thirty days stationed on the Antarctic continent, defined as south of 60 degrees latitude. Flight crews performing transport missions to Antarctica qualify for one day of service for each flight mission performed within a 24-hour time period. Civilians who work in a research facility or on a research vessel are also eligible to receive the Antarctica Service Medal through the National Science Foundation, provided that they also remain south of 60 degrees latitude for a cumulative period of 10 days, or 30 days if prior to October 10, 2008.