Mobilization device
| Armed Forces Reserve Medal | |
|---|---|
 
Armed Forces Reserve Medal |
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| Awarded by United States Armed Forces | |
| Type | Service Medal |
| Eligibility | Officers and enlisted personnel of the US Armed Forces reserve components |
| Status | Active |
| Statistics | |
| Established | , September 25, 1950, as amended |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Army: Army Sea Duty Ribbon Navy: Navy Ceremonial Guard Ribbon Air Force: Air Force Recruiter Ribbon Marine Corps: Marine Corps Combat Instructor Ribbon Coast Guard: Coast Guard Recruiting Service Ribbon |
| Next (lower) | Army: NCO Professional Development Ribbon Navy & Coast Guard: Naval Reserve Medal Air Force: NCO PME Graduate Ribbon Marine Corps: Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon |
 Armed Forces Reserve Medal service ribbon |
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The Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) is a service medal of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1950. The medal recognizes service performed by members of the reserve components and is awarded to both officers and enlisted personnel. The medal is considered a successor award to the Naval Reserve Medal and the Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon, which were discontinued in 1958 and 1967 respectively.
If the medal is awarded for periods of service, it is accompanied by an hourglass device. Depending on the length of service, a bronze, silver, gold, or bronze and gold hourglass are worn on the suspension ribbon and service ribbon, indicating 10, 20, 30, or 40 years of service respectively.
If the medal is awarded in connection with a mobilization, it is accompanied by an "M" device. Subsequent mobilizations under an unrelated presidential call-up order result in a numeral device being worn to indicate the number of mobilizations.
In the Army Reserve and National Guard, a service member qualifies for the medal after completing a total of ten years service in the active reserve. This service may be cumulative, provided that the combined ten years of service was performed over a period of twelve consecutive years. Voluntary recalls to active duty are not counted within the ten years of service. In addition, unlike the Reserve Good Conduct Medal, a service member’s disciplinary history is not a factor when awarding the Armed Forces Reserve Medal. In the Naval Reserve, members of the Individual Ready Reserve are eligible for the medal after 10 years of service. Periods of service for the Armed Forces Reserve Medal are denoted through the use of the hourglass device. The length of the period for which the Armed Forces Reserve Medal is awarded is indicated using a bronze hourglass, silver hourglass, gold hourglass, or bronze and gold hourglasses together. The initial presentation of the Armed Forces Reserve Medal is authorized with the bronze hourglass device denoting ten years of reserve service. At twenty years of service, the hourglass is upgraded to silver and at thirty years the hourglass becomes gold. For those who complete forty years of reserve service, a gold and bronze hourglass device are worn simultaneously. This is the only case where hourglasses are worn together; in all other cases the hourglass device is upgraded to the next higher award degree and is worn as a single device.
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