Pentagon Creates Mexican Border Defense Medal for Troops Sent to U.S.-Mexico Line

The Defense Department has established the Mexican Border Defense Medal (MBDM) to recognize U.S. service members deployed to the southern border in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), according to a Pentagon memorandum.

The medal replaces the Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) for such missions, and service members cannot receive both awards for the same period.

The veracity of the memorandum, which circulated online for several days, was confirmed by a U.S. defense official to Military Times on Tuesday. It specifies that eligibility is reserved for troops who have been “permanently assigned, attached, or detailed” to a unit participating in a designated Department of Defense operation supporting CBP for 30 consecutive or nonconsecutive days.

Eligible areas include locations within 100 nautical miles of the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, including San Antonio, as well as U.S. waters extending up to 24 nautical miles from the border.

Service members and veterans who previously received the AFSM for border support may apply to have it replaced with the MBDM, but they are not authorized to retain both awards for the same deployment period. The order of precedence places the MBDM before the AFSM and after the Korea Defense Service Medal. The Secretaries of the Military Departments are responsible for awarding the medal, as Task & Purpose confirms.

The creation of the MBDM aligns with President Donald Trump’s January executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border and directing the Defense Department to assist the Department of Homeland Security with border security.

As of mid-2025, roughly 7,500 service members were deployed to the border, including 1,500 National Guard troops on federal orders, according to U.S. Northern Command. The Pentagon has also established four “national defense areas” along the border for temporary detention of trespassers and redirected $200 million to construct a 30-foot-tall permanent barrier at the Barry M. Goldwater Range in Arizona.

The medal follows a historical precedent: the Mexico Service Medal, established in 1917, recognized troops involved in border operations or conflicts with Mexican forces, while the Mexico Border Service Medal, created in 1918, honored those serving on the U.S. side of the border.