Marines who participate in missions along the U.S.-Mexico border are now eligible for a newly created award established by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The Corps can award the Mexican Border Defense Medal to Marines “deployed in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” the service announced on Thursday.
The medal applies to service members who spent at least 30 days — consecutively or cumulatively — on applicable missions beginning Jan. 20, 2025, in areas near the southern border, including Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
The medal’s criteria also includes assignments to nearby waters north of the border.
The award replaces the Armed Forces Service Medal for operations after Aug. 13, 2025.
Marines who were previously awarded that medal for missions earlier in the year can choose to exchange it, according to the Thursday MarAdmin. They cannot, however, keep both for the same deployment.
Only one medal may be awarded to each Marine, regardless of how many deployments they have completed. The change applies to the entire service, including active duty and reserve personnel.
According to previous reporting by the War Horse, by late March, roughly 9,000 soldiers and Marines had been deployed as part of Joint Task Force Southern Border.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.
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