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Vintage Humanitarian Service Medal (HSM) - $20 (Elkhorn)
condition:
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The Humanitarian Service Medal (HSM) is a U.S. military award authorized for personnel who directly participate in significant humanitarian acts or operations, such as natural disaster relief, refugee support, or non-combatant evacuations, after April 1, 1975. Recipients must be physically present in the designated area of operation and provide direct, non-routine service, with eligibility approved by the Department of Defense.
Key Details and Requirements
• Eligibility: Active, Reserve, and National Guard members.
• Actionable Criteria: The mission must be a "significant" act of a humanitarian nature, often involving disaster relief (e.g., floods, hurricanes) or, since 2016, operations in a specifically designated area.
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Restrictions: The medal is not awarded for routine duties, domestic disturbances, or if the Armed Forces Service Medal or Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was awarded for the same period.
• USMC Requirements: For Marines, mere assignment to a unit in the area does not guarantee the award; it requires direct, personal participation in the mission.
Design
• Obverse: A bronze disc featuring a right hand pointing upward with an open palm.
• Reverse: The inscription "For Humanitarian Service" with an oak branch.