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Circular bronze medal with laterally-pierced loop for ribbon suspension; the face with an American eagle, wings addorsed reversed, perched on a sword and imposed on a radiant compass, circumscribed ‘ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY SERVICE’, a laurel sprig to either side; the reverse with an escutcheon (from the Coat of Arms of the U.S.A.) with thirteen pales and a chief, alternate pales (for the original states of the Union) plain representing the heraldic colour ‘argent’ (white) and vertically hatched representing the heraldic colour ‘gules’ (red) and the chief horizontally hatched representing the heraldic colour azure (blue), circumscribed above ‘UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’, laurel sprays below, a bullet at the base; on original ribbon with brooch bar mounted for wear. The medal was instituted by President John F. Kennedy on 4 December 1961 to be awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for participation in specified overseas operations where they have encountered foreign armed opposition or were in danger of hostile action by foreign Armed Forces.
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