Distinguished Warfare Medal
The Distinguished Warfare Medal was a planned United States military decoration announced by former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on 13 February 2013. It would have been the first U.S. combat-related award to be created since the Bronze Star Medal in 1944. The blue, red and white-ribboned medal was to be awarded to individuals for "extraordinary achievement" related to a military operation occurring after 11 September 2001. It was intended to recognize military achievement in cyberwarfare or combat drone operations for actions that did not include valor in combat.Reception for the medal was mixed, with veterans criticizing the relatively high placement of the medal in the order of precedence. Production of the medal was halted on 12 March 2013, pending a review of its precedence as ordered by Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel. It was subsequently cancelled by Secretary Hagel on 15 April 2013 who made the decision to instead create and offer a new distinguishing device to existing medals. On 8 January 2016, the DoD presented two new award devices in accordance with this directive.
Planned United States military decoration
medal