The National Defense Service Medal is awarded to anyone who serves on active duty in the United States military June 27, 1950 to July 27, 1954,January 1, 1961 to August 14, 1974, August 2, 1990 to November 30, 1995, or September 11, 2001 to a date to be announced. For service in the Gulf War and War on Terrorism, members of the military reserve or National Guard are awarded the NDSM for performing "reserve service in good standing" which implies regular participation in weekend drills and annual training. The medal is not authorized for members of the inactive reserve component. The National Defense Service Medal is authorized to students at the service academies after they are sworn into service, but is not granted to discharged or retired veterans who did not serve in one of the above time periods.
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