Antarctica Service Medal
Air and Space Forces: Air and Space Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with Arctic "A" Device Coast Guard: Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal • Lower — Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal • Caption2 — Service ribbon The Antarctica Service Medal (ASM) was established by the United States Congress on July 7, 1960, under Public Law 600 of the 86th Congress. The medal was intended as a military award to replace several commemorative awards which had been issued for previous Antarctica expeditions from 1928 to 1941. The medal may also be awarded to U.S. civilians and citizens of foreign nations who participate in a U.S. Antarctic expedition on the continent at the invitation of a participating U.S. agency (for example, National Science Foundation).
Also recorded as U.S. Congressional Antarctic Service Medal
Antarctica Service Medal

Antarctica Service Medal ribbon.svg: Ipankonin derivative work: Oae448 · This file was derived from: Antarctica Service Medal ribbon.svg · Public domain
- Name
- Antarctica Service Medal
- Period
- 1960
- Region
- United States
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Documentary summary
Air and Space Forces: Air and Space Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with Arctic "A" Device Coast Guard: Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal • Lower — Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal • Caption2 — Service ribbon The Antarctica Service Medal (ASM) was established by the United States Congress on July 7, 1960, under Public Law 600 of the 86th Congress. The medal was intended as a military award to replace several commemorative awards which had been issued for previous Antarctica expeditions from 1928 to 1941. The medal may also be awarded to U.S. civilians and citizens of foreign nations who participate in a U.S. Antarctic expedition on the continent at the invitation of a participating U.S. agency (for example, National Science Foundation).
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wikidata · Q2090338 · wikipedia · Antarctica Service Medal
In this article
Overview
Overview
The Arctic equivalents of the Antarctica Service Medal are the Army Arctic Tab, Navy Arctic Service Ribbon, the Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal and the Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with Arctic "A" Device.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Antarctica Service Medal • Presenter — Department of Defense National Science Foundation • Type — Military medal Service medal • Awarded For — Service in Antarctica (see). • Status — Currently awarded • Established — Pub.L. 86−600, 74 Stat. 337, enacted July 7, 1960 • Firstawarded — 1960 (retroactive to January 2, 1946) • Higher — Korean Service Medal • Same — Army: Arctic Tab Naval Service: Navy Arctic Service Ribbon
Criteria
Criteria
To qualify for the Antarctica Service Medal, personnel must train or serve ten days stationed on the Antarctic continent, or aboard vessels in Antarctic waters, defined as south of 60 degrees latitude. Flight crews performing transport missions to Antarctica qualify for one day of service for each flight mission performed within a 24-hour time period. Civilians who work in a research facility or on a research vessel are also eligible to receive the Antarctica Service Medal through the National Science Foundation, provided that they also remain south of 60 degrees latitude for a cumulative period of 10 days, or 30 days if prior to October 10, 2008.
Appearance
Appearance
The award is issued as a bronze medal, inches in diameter. Its obverse consists of a polar landscape view and standing figure in Antarctica clothing facing to the front between the horizontally placed words, "ANTARCTICA" on the figure's left and "SERVICE" on the figure's right. On its reverse is a polar projection with geodesic lines of the continent of Antarctica across which are the horizontally placed words "COURAGE", "SACRIFICE", and "DEVOTION", all within a circular decorative border of penguins and marine life. The service ribbon is inches wide and consists of a -inch black stripe on each edge and graded from a white stripe in the center to a pale blue, light blue, greenish blue, and medium blue. The outer bands of black and dark blue represent five months of Antarctic darkness; the center portion, by its size and colors – grading from medium blue through light blue and pale blue to white – symbolizes seven months of solar illumination, and also the aurora australis.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Wintered Over Devices • Awarded For — Spending a winter in Antarctica • Sponsor — Department of Defense National Science Foundation • Caption2 — Wintered Over Disc for 1, 2 and 3 winters • Type — Ribbon Device • Established — July 7, 1960 For those personnel performing extended winter service in Antarctica, a "Wintered Over" device is authorized. The "Wintered Over" bar is only worn on the full-size medal's suspension ribbon. The smaller "disc" device is worn on the uniform ribbon to recognize this service. The Wintered Over device is bestowed to indicate the number of winters served on the Antarctica continent. The device is worn as a disk on the award ribbon and is issued in bronze for one winter service, gold for two, and silver for three or more winters of service. On the full-sized medal a clasp is worn, issued in the same degree, inscribed with the words "Wintered Over".
Partial list of notable recipients
Partial list of notable recipients
• Delbert Black • Fredrik Th. Bolin • Eugene L. Boudette • Erroll M. Brown • William A. Cassidy • Nancy Chabot • Richard H. Cruzen • Bill Curtsinger • Robert L. Dale • Merton Davies • David Drewry • Howell M. Estes II • Linda L. Fagan • Joseph D. Healy • Kelly Jemison • Christina Koch • Otto Ludwig Lange • Wesley L. McDonald • Michelle Rogan-Finnemore • Christine Siddoway • Sean Spicer • Martin Sponholz • Paul Tasch • Carlisle Trost • Dean Winslow • Igor Zotikov
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- United States
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reference work
- “Antarctica Service Medal”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2090338: Antarctica Service Medal
General reference · Wikidata
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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