SecDef Hegseth Proudly Revives the 1918 Mexican Border Service Medal

A memo released by the Pentagon on August 13^th from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the establishment of the Mexican Border Defense Medal to recognize service members deployed to the U.S. international border with Mexico for Department of Defense support to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The decoration is identical to the Mexican Border Service Medal issued in 1918, for support service in the 1911-17 Mexican Border Conflicts, which was issued alongside the similar Mexican Service Medal issued to active combat troops in the conflict. It will replace the Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) previously awarded for operations supporting CBP.

The newly established medal creates a deliberate and tangible connection between the service members being dispatched to secure the southern border today and their great-great-grandfathers who did so 108 years ago.

A Link to Border Defenders Past

In March 1916, a failed raid on the American town of Columbus, New Mexico, by the Governor of Chihuahua-turned-Mexican revolutionary Francisco “Pancho” Villa saw a rapid military response from the U.S. with Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing leading a column of mounted infantry into Mexico in a punitive expedition.

The expedition failed to capture Villa, however, and with the follow-up attacks on Glen Springs and Boquillas in Texas, President Woodrow Wilson activated the United States National Guard Units of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. With the newly minted Southwestern states lacking manpower, he soon expanded the mobilization to 110,000 troops from across the nation.

These troops needed to be housed, of course, and the Mexico Border Project, a series of twelve existing and expanded, new, and even improvised military installations along the border in Arizona and Texas, began in 1917, representing the first federal-scale effort by the U.S. to secure the border.

At least twelve installations were anchored by the already established Fort Bliss (El Paso, Texas) and Fort Brown (Brownsville, Texas). As well as: Fort Naco (Naco, Arizona), the only site in Arizona preserved today, Camp Furlong (Columbus, New Mexico), Camp Marfa (Marfa, Texas), Camp Douglas (Douglas, Arizona), Camp Nogales (Nogales, Arizona), Camp Yuma (Yuma, Arizona), Camp Laredo (Laredo, Texas), Camp San Diego (San Diego, Texas), Camp Eagle Pass (Eagle Pass, Texas), and Camp Bisbee (Bisbee, Arizona).

The beginnings of a boundary wall were also constructed, dividing the joined cities of Nogales, Arizona, and Heroica Nogales, Sonora, which were referred to at the time as Ambos Nogales, or “Both Nogales.” The barriers would eventually be expanded over the following century, with fences erected between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, along the Rio Grande and between San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Baja California.

All of the veterans of this mobilization who patrolled the border and intercepted Mexican revolutionary raiding parties, taking part in Gen. Pershing’s pursuit of Villa and fought in numerous conflicts, would be awarded the Mexican Service Medal or Mexican Border Service Medal for active combat and support roles, respectively.

A Resurrected Honor

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responding to initial reports of a “new” medal for American military personnel providing support to U.S. Customs and Border protection at the U.S.–Mexico border, posted to X Friday, “Border medal, yes. New medal, no. We have proudly revived the 1918 “Mexican Border Service Medal” — same mold, same ribbon, same name, same service. We look forward to pinning the award on brave border soldiers soon…”

“Securing the southern border, protecting the territorial integrity of the U.S. , and defending our homeland are Department of Defense priorities,” Anthony J. Tata, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said in a corresponding press release.

Tata emphasized the necessity of the new medal to recognize the critical nature of this service to national security, adding, “The service members deployed to support this national security imperative deserve to be recognized for their bravery and contributions — and we look forward to pinning the Mexican Border Defense Medal on them soon.”

According to the Pentagon, to receive this award, “service members must have been permanently assigned, attached or detailed to a unit that deployed to participate in a designated DOD military operation supporting CBP within the area of eligibility for 30 consecutive or nonconsecutive days, from Jan. 20 to a future termination date to be determined,” Hegseth said. He added that the area of eligibility includes U.S. land within 100 nautical miles of the international border with Mexico in Texas, as well as the cities of San Antonio, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, and the adjacent U.S. waters extending out to 24 nautical miles.

The Institute of Heraldry reported on the medal’s symbolism, explaining, “The sword symbolizes war or military strength and is sheathed to indicate service in the United States rather than in actual combat.”

On the reverse side is the Coat of Arms of the United States above a scroll and surrounded by a wreath ending at the center with cross rifles in dexter, crossed sabers in sinister, and crossed cannons in base.

The wreath represents achievement. The rifles, sabers, and cannons represent the infantry, cavalry, and artillery.

The ribbon’s field of green is symbolic of freedom, while the golden yellow color alludes to virtue. These colors represent civic virtue by serving the government in the pursuit of freedom.”

The release from the DOD also noted that service members and veterans previously awarded the AFSM may apply for the new award. However, no one can be awarded both medals for the same period of qualifying service, the secretary said.