WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.120 Apple podcast title, The Deep Dive, decoding 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:05.940 the Armed Forces Reserve Medal and military honors. 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:08.740 Join us for a comprehensive deep dive into the 00:00:08.740 --> 00:00:12.750 Armed Forces Reserve Medal. AFRM. We decode the 00:00:12.750 --> 00:00:15.029 history of this unique U .S. military award, 00:00:15.330 --> 00:00:17.910 explore the criteria for the hourglass and M 00:00:17.910 --> 00:00:20.750 mobilization devices, and unpack how the military 00:00:20.750 --> 00:00:22.890 honors the service of its reserve components 00:00:22.890 --> 00:00:25.789 and National Guard. Ideal for military history 00:00:25.789 --> 00:00:28.710 enthusiasts, veterans, and those fascinated by 00:00:28.710 --> 00:00:31.289 the visual language of military uniforms, this 00:00:31.289 --> 00:00:33.609 deep dive reveals the intricate stories of deployment, 00:00:33.909 --> 00:00:36.729 Title X mobilization, and decades of service 00:00:36.729 --> 00:00:40.119 hidden in plain sight on the ribbon rack. Welcome, 00:00:40.179 --> 00:00:42.539 everyone, to today's Deep Dive. If you've ever 00:00:42.539 --> 00:00:45.079 watched a military ceremony or... You've just 00:00:45.079 --> 00:00:46.939 seen a service member in their dress uniform. 00:00:47.179 --> 00:00:48.979 Yeah, exactly. Your eyes naturally go straight 00:00:48.979 --> 00:00:50.859 to that block of colorful ribbons right there 00:00:50.859 --> 00:00:52.140 on the check. Absolutely. It's the first thing 00:00:52.140 --> 00:00:54.079 you notice. And to the uninitiated, it looks 00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:57.399 like this impenetrable, highly classified code, 00:00:57.539 --> 00:00:59.740 just blocks of color. But for those who know 00:00:59.740 --> 00:01:01.560 how to read the regulations, that rack of ribbons 00:01:01.560 --> 00:01:04.879 is a highly detailed, localized map of a person's 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:07.920 entire career. It's essentially a wearable resume. 00:01:08.180 --> 00:01:11.019 Right. And today we are giving you, the listener, 00:01:11.219 --> 00:01:14.780 the decoder ring for one very specific dynamic 00:01:14.780 --> 00:01:17.680 piece of that puzzle, the Armed Forces Reserve 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:21.659 Medal or the AFRM. Which is such a great topic 00:01:21.659 --> 00:01:23.519 because it's so unique. It really is. We're drawing 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:25.620 from a really comprehensive Wikipedia archive 00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:28.459 on this to decode the architecture of this specific 00:01:28.459 --> 00:01:31.299 honor, translating what looks like simple metal 00:01:31.299 --> 00:01:34.280 and ribbon into a detailed story. You know, the 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:36.780 AFRM represents a really fascinating departure 00:01:36.780 --> 00:01:39.980 from how we traditionally conceptualize military 00:01:39.980 --> 00:01:43.120 awards. How so? Well, usually a medal represents 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:46.379 a static fixed achievement. You know, you participated 00:01:46.379 --> 00:01:48.879 in a specific campaign or you performed a singular 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:51.219 act of valor. And that's it. The resulting medal 00:01:51.219 --> 00:01:52.980 is the end of the story. It just sits there in 00:01:52.980 --> 00:01:55.379 the uniform. Exactly. But the Armed Forces Reserve 00:01:55.379 --> 00:01:57.780 Medal, it functions more like a living document. 00:01:57.859 --> 00:02:00.060 It physically evolves and changes configuration 00:02:00.060 --> 00:02:02.519 over the lifespan of a service member's career. 00:02:02.780 --> 00:02:04.439 Through the addition of those little specialized 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:06.680 metal devices, right? Right. The devices on the 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:08.919 ribbon. So decoding this visual language means 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:12.460 looking past just the colorful fabric and understanding 00:02:12.460 --> 00:02:15.120 the distinct architecture of the award. Because 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:18.680 fundamentally, the AFRM documents two very different 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:21.139 modes of military service. Time and action. Yes. 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:23.479 The sheer endurance of long -term commitment 00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:26.680 and the sudden, immediate disruption of mobilization. 00:02:26.939 --> 00:02:29.539 Those two pillars are really the defining characteristics 00:02:29.539 --> 00:02:32.219 of the reserve components. But I think before 00:02:32.219 --> 00:02:34.259 we break down how those pillars are represented 00:02:34.259 --> 00:02:38.860 physically, it helps to understand the historical 00:02:38.860 --> 00:02:41.020 vacuum this medal was actually designed to fill. 00:02:41.159 --> 00:02:43.229 Right. Because it wasn't always just one universal 00:02:43.229 --> 00:02:45.990 award. No, not at all. The AFRM is officially 00:02:45.990 --> 00:02:47.870 presented by the Department of Defense or the 00:02:47.870 --> 00:02:49.430 Department of Homeland Security for the Coast 00:02:49.430 --> 00:02:51.750 Guard. To both officers and enlisted personnel 00:02:51.750 --> 00:02:54.110 across all the branches. Yes, but establishing 00:02:54.110 --> 00:02:56.550 that universal award meant dismantling older 00:02:56.550 --> 00:02:58.849 branch -specific traditions that existed before 00:02:58.849 --> 00:03:01.469 the 1950s. Following the Second World War and 00:03:01.469 --> 00:03:04.289 heading into the early Cold War era, the U .S. 00:03:04.289 --> 00:03:06.849 really recognized... the strategic necessity 00:03:06.849 --> 00:03:10.030 of maintaining this massive standardized reserve 00:03:10.030 --> 00:03:13.189 force. And prior to that era of unification, 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:16.240 The branches just had their own separate awards. 00:03:16.539 --> 00:03:18.780 The Navy had been issuing the Naval Reserve Medal 00:03:18.780 --> 00:03:21.300 since I think 1938. And the Marine Corps had 00:03:21.300 --> 00:03:23.080 the Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon dating back to 00:03:23.080 --> 00:03:26.979 1945. Right. Having disparate awards just contradicted 00:03:26.979 --> 00:03:29.520 the whole unified joint force philosophy of the 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:31.280 newly established Department of Defense. The 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:33.740 creation of the AFRM was a direct response to 00:03:33.740 --> 00:03:36.400 that need for standardization. Yeah. Executive 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:39.479 Order 10163 established the foundation in September 00:03:39.479 --> 00:03:42.180 1950. And then it was officially promulgated 00:03:42.180 --> 00:03:45.120 across the military in 1958. Right. And those 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:47.879 older awards were subsequently phased out. The 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:50.580 Naval Reserve Medal discontinued in 58, and the 00:03:50.580 --> 00:03:52.560 Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon was retired in 65. 00:03:53.210 --> 00:03:55.750 Creating a completely universal standard of recognition. 00:03:56.210 --> 00:03:58.590 Whether a reservist was reporting to an armory, 00:03:58.729 --> 00:04:01.210 a flight line, or a ship, the symbol of their 00:04:01.210 --> 00:04:03.469 commitment became identical. Which brings us 00:04:03.469 --> 00:04:05.330 to how that commitment is actually quantified. 00:04:05.449 --> 00:04:08.090 The first primary element of the AFRM is time 00:04:08.090 --> 00:04:10.930 served. And that is visually represented by the 00:04:10.930 --> 00:04:13.669 hourglass device, which is honestly an incredibly 00:04:13.669 --> 00:04:16.310 potent symbol for a medal predicated almost entirely 00:04:16.310 --> 00:04:19.230 on endurance and longevity. It literally represents 00:04:19.230 --> 00:04:21.850 time passing. So the foundational requirement 00:04:21.850 --> 00:04:24.129 to earn the bare metal and the initial bronze 00:04:24.129 --> 00:04:27.170 hourglass is the 10 -year rule. A member of the 00:04:27.170 --> 00:04:29.069 reserve components, our National Guard, must 00:04:29.069 --> 00:04:31.410 complete 10 years of service in the active reserve. 00:04:32.139 --> 00:04:34.420 But the military regulations actually account 00:04:34.420 --> 00:04:37.120 for the complex reality of a reservist's civilian 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:39.879 life here. The 10 years of service do not have 00:04:39.879 --> 00:04:42.620 to be strictly consecutive. Right. They can be 00:04:42.620 --> 00:04:45.300 cumulative, provided that the combined 10 years 00:04:45.300 --> 00:04:47.779 fall within a rolling window of 12 consecutive 00:04:47.779 --> 00:04:50.399 years. That two -year buffer is such a crucial 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:52.819 administrative accommodation. It really is, because 00:04:52.819 --> 00:04:56.009 reservists are civilians first. They might face 00:04:56.009 --> 00:04:58.430 a career relocation or pursue higher education 00:04:58.430 --> 00:05:01.110 or just experience significant family events 00:05:01.110 --> 00:05:03.550 that require them to temporarily transfer to 00:05:03.550 --> 00:05:06.430 an inactive status. So the 12 -year window ensures 00:05:06.430 --> 00:05:09.550 that a brief pause in drilling doesn't just completely 00:05:09.550 --> 00:05:12.250 erase their progress toward the medal. Exactly, 00:05:12.370 --> 00:05:14.389 though the parameters for what counts toward 00:05:14.389 --> 00:05:17.089 that time can be highly specific. Like voluntary 00:05:17.089 --> 00:05:20.189 recalls to active duty, those do not tally toward 00:05:20.189 --> 00:05:22.670 the 10 -year reserve requirement. Right. And 00:05:22.670 --> 00:05:25.009 the Navy has a very unique application regarding 00:05:25.009 --> 00:05:28.850 its Individual Ready Reserve, the IRR. For those 00:05:28.850 --> 00:05:31.269 unfamiliar, the IRR consists of trained service 00:05:31.269 --> 00:05:33.649 members who have completed their active duty 00:05:33.649 --> 00:05:35.949 commitments but still have time remaining on 00:05:35.949 --> 00:05:38.430 their overall military contracts. They don't 00:05:38.430 --> 00:05:41.230 drill on weekends, but they remain eligible for 00:05:41.230 --> 00:05:44.160 mobilization. And for the Navy personnel in the 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:47.620 IRR are entirely eligible for the AFRM after 00:05:47.620 --> 00:05:50.220 10 years of service. That's fascinating. Another 00:05:50.220 --> 00:05:53.079 big distinction of the AFRM is how it diverges 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:55.759 from awards like the Good Conduct Medal. Oh, 00:05:55.779 --> 00:05:58.100 yeah. The Good Conduct Medal requires a pristine 00:05:58.100 --> 00:06:00.639 disciplinary record. Any infraction basically 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:03.019 resets the clock. But the Armed Forces Reserve 00:06:03.019 --> 00:06:05.860 Medal, conversely, does not factor in a member's 00:06:05.860 --> 00:06:08.420 disciplinary history at all. It is a pure metric 00:06:08.420 --> 00:06:11.120 of availability and commitment to the reserve 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:13.350 component. If you remained on the books and were 00:06:13.350 --> 00:06:15.949 available to the nation for a decade, you qualify 00:06:15.949 --> 00:06:18.470 for the recognition. So once that first decade 00:06:18.470 --> 00:06:21.689 is achieved, the visual progression of the hourglass 00:06:21.689 --> 00:06:24.930 devices becomes this highly satisfying study 00:06:24.930 --> 00:06:27.490 in military hierarchy. At 10 years of service, 00:06:27.529 --> 00:06:29.769 a bronze hourglass is affixed to the suspension 00:06:29.769 --> 00:06:32.290 ribbon and the smaller service ribbon worn on 00:06:32.290 --> 00:06:34.850 the uniform. And if a reservist remains in service 00:06:34.850 --> 00:06:38.110 to reach the 20 year mark, that bronze hourglass 00:06:38.110 --> 00:06:40.819 is physically removed and replaced. with his 00:06:40.819 --> 00:06:43.360 silver hourglass. Then reaching 30 years of reserve 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:45.740 service, which is a monumental achievement spanning 00:06:45.740 --> 00:06:49.420 multiple decades of changing doctrine and geopolitical 00:06:49.420 --> 00:06:52.279 shifts. A 30 -year career earns the gold hourglass, 00:06:52.540 --> 00:06:55.259 completely replacing the silver. This progression 00:06:55.259 --> 00:06:58.000 is entirely logical within the framework of military 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:00.759 awards up until we reach the extreme outlier. 00:07:00.899 --> 00:07:04.240 Ah, yes, the 40 -year anomaly. This is a brilliant 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:06.480 example of regulations having to adapt to the 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:08.839 absolute extremes of human endurance. It really 00:07:08.839 --> 00:07:10.980 is. Because if a service member actually manages 00:07:10.980 --> 00:07:13.259 to dedicate 40 years to the reserve components, 00:07:13.639 --> 00:07:16.860 the military does not introduce a platinum or 00:07:16.860 --> 00:07:19.480 diamond hourglass. No, they don't. Instead, the 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:21.579 regulations stipulate that the service member 00:07:21.579 --> 00:07:24.199 wears both the gold and the bronze hourglasses 00:07:24.199 --> 00:07:27.019 simultaneously. Which violates the standard operating 00:07:27.019 --> 00:07:29.339 procedure for nearly every other military award. 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:32.670 Completely. Usually a lower tier device is entirely 00:07:32.670 --> 00:07:35.470 subsumed by the higher tier one. You don't see 00:07:35.470 --> 00:07:37.930 a silver oak leaf cluster worn next to a bronze 00:07:37.930 --> 00:07:39.910 one to signify a combined total. They represent 00:07:39.910 --> 00:07:43.290 separate counts. But at 40 years, the 30 -year 00:07:43.290 --> 00:07:46.129 gold device and the 10 -year bronze device sit 00:07:46.129 --> 00:07:48.430 side by side. It's just simple visible addition 00:07:48.430 --> 00:07:51.740 displayed right on the chest. 30 plus 10. And 00:07:51.740 --> 00:07:53.120 while that progression seems straightforward 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.860 today, the physical construction of these metals 00:07:55.860 --> 00:07:59.000 actually serves as a localized historical record. 00:07:59.180 --> 00:08:01.879 Because of the 1996 shift. Right. There was a 00:08:01.879 --> 00:08:05.100 major bureaucratic shift in 1996 that fundamentally 00:08:05.100 --> 00:08:07.560 altered how the hourglass devices were awarded. 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:11.379 Meaning you can essentially carbon date a retiree's 00:08:11.379 --> 00:08:13.920 service by looking at the specific devices on 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:18.120 their uniform. Prior to August 6, 1996, the governing 00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:21.019 regulations were entirely different. Before the 00:08:21.019 --> 00:08:24.740 implementation of Executive Order 13013, a service 00:08:24.740 --> 00:08:27.040 member did not receive an hourglass for their 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.540 first award at 10 years. They just received the 00:08:29.540 --> 00:08:32.860 bare ribbon. Exactly. The bronze hourglass wasn't 00:08:32.860 --> 00:08:35.120 presented until the second award signifying 20 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:37.759 years of service. Two bronze hourglasses meant 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:41.700 30 years and three meant 40. So the 1996 Executive 00:08:41.700 --> 00:08:44.779 Order shifted the entire scale backward so that 00:08:44.779 --> 00:08:46.759 the bronze hourglass started at the 10 -year 00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:49.570 mark. But the crucial insight here is that military 00:08:49.570 --> 00:08:52.129 administrative changes are rarely retroactive. 00:08:52.389 --> 00:08:55.289 Right. The catch is, if a reservist was discharged 00:08:55.289 --> 00:08:57.370 or retired before that rule change in August 00:08:57.370 --> 00:09:00.769 1996, they were not eligible to have their records 00:09:00.769 --> 00:09:02.830 corrected or their devices upgraded to the new 00:09:02.830 --> 00:09:04.629 standards. So the resulting physical uniform 00:09:04.629 --> 00:09:07.350 is literally a snapshot of the geopolitical and 00:09:07.350 --> 00:09:09.909 regulatory era in which that person served. If 00:09:09.909 --> 00:09:11.370 you look at the uniform of someone who retired 00:09:11.370 --> 00:09:15.350 in 1994 with 20 years of service, their medal 00:09:15.350 --> 00:09:18.080 features one bronze hourglass. But a person who 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:20.879 retired in 1998 with only 10 years of service 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:24.519 also wears one bronze hourglass dictated by the 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:28.000 new rules. The medal is an immutable legal document 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:30.580 of its specific era. It's so cool. It really 00:09:30.580 --> 00:09:33.259 is. Now that covers the element of time. But 00:09:33.259 --> 00:09:35.940 the very nature of the reserve force is that 00:09:35.940 --> 00:09:39.379 they are held in reserve for a crisis. When a 00:09:39.379 --> 00:09:42.899 global contingency arises, time served becomes 00:09:42.899 --> 00:09:45.220 irrelevant. And the second pillar of the award 00:09:45.220 --> 00:09:49.159 is activated. This introduces the M device representing 00:09:49.159 --> 00:09:52.419 mobilization. The M device fundamentally shifts 00:09:52.419 --> 00:09:54.820 the paradigm of the Armed Forces Reserve Medal. 00:09:54.980 --> 00:09:57.659 When a reservist is involuntarily mobilized for 00:09:57.659 --> 00:09:59.980 a contingency operation, the 10 -year requirement 00:09:59.980 --> 00:10:02.539 is immediately waived. A National Guard member 00:10:02.539 --> 00:10:04.440 could be out of basic training for six months, 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:06.980 but if their unit is called up... They are immediately 00:10:06.980 --> 00:10:09.860 awarded the AFRM with the bronze M device. The 00:10:09.860 --> 00:10:11.799 authority for this mobilization is very specific, 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:14.240 though. The M device is triggered when a reservist 00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:16.460 is involuntarily called to active duty under 00:10:16.460 --> 00:10:19.340 Title 10, which designates federal military operations. 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:22.159 Or Title 14 for the Coast Guard. Right. It is 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:25.360 also authorized if a member volunteers for federal 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:28.620 active duty during one of these designated mobilizations. 00:10:28.740 --> 00:10:31.259 And in the modern era of prolonged conflicts, 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:34.960 a single mobilization is rarely the end of the 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:37.789 story. The military accounts for multiple subsequent 00:10:37.789 --> 00:10:40.309 deployments through the use of numeral devices 00:10:40.309 --> 00:10:43.529 worn alongside the M. So if a service member 00:10:43.529 --> 00:10:46.070 is mobilized a second time, they receive a numeral 00:10:46.070 --> 00:10:49.990 two. A third time earns a numeral three. However, 00:10:50.129 --> 00:10:53.250 the bureaucratic criteria for earning those numerals 00:10:53.250 --> 00:10:56.669 reveals a really fascinating, highly legalistic 00:10:56.669 --> 00:10:59.019 approach to military administration. This is 00:10:59.019 --> 00:11:01.120 where we get into the same executive order loophole. 00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:03.559 Yes, this was a massive aha moment from the sources. 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:05.559 This perfectly illustrates how administrative 00:11:05.559 --> 00:11:08.460 policy shapes the physical uniform. The regulations 00:11:08.460 --> 00:11:11.000 explicitly mandate that subsequent mobilizations 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.340 must be authorized under a completely different 00:11:13.340 --> 00:11:16.039 executive order call -up to warrant a new numeral 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:18.379 device. So it tracks the legal authority, not 00:11:18.379 --> 00:11:20.320 the number of times a soldier actually packs 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:22.899 their bags and deploys. Exactly. To put that 00:11:22.899 --> 00:11:25.320 into perspective, consider the post -9 -11 landscape. 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:29.080 Executive Order 13223 was signed in September 00:11:29.080 --> 00:11:31.799 2001, authorizing the mobilization of the Ready 00:11:31.799 --> 00:11:34.279 Reserve for the global war on terrorism. Okay. 00:11:34.460 --> 00:11:36.779 A reservist could be activated under that order 00:11:36.779 --> 00:11:39.360 and deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:42.080 Freedom. They return home, resume their civilian 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:44.820 career, and four years later, they are mobilized 00:11:44.820 --> 00:11:47.179 again under that same executive order, this time 00:11:47.179 --> 00:11:49.600 deploying for Operation Iraqi Freedom. And then 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:51.340 years later, they could be called up a third 00:11:51.340 --> 00:11:54.039 time for Operation New Dawn. Right. That is three 00:11:54.039 --> 00:12:02.929 distinct com - But because human resources and 00:12:02.929 --> 00:12:04.990 military bureaucracy track the initial legal 00:12:04.990 --> 00:12:07.669 authorization, all three of those mobilizations 00:12:07.669 --> 00:12:10.710 fall under Executive Order 13223. Consequently, 00:12:10.830 --> 00:12:13.610 that soldier is authorized just one single bronze 00:12:13.610 --> 00:12:16.710 M device, no numerals indicating the multiple 00:12:16.710 --> 00:12:19.820 tours. That is wild. Conversely, a different 00:12:19.820 --> 00:12:21.500 reservist could be mobilized once for Desert 00:12:21.500 --> 00:12:24.899 Storm under a 1990 executive order and once for 00:12:24.899 --> 00:12:27.120 the Homeland Defense Mission Noble Eagle under 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:32.669 a 2001 order. far less total time on active duty, 00:12:32.830 --> 00:12:36.110 that reservists would wear the M with a numeral 00:12:36.110 --> 00:12:39.049 two. It is a stark reminder of the rigid logic 00:12:39.049 --> 00:12:41.509 governing military awards. Definitely. And the 00:12:41.509 --> 00:12:43.629 Department of Defense authorizes the M device 00:12:43.629 --> 00:12:46.129 for specific designated military operations. 00:12:46.909 --> 00:12:49.309 Reviewing that list is essentially reading a 00:12:49.309 --> 00:12:51.529 geopolitical history of American foreign policy 00:12:51.529 --> 00:12:54.490 over the last three decades. It really illustrates 00:12:54.490 --> 00:12:56.649 the transition of the reserve components from 00:12:56.649 --> 00:12:59.210 a strategic in -case of emergency force during 00:12:59.210 --> 00:13:02.299 the Cold War into a heavily utilized operational 00:13:02.299 --> 00:13:04.720 force. The modern utilization of the M device 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:07.320 really began with the massive mobilizations for 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:09.740 the Persian Gulf War, specifically operations 00:13:09.740 --> 00:13:12.200 Desert Shield and Desert Storm. And then throughout 00:13:12.200 --> 00:13:14.820 the 1990s, the reserves were continually activated 00:13:14.820 --> 00:13:17.899 for operations like Restore Hope in Somalia and 00:13:17.899 --> 00:13:20.419 Uphold Democracy in Haiti. The Balkan conflicts 00:13:20.419 --> 00:13:22.720 required sustained reserve support across multiple 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:25.779 named operations too. Joint Endeavor, Joint Guard, 00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:28.200 and Joint Forge in Bosnia, followed by Operation 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:30.759 Allied Force in Kosovo. Then the operational 00:13:30.759 --> 00:13:33.240 tempo increased exponentially with the global 00:13:33.240 --> 00:13:36.659 war on terrorism. The M device was authorized 00:13:36.659 --> 00:13:38.919 for the Homeland Defense Mission Operation Noble 00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:42.080 Eagle alongside the overseas campaigns. Enduring 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:45.679 freedom, Iraqi freedom, new dawn, freedoms, sentinel, 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:49.100 and inherent resolve. Notably, the source material 00:13:49.100 --> 00:13:51.559 emphasizes that even if a contingency operation 00:13:51.559 --> 00:13:54.460 is not officially named by the Pentagon, if it 00:13:54.460 --> 00:13:56.879 results in an involuntary call to active duty 00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:00.039 under the specified statutes, the M device is 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:02.259 still authorized. The lack of a bureaucratic 00:14:02.259 --> 00:14:05.080 naming convention doesn't invalidate the reservist's 00:14:05.080 --> 00:14:07.139 deployment. Because you have all these distinct 00:14:07.139 --> 00:14:09.639 devices, though, the M, the numerals, the bronze, 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:12.519 silver and gold hourglasses, the military had 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:14.779 to create an incredibly rigid system for how 00:14:14.779 --> 00:14:17.080 they physically fit onto a tiny piece of... Oh, 00:14:17.220 --> 00:14:19.480 the ribbon real estate. Yes. The service ribbon 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:22.220 worn on the daily uniform is only 1 3⁄8 inches 00:14:22.220 --> 00:14:25.539 wide. Managing that space is an exact science. 00:14:25.779 --> 00:14:27.539 The placement regulations are dictated down to 00:14:27.539 --> 00:14:29.620 the millimeter. So if a service member only has 00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:31.379 the hourglass, meaning they hit their decade 00:14:31.379 --> 00:14:34.740 milestones but were never mobilized, that hourglass 00:14:34.740 --> 00:14:37.179 is centered precisely on the ribbon. And if they 00:14:37.179 --> 00:14:39.120 only have the M device, meaning they were mobilized 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:41.740 before hitting 10 years, the M sits directly 00:14:41.740 --> 00:14:45.360 in the center. Any numerals for subsequent mobilizations 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:48.179 go to the wearer's left of the M. The hierarchy 00:14:48.179 --> 00:14:51.059 really reveals itself when a service member is 00:14:51.059 --> 00:14:54.299 authorized both devices. When you have a long 00:14:54.299 --> 00:14:56.620 -serving reservist who has also been mobilized, 00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:59.620 the hourglass is given precedence. Because in 00:14:59.620 --> 00:15:02.120 military uniform regulations, the position of 00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:04.679 honor is generally toward the wearer's right, 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:06.799 closer to the heart. Therefore, the hourglass 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:09.100 takes that premier first position on the wearer's 00:15:09.100 --> 00:15:12.360 right. The M device is bumped to the center position. 00:15:12.830 --> 00:15:14.690 And if there are any numerals for subsequent 00:15:14.690 --> 00:15:17.330 unrelated mobilizations, they are placed on the 00:15:17.330 --> 00:15:19.669 remaining space on the wearer's left. It creates 00:15:19.669 --> 00:15:21.990 a symmetrical, highly structured representation 00:15:21.990 --> 00:15:25.889 of a military career. Time served sits in the 00:15:25.889 --> 00:15:28.409 position of honor while action scene anchors 00:15:28.409 --> 00:15:30.929 the center. Like we said earlier, it's a wearable 00:15:30.929 --> 00:15:33.529 resume balancing a reservist's endurance with 00:15:33.529 --> 00:15:35.909 their readiness to answer the call. Once you 00:15:35.909 --> 00:15:37.970 understand the architecture of this specific 00:15:37.970 --> 00:15:40.769 ribbon, it completely changes how you view a 00:15:40.769 --> 00:15:43.480 reserve career. You're no longer looking at a 00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:45.940 random block of colors. You are reading a detailed 00:15:45.940 --> 00:15:48.580 history of American foreign policy and personal 00:15:48.580 --> 00:15:51.120 sacrifice pinned directly to the uniform. You 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:53.159 can recognize immediately if someone dedicated 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:56.360 three decades of quiet service or if their life 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:59.019 was repeatedly interrupted by global contingency 00:15:59.019 --> 00:16:01.639 operations. It's a lot of information in a very 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:05.019 small space. As we conclude this deep dive, there 00:16:05.019 --> 00:16:07.279 is a broader implication regarding the future 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:09.779 of these symbols that builds directly on the 00:16:09.779 --> 00:16:12.879 source material. We have discussed how the M 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:15.500 device is triggered by an involuntary mobilization 00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:18.240 for a contingency operation. Right, and historically 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:20.580 that meant packing a duffel bag and physically 00:16:20.580 --> 00:16:23.340 deploying to a theater of war. But the geographical 00:16:23.340 --> 00:16:26.679 realities of warfare are rapidly shifting. The 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:28.840 definition of a deployment is no longer strictly 00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:31.679 bound by physical borders. Exactly. Consider 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:34.360 the rise of cyber warfare and remote drone operations. 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:38.100 Today, a reservist can be involuntarily mobilized 00:16:38.100 --> 00:16:41.259 under Title 10 to conduct offensive cyber operations. 00:16:41.580 --> 00:16:44.220 They can be actively engaged in neutralizing 00:16:44.220 --> 00:16:47.179 enemy networks or flying combat drone missions 00:16:47.179 --> 00:16:49.659 from a secure facility in Maryland or Nevada 00:16:49.659 --> 00:16:52.100 and then literally drive home to their family 00:16:52.100 --> 00:16:54.909 at the end of their shift. They are undeniably 00:16:54.909 --> 00:16:57.789 mobilized for a global contingency, but their 00:16:57.789 --> 00:17:00.649 physical location never changes. It raises a 00:17:00.649 --> 00:17:02.970 profound question for you to ponder about the 00:17:02.970 --> 00:17:05.670 visual language of military honors. Does a digital 00:17:05.670 --> 00:17:08.230 deployment carry the exact same physical symbol, 00:17:08.349 --> 00:17:11.809 the bronze M device, as a reservist who deploys 00:17:11.809 --> 00:17:13.950 to a physical combat zone in the Middle East? 00:17:14.299 --> 00:17:16.420 As the nature of conflict evolves, will the military 00:17:16.420 --> 00:17:19.079 need to create a new, distinct visual language 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:21.980 for remote and digital warfare? Or will the historical 00:17:21.980 --> 00:17:24.380 M device simply stretch its definition to encompass 00:17:24.380 --> 00:17:26.900 the digital battlefield? It is a really complex 00:17:26.900 --> 00:17:29.359 issue of recognition and tradition to explore 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:31.680 as we look at the future of military service. 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:34.059 A very compelling question to leave us with. 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:36.079 Thank you so much for joining us on this deep 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:38.579 dive into the Armed Forces Reserve Medal. Keep 00:17:38.579 --> 00:17:40.859 your eyes open, stay curious, and we will catch 00:17:40.859 --> 00:17:41.539 you on the next one.