Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal and Ribbon

Coast Guard Arctic Service Ribbon
Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal
Coast Guard Arctic Service Ribbon


Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal

History - Established 1976

Created in 1976, the Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal Ribbon honors U.S. Coast Guard personnel and qualifying civilians who carry out three weeks of service north of the Arctic Circle consecutively, either aboard a vessel or onshore.

The criteria for eligibility are as follows:

-Individuals who carried out service at Loran Stations in Barrow or Port Clarence, Alaska; Cape Christian on Baffin Island in Canada; Cape Atholl, Greenland; or Bo or Jan Mayen Island, Norway
-Coast Guard members who participate in flights serving the above stations
-Coast Guard members who carry out summer season service (between May 1 and October 31) north of the Arctic Circle or winter season service (between November 1 and April 30) on Coast Guard sea craft in the Bering Sea or the Davis or Denmark Straits

Details

The medal features a polar bear atop an ice floe on the water beneath a compass rose; text reads “ARCTIC SERVICE.” The ribbon is bisected by a navy blue stripe and features four thin vertical stripes of progressively lighter blues proceeding outward toward a white edge on each side. Awards are limited to one per year/deployment.

Subsequent awards may be indicated by stars.

Bronze Star
Silver Star

Precedence