Established in June 1987, the Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon honors Navy and Marine Corps members, including reservists, who carry out a year of service, consecutively or cumulatively, at an overseas duty station. Service duty in Hawaii or Alaska is not eligible.
For inactive reservists, time of duty entails 30 consecutive days or 45 agglomerate days of active duty at overseas stations; travel time is not counted towards the award.
The ribbon is bisected by a vertical red stripe flanked on either side a thin vertical yellow stripe, a thick dark blue stripe, a thin yellow stripe, and light blue edging.