Army of Occupation Medal was established in 1946 and the order has been amended several times to cover areas not originally authorized. It is awarded for 30 consecutive days at a normal post of duty on assignment to the armies of occupation. (U.S. Air Force illustration/Virginia Reyes)
This medal is awarded for 30 consecutive days at a normal post of duty on assignment to the armies of occupation. The order establishing the award has been amended several times to cover areas not originally authorized. Refer to DOD 1348.33-M for areas which qualify for this award.
Description: Established in 1946, the medal was designed by the Army Heraldic Section. The obverse shows the Remagen bridge abutments, symbolic of Europe. At the top is the inscription "Army of Occupation" in two lines. The reverse shows Mount Fujiyama, with a cloud near the top, in the background, symbolic of Asia. In front of the mountain are two Japanese junks. Below these is a symbolic wave, and the date "1945" appears at the bottom.
Ribbon: The ribbon has a broad stripe of black to the left and a broad stripe of red to the right with narrow stripes of white at each end, signifying the enemies of the World War II, Germany and Japan.
Authorized device: Berlin Airlift device and clasps were authorized for wear on the ribbon; they have the inscriptions, "Germany" or "Japan" and signify that the recipient served in either area of occupation. There were also some unofficial bars, such as "Korea".
