Awarding the Bronze Star
a. The Bronze Star Medal was established by Executive
Order 9419, 4 February 1944 (superseded by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962).
b. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army of the United
States after 6 December 1941, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving
participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy; or while engaged in military
operations involving conflict with an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
c. Awards may be made for acts of heroism, performed under circumstances described above, which are of lesser degree than
required for the award of the Silver Star.
d. The Bronze Star Medal may be awarded for meritorious achievement or meritorious service according to the following:
(1) Awards may be made to recognize single acts of merit or meritorious service. The lesser degree than that required for
the award of the Legion of Merit must nevertheless have been meritorious and accomplished with distinction.
(2) Award may be made by letter application to Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN:
DARP-VSE-A, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200 (enclosing documentary evidence, if possible), to each member of
the Armed Forces of the United States who after 6 December 1941, has been cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary
conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, inclusive, or whose meritorious
achievement has been other wise confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947. For this purpose, an
award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge is considered as a citation in orders. Documents executed since
4 August 1944 in connection with recommendations for the award of decorations of higher degree than the Bronze Star Medal
will not be used as the basis for an award under this paragraph.
(3) Upon letter application, award of the Bronze Star Medal may be made
to eligible soldiers who participated in the Philippine Islands Campaign between 7 December 1941 to 10 May 1942. Performance
of duty must have been on the island of Luzon or the Harbor Defenses in Corregidor and Bataan. Only soldiers who were awarded
the Distinguished Unit Citation (Presidential Unit Citation) may be awarded this decoration. Letter application
should be sent to the Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN: DARP-VSE-A, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200.
Executive Order 11046
Authorizing award of the Bronze Star Medal
Authorizing Award of the Bronze Star Medal
Signed: August 24, 1962
Federal Register page and date: 27
FR 8575; August 28, 1962
Supersedes: EO 9419, February 4, 1944
Source: The provisions of Executive Order 11046 of Aug. 24, 1962, appear at 27 FR 8575, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 630,
unless otherwise noted.
By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States and as Commander in Chief of the armed forces
of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:
1. The Bronze Star Medal, with accompanying ribbons and appurtenances, which was first established by Executive Order No.
9419 of February 4, 1944, may be awarded by the Secretary of a military department or the Secretary of Transportation with
regard to the Coast Guard when not operating as a service in the Navy, or by such military commanders, or other appropriate
officers as the Secretary concerned may designate, to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army, Navy,
Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard of the United States, after December 6, 1941, distinguishes, or has distinguished,
himself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight--
- (a) while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
- (b) while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
- (c) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the
United States is not a belligerent party.
[Para. 1 amended by Executive Order 11382 of Nov. 28, 1967, 32 FR 16247, 3 CFR, 1966-1970 Comp., p. 691]
2. The Bronze Star Medal and appurtenances thereto shall be of appropriate design approved by the Secretary of Defense,
and shall be awarded under such regulations as the Secretary concerned may prescribe. Such regulations shall, so far as practicable,
be uniform, and those of the military departments shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense.
3. No more than one Bronze Star Medal shall be awarded to any one person, but for each succeeding heroic or meritorious
achievement or service justifying such an award a suitable device may be awarded to be worn with the medal as prescribed by
appropriate regulations.
4. The Bronze Star Medal or device may be awarded posthumously and, when so awarded, may be presented to such representative
of the deceased as may be deemed appropriate by the Secretary of the department concerned.
5. This order shall supersede Executive Order No. 9419 of February 4, 1944, entitled "Bronze Star Medal". However, existing
regulations prescribed under that order shall, so far as they are not inconsistent with this order, remain in effect until
modified or revoked by regulations prescribed under this order by the Secretary of the department concerned.
