USCGC Alder moves through icebergs during Operation Nanook 2010

The Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal was established on 20 May 1976 by

Commandant of the Coast Guard Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Owen W. Siler. The medal is awarded to any member of the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

who performs twenty-one days of non-consecutive duty afloat or ashore north of the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circl ...

. Air crews flying in and out of areas north of the Arctic Circle may also be awarded the medal for 21 days of non-consecutive service. The medal depicts a

polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can Hybrid (biology), interbreed. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear ...

under the

North Star Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude t ...

, while the reverse side carries the Coast Guard Shield.

Eligibility requirements

The Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal may be awarded to any person who meets the qualifications related to service in defined geographic areas or at specific duty stations. Only one medal may be awarded per deployment or year in the case of qualifying air crews. Qualifying service is as follows: *Members of the Coast Guard who, during summer operations (defined as 1 May to 31 October), who serve in any Coast Guard mission north of the

(66°33'N) for 21 non-consecutive days under competent orders. *Member of the Coast Guard who, during winter operations (defined as 1 November to 30 April), serve or have served aboard a Coast Guard vessel operating in polar waters north of latitude 60 degrees North, specifically in the

Bering Sea The Bering Sea ( , ; rus, Бе́рингово мо́ре, r=Béringovo móre, p=ˈbʲerʲɪnɡəvə ˈmorʲe) is a marginal sea of the Northern Pacific Ocean. It forms, along with the Bering Strait, the divide between the two largest landmasse ...

Davis Strait The Davis Strait (Danish language, Danish: ''Davisstrædet'') is a southern arm of the Arctic Ocean that lies north of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. To the north is Baffin Bay. The ...

, or

Denmark Strait The Denmark Strait is the strait that separates Greenland from Iceland. Geography The strait connects the Greenland Sea, an extension of the Arctic Ocean, to the Irminger Sea, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is long. The narrowest part o ...

for 21 non-consecutive days under competent orders. *Members of the Coast Guard who serve on the remote

LORAN LORAN (Long Range Navigation) was a hyperbolic navigation, hyperbolic radio navigation system developed in the United States during World War II. It was similar to the UK's Gee (navigation), Gee system but operated at lower frequencies in order ...

Stations at

Cape Atholl Cape Atholl (), also known as Kangaarasuk, is a headland in Northwest Greenland, Avannaata municipality. This cape was named by Commander James Saunders, after Atholl, the class to which his ship HMS ''North Star'' belonged, during the winter ...

, Greenland; Cape Christian,

Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada, the second-largest island in the Americas (behind Greenland), and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is (slightly smal ...

, Canada;

Port Clarence Port Clarence is a small village in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England. It is on the north bank of the River Tees, and near the northern end of the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge. History Formerly known as Samphire Batts, ...

, Alaska; Barrow, Alaska; Bø, Norway;

Jan Mayen Island Jan Mayen () is a Norwegian volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean with no permanent population. It is long (southwest-northeast) and in area, partly covered by glaciers (an area of around the Beerenberg volcano). It has two parts: larger no ...

, Norway. *Members of the Coast Guard who participate in flights as a member of the crew of an aircraft flying to or from stations listed above, or any shore locations north of the Arctic Circle in support of Coast Guard missions. The minimum time requirement is 21 non-consecutive days under competent orders, no more than one day of service is credited for flights in and out during any 24-hour period. Civilians may be recommended for the award of the Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal for their service with the Coast Guard. Recommendations for civilians must be sent directly to the Commandant for an award decision.

References

{{Authority control Arctic Service Medal Awards for polar exploration Awards established in 1976

Eligibility requirements

See also

References