A Texas National Guard soldier stands vigil at a makeshift migrant camp near the U.S.-Mexico border fence May 11, 2023, in El Paso, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Now, service members will receive the Mexican Border Defense Medal (MBDM) instead of the Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) like they previously earned for supporting Customs and Border Protection at the border, the memo said.
The Armed Forces Service Medal, originally created in 1996 by former President Bill Clinton, is awarded to troops who have participated in a military operation with "significant activity," but didn’t encounter foreign armed opposition or imminent hostile action, according to a U.S. Army description of the medal.
The Pentagon said in July that approximately 8,500 military personnel are assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border, and have been tasked with responding to security threats there. The task force got underway in March and completed approximately 3,500 patrols between then and July, according to the Pentagon.
PENTAGON SETS UP NEW 250 MILE MILITARY BUFFER ZONE AT BORDER WITH CROSSINGS AT RECORD LOWS
U.S. soldiers take measures at the Mexican border after the Department of Defense signed a new order declaring 110,000 acres of land on the Mexican border as a National Defense Area at the request of US President Donald Trump in New Mexico, United States on May 08, 2025. (Can Hasasu/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Pentagon, per the direction of the president, has established four national defense areas along the border, bolstering U.S. troops’ capacity to assist Customs and Border Protection under the task force.
The national defense areas operate under military jurisdiction, paving the way for U.S. troops to detain trespassers. Without placing these stretches of land under military jurisdiction, U.S. troops were barred from doing so under existing federal law.
"Through these enhanced authorities, U.S. Northern Command will ensure those who illegally trespass in the New Mexico National Defense Area are handed over to Customs and Border Protection or our other law enforcement partners," Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command, said in an April statement. "Joint Task Force Southern Border will conduct enhanced detection and monitoring, which will include vehicle and foot patrols, rotary wing and fixed surveillance site operations."
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
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