Four days after confirming that it was creating a new medal for troops deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border, the Department of Defense released the first look for the award.

The Pentagon released the first look at the new Mexican Border Defense Medal today. The release follows the establishment of the new award, outlined in an Aug. 13 memo by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The award goes to troops deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border supporting operations by Customs and Border Protection. The new medal replaces the Armed Forces Service Medal, which had been authorized for the same mission in 2019.

The Aug. 13 memo was posted on military social media accounts last week but the Pentagon only confirmed its authenticity on Aug. 18. No design details or images of the award were released at th

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