Prisoner of War Medal — Military Decorations
Prisoner of War Medal Medal and Ribbon Design Images
The medal is a circular, gold piece with an eagle in the center. The eagles wings are outspread. The eagle is surrounded by barbwire.
What is the Prisoner of War Medal Decoration?
The Prisoner of War Medal is a military honor bestowed on those who have been held as a prisoner of war after April 5, 1917. Created on November 8th, 1985 by President Ronald Reagon, the medal is recognition for those who have been held captive by enemy forces in a time of war.
The United States military sorts decorations into categories called Classes and Types. The Prisoner of War Medal medal is classified as a Service Award of the type Prisoner of War Medal.
How Do You Earn the Prisoner of War Medal?
The medal is awarded to those who were held captive by an enemy force while in active combat or while serving with a friendly power. They must have been engaged with the enemy when they were captured.
Displaying the Prisoner of War Medal
The Order of Precedence of the Prisoner of War Medal is 58, and this precedence is used when placing the associated service ribbon on your uniform ribbon rack. You can see a full list of decorations in the order of precedence on the Decorations homepage.
The medal is worn between either the Achivement Medal (Army), Navy "E" ribbon, Organizational Excellence Award (Air Force) and the Good Conduct Medal (All Branches), Combat Readiness Medal (Air Force).
Prisoner of War Medal Associated Branches
Army |
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Navy |
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Air Force |
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Marine Corps |
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Coast Guard |
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Prisoner of War Medal Associated Branches
Army |
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Navy |
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Air Force |
|
Marine Corps |
 |
Coast Guard |
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Prisoner of War Medal and the Stolen Valor Act
The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 is a federal law that makes it illegal for any person to falsely claim to be the recipient of certain military awards, "with the intention of obtaining money, property, or other tangible benefit by convincing another that he or she received the award".This decoration is covered by the Stolen Valor act. Fraudulently claiming to have received a Prisoner of War Medal can result in punishment including a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both
