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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73not60

§9281 Service Medals: Issue; Replacement; Availability of Appropriations

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle D— Air Force and Space Force › Part II— PERSONNEL › Chapter 937— DECORATIONS AND AWARDS › § 9281

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Air Force must buy and give free any service medal made for Air Force or Space Force members after September 26, 1947. That includes ribbons, clasps, stars, and similar parts of those medals, given to anyone who is entitled to them. If a medal or part is lost, destroyed, or becomes unusable and it was not the owner’s fault, it can be replaced under rules the Secretary sets. Replacements cost money except they are free for current Air Force or Space Force members. The Secretary can use money from any Air Force or Space Force support funds to pay for these medals and devices.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §9281

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of the Air Force shall procure, and issue without charge to any person entitled thereto, any service medal authorized for members of the Air Force or the Space Force after September 26, 1947, and any ribbon, clasp, star, or similar device prescribed as a part of that medal.
(b)Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, any medal or other device issued under subsection (a) that is lost, destroyed, or becomes unfit for use without fault or neglect of the owner, may be replaced at cost. However, if the owner is a member of the Air Force or the Space Force, the medal or device may be replaced without charge.
(c)The Secretary may spend, from any appropriation for the support of the Air Force or the Space Force, amounts necessary to provide medals and devices under this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 8751(a) 8751(b) 8751(c)10:1415a (less 21st through 30th words, and less clauses (a) through (n)).10:1415b (less applicability to 10:1415a (clauses (a) through (n))).10:1415c (less applicability to 10:1415a (clauses (a) through (n))).
May 12, 1928, ch. 528, §§ 1 (less 25th through 34th words, and less clauses (a) through (n)), 2 (less applicability to § 1 (clauses (a) through (n))), 3 (less applicability to § 1 (clauses (a) through (n))), 45 Stat. 500. In subsection (a), the words “authorized for members of the Air Force after
September 26, 1947” are substituted for the words “hereafter authorized”, since, under Transfer Order 1, that date was the

Effective Date

of the transfer of personnel from the Army to the Air Force under section 208(e) of the National Security Act of 1947, as amended (5 U.S.C. 626c(e)). 10:1415a (proviso) is omitted as surplusage, since the revised section is not limited to persons who are members of the Air Force at the time of the issue. In subsection (b), the words “member of the Air Force” are substituted for the words “persons in the military service of the United States”. In subsection (c), the last 16 words are substituted for 10:1415c (last 16 words).

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 116–283 inserted “or the Space Force” after “the Air Force” wherever appearing after the first appearance. 2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 8751 of this title as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 9281

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60