Defense and national security

Executive Order 13293: Amendment to Executive Order 10448, Establishing the National Defense Service Medal

President: George W. Bush

Updated the National Defense Service Medal’s eligibility rules to cover service during the post-September 11 national-emergency period.

Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13293 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13293 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 13293 do?

The order assigned these duties: Department of Defense and the military departments — Updated the National Defense Service Medal’s eligibility rules to cover service during the post-September 11 national-emergency period.

Checked the National Defense Service Medal amendment against EO 10448 and later award rules. The guide describes the added eligibility provision without implying that this order alone determines any individual service member’s award.

Administration position: The order’s policy rationale is described in its text and administration records. Implementation and legal observations below are based on the cited official sources.
SignedMarch 28, 2003
IssuerPresident George W. Bush
Lead agencies or officialsDepartment of Defense and the military departments
Express timingImmediate; eligibility periods and qualifying service administered by Defense

Before and after

Before the order

EO 10448 established the medal for designated national-emergency periods, but its text did not reflect the current counterterrorism mobilization.

After the order

Defense incorporated the revised eligibility period into award guidance and personnel records; later orders and service rules refined campaign recognition.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Department of Defense and the military departmentsUpdated the National Defense Service Medal’s eligibility rules to cover service during the post-September 11 national-emergency period.Immediate; eligibility periods and qualifying service administered by Defense

What happened next

EO 13293 signed.

2003–present — Defense updated award guidance and qualifying periods as operations and national-emergency authorities changed.