I recently got a copy of my DD214 and it is listed as one of the medals I have. I looked on medal charts and it’s not listed. I was in the Marines during the first Gulf War/Desert Storm and was awarded a Joint Meritorious Unit Award however this medal is also listed on my DD 214. I am hoping to mount all my awards and medals and would like to know what this medal is. Wondering if this is supposed to be the Defense Meritorious Service Medal? I did several ops with the Italians, Spaniards, and Israelis during the war. Thanks for reading. Any help is appreciated.
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DMSM is some serious business, pretty high up there as far as awards go. I wonder if its the JSAM or JCOM (Joint Service Achievement/Commendation Medal) Did you get an individual award other than your JMUA (which as you know was actual for the unit as a whole) for your service in the Gulf? Sounds like your personnel detachment may have screwed you.http://usmilitary.about.com/od/navy/l/bl…
EDIT: I wouldn’t count yourself out of the Commendation, I’m only an E-6, and I got my JCOM when I was a E5/SGT PCSing from my Joint Command and most Marines got that as well. Since I can’t find anywhere that says the award you mentioned is an actual award maybe the following websites will be able to determine what the actual award was. http://www.dd214.us/ or http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/militar… and contact them if they know how to get corrections/clarifications. I was digging around some other forums and people said the 2nd website fixes/obtains DD214s for you.
Since your relatives don’t have much time I’d say just go ahead and build your rack without it. May be one shy of what you actually earned but will still be meaningful none-the-less.
Since your deployment was part of a “group service action” (much like the deployment in Grenada) you have a joint medal in that they consider all the service links (Army,Marines,Air Force, Navy etc..) as grouped together
The Meritorious Service Medal is a military award presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding non-combat meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969. Effective 11 September 2001, this award also may be bestowed for non-combat meritorious achievement in a designated combat theatre. Normally, the acts or services rendered must be comparable to that required for the Legion of Merit but in a duty of lesser, though considerable, responsibility. A higher decoration, known as the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, is intended for similar services performed under joint service with the United States Department of Defense. Today, most MSM recipients are field grade officers (pay grades O-4 to O-6), senior warrant officers (W-3 to W-5), senior noncommissioned officers (E-7 to E-9), and individuals who have displayed a level of service that warrants an award of such magnitude. To receive this award the individual must exhibit exceptionally meritorious service at that level of responsibility.