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What are the documentation and approval levels required to award a Bronze Star Medal and when was the current policy last updated (year)?
Executive summary
The Bronze Star Medal is established by Executive Order No. 9419 (Feb. 4, 1944) and may be awarded by the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Homeland Security for the Coast Guard, or by designated commanders; the original order and later implementing service regulations require a written recommendation and citation in orders in many cases [1] [2] [3]. Available sources in this set do not provide a single consolidated “current policy” year of last update; they describe the statutory/EO basis and common documentation practices (recommendation, citation/orders, DD‑214 evidence) but do not state the last year the policy was updated [1] [3] [4].
1. What legally creates the Bronze Star and who may award it
The Bronze Star’s legal authority comes from Executive Order 9419, signed February 4, 1944, which establishes the medal retroactive to December 7, 1941, and expressly authorizes award by the Secretary of War (now military secretaries) or by commanding officers the Secretaries designate — language reaffirmed in public archives of the EO [1]. Contemporary service descriptions echo that authorization: the medal “may be awarded by the Secretary of a military department or the Secretary of Homeland Security … or by such military commanders, or other appropriate officers as the Secretary concerned may designate,” language repeated on service pages such as the Navy and Army Fact Sheets [5] [2].
2. Typical documentation required in recommendations and orders
Multiple sources emphasize that awards are normally supported by a commander’s written recommendation and a citation entered in orders. Historical descriptions note the Bronze Star (and related badges) “required a recommendation by the commander and a citation in orders,” a standard that appears repeatedly in historical and registry guidance [2] [3]. Practical guidance used for veteran verification also treats official documents—DD‑214, WD AGO forms, or orders showing the award—as primary proof for the medal [4].
3. How services implement the EO: commander recommendation vs. delegated authority
The EO and service pages make clear there is delegated authority: Secretaries may designate commanders or appropriate officers to award the medal, so not every Bronze Star needs final Secretary-level signature in contemporary practice [1] [5]. That delegation means procedural details (forms, routing, review levels) vary by branch and command; public summaries and how‑to guides repeatedly advise starting with a commanding officer’s written nomination and compiling supporting records for personnel authorities to process [6] [7].
4. Records and veteran verification practices cited by public resources
For veterans seeking proof or replacement, civilian and veteran websites advise that an unaltered photocopy of a DD‑214 or wartime AGO form that “clearly displaying your award of the Bronze Star Medal” is the standard documentary evidence, used by registries and replacement programs [4]. Historical registry guidance also treats awards like the Combat Infantryman Badge as equivalent to “citation in orders” in certain WWII-era contexts, showing how documentary standards have evolved and how specific documents serve as evidence [3].
5. What the provided sources do not answer (policy-update year) and why that matters
None of the supplied sources in this set explicitly state the year the “current policy” governing Bronze Star awards was last updated or consolidated into a single revision date. Service fact sheets and historical EOs show the authority and long‑standing delegation, but they do not give a last‑updated policy year in these excerpts (not found in current reporting). That absence matters because award procedures—approval chains, electronic submission systems, and review thresholds—are typically set in service regulations or administrative messages that can be updated independently and are often documented in service‑specific manuals not included here (available sources do not mention a policy update year) [1] [5] [2].
6. Competing viewpoints and practical implications
Official/legal sources (Executive Order and service fact sheets) focus on authority and eligibility; veteran and civilian guidance stresses practical documentation and verification [1] [5] [4]. Some public‑facing guides present nomination steps (command recommendation, supporting evidence) as routine best practice, but they are not formal replacements for service regulations and do not cite a single update date for policy changes [6] [7]. Users seeking the exact, currently binding approval thresholds and the most recent update year should consult the specific branch’s awards regulation or personnel policy messages — documents not present in the provided set (available sources do not mention branch regulation update dates).
If you want, I can (a) search for the current Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or DoD award regulation or manual that sets approval levels and show the most recent amendment year, or (b) outline likely approval chains (e.g., battalion/brigade/major command thresholds) based on typical service practice and note which sources would confirm each step.