Who authorizes Bronze Star awards in the U.S. Army and when were criteria updated?
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Executive summary
The Bronze Star Medal was created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt via Executive Order 9419 in February 1944 and remains governed by subsequent executive orders and federal statute that vest award authority in service secretaries and designated commanders, with implementing rules in Army regulations [1][2][3]. Major updates to who can receive the medal and how it is awarded were formalized by Executive Order 11046 in 1962 and codified/clarified over time in Title 10 and Army Regulation 600‑8‑22, with more recent procedural clarifications appearing in updated AR 600‑8‑22 editions [2][4][5].
1. Authority: Presidential orders put departmental secretaries and commanders in charge
The legal chain of command for authorizing Bronze Star awards begins with presidential executive orders: Executive Order 9419 (Feb. 4, 1944) established the medal and permitted the Secretary of War (now Defense) and service secretaries to delegate award authority to commanding officers, and Executive Order 11046 (Aug. 24, 1962) reaffirmed and modernized that delegation, explicitly authorizing the Secretary of a military department and designated commanders to award the Bronze Star [1][2].
2. Who actually approves Army Bronze Stars today: Secretaries, commanders, and regulations
Operationally, the Secretary of the Army retains ultimate authority to promulgate award policy, but routine approvals are exercised by commanders and other officers the Secretary designates, following uniform regulations prepared by the Secretary of Defense and implemented in Army Regulation 600‑8‑22, which contains policy for awards, approving authority, and issue of decorations [2][6][7].
3. Eligibility and criteria: combat‑related meritorious or heroic service — and the 1962 expansion
The Bronze Star is awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an enemy or while engaged with opposing foreign forces; that basic criteria are stated in Departmental guidance and the original executive order language and remain in AR 600‑8‑22 and related guidance [6][3]. A notable change came with Executive Order 11046 and related measures in 1962, which expanded authorization to include those serving “with friendly forces” and clarified award applicability where the United States was not formally a belligerent — a practical shift during advisory roles such as early Vietnam-era service [8][2].
4. Statutory and regulatory updates after the executive orders
Congress and the Defense Department have also shaped Bronze Star policy: Title 10 U.S.C. section 1133 contains statutory limitations and eligibility language that have been amended over time, and DoD/Army regulations (notably AR 600‑8‑22) have been periodically updated to refine approval authority, device wear, downgrade restrictions, and processing steps — for example, recent revisions to AR 600‑8‑22 clarify Bronze Star downgrade restrictions and update approval authority and procedural details in light of newer DoD issuances [4][5].
5. Operational practice vs. founding text: who signs and why it matters
In practice, most Bronze Star awards for Army personnel are approved at brigade or higher command levels under delegated authority consistent with AR 600‑8‑22, while more senior or unusual cases require higher-level review by the Secretary’s office or DoD, reflecting the balance struck by the executive orders between centralized legal authority and decentralized military administration [2][6]. The result is continuity with Roosevelt’s original establishment but with periodic clarifications — notably the 1962 EO expansion and later regulatory revisions — that adjust eligibility and approval mechanics without overturning the medal’s founding purpose [1][8][5].
6. Limits of this report and alternate views
This account relies on executive orders, Army and DoD guidance, and statutory excerpts in the sources provided; it does not include internal Army delegations of authority found in non‑public directives or every revision history of AR 600‑8‑22. Source materials (National Archives executive orders, Army pages, Title 10 excerpts, and secondary summaries) broadly agree on authority and the timing of major criteria changes, though alternate readings exist about the practical impact of the 1962 expansion during specific conflicts; those interpretations require case‑by‑case documentary review beyond the sources used here [2][8][4].