The Army of Occupation Medal

• Time Period: Second World War
• Institution: 5 April 1946
• Country: United States

The Army of Occupation Medal is a United States military award established by the United States War Department on 5 April 1946 in the aftermath of the Second World War. The medal recognizes those who had performed occupation service in either Germany, Italy, Austria, or Japan.

To be awarded the Army of Occupation Medal, a service member was required to have performed at least thirty consecutive days of military duty within a designated geographical area of military occupation.

The original Army of Occupation Medal was intended only for members of the United States Army, but it was expanded in 1948 to include the United States Air Force shortly after its creation. The Navy and Marine equivalent of the Army of Occupation Medal is the Navy Occupation Service Medal.

The Army of Occupation Medal Design

The Army of Occupation Medal is made of bronze and measures 1.25 inches across.

The obverse shows the abutments of the Remagen Bridge with the words “ARMY OF OCCUPATION” inscribed above. On the reverse is Mount Fuji, with a low hanging cloud over two Japanese junks above a wave and the inscribed date “1945”.

The medal was presented with a campaign clasp, denoting either European or Asian service. Campaign clasps were worn on the full sized medal only with no corresponding device when wearing the Army of Occupation Medal as a ribbon on a military uniform. A bronze clasp 0.125 inches wide and 1.5 inches in length with the word “GERMANY” or “JAPAN” is worn on the suspension ribbon of the medal to indicate service in Europe or the Far East.