II 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1841

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of a 

military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served 

honorably during the Cold War era. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 10, 2003

Mrs. CLINTON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the 

award of a military service medal to members of the 

Armed Forces who served honorably during the Cold 

War era.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as ‘‘Cold War Medal Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. COLD WAR SERVICE MEDAL. 

6 (a) AUTHORITY.—Chapter 57 of title 10, United 

7 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol8 lowing new section: 
2

•S 1841 IS 

1 ‘‘§ 1134. Cold War service medal 

2 ‘‘(a) MEDAL AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary con3 cerned shall issue a service medal, to be known as the 

4 ‘Cold War service medal’, to persons eligible to receive the 

5 medal under subsection (b). The Cold War service medal 

6 shall be of an appropriate design approved by the Sec7 retary of Defense, with ribbons, lapel pins, and other ap8 purtenances. 

9 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE PERSONS.—The following persons are 

10 eligible to receive the Cold War service medal: 

11 ‘‘(1) A person who—

12 ‘‘(A) performed active duty or inactive 

13 duty training as an enlisted member during the 

14 Cold War; 

15 ‘‘(B) completed the person’s initial term of 

16 enlistment or, if discharged before completion of 

17 such initial term of enlistment, was honorably 

18 discharged after completion of not less than 

19 180 days of service on active duty; and 

20 ‘‘(C) has not received a discharge less fa21 vorable than an honorable discharge or a re22 lease from active duty with a characterization 

23 of service less favorable than honorable. 

24 ‘‘(2) A person who—
3

•S 1841 IS 

1 ‘‘(A) performed active duty or inactive 

2 duty training as a commissioned officer or war3 rant officer during the Cold War; 

4 ‘‘(B) completed the person’s initial service 

5 obligation as an officer or, if discharged or sep6 arated before completion of such initial service 

7 obligation, was honorably discharged after com8 pletion of not less than 180 days of service on 

9 active duty; and 

10 ‘‘(C) has not been released from active 

11 duty with a characterization of service less fa12 vorable than honorable and has not received a 

13 discharge or separation less favorable than an 

14 honorable discharge. 

15 ‘‘(c) ONE AWARD AUTHORIZED.—Not more than one 

16 Cold War service medal may be issued to any person. 

17 ‘‘(d) ISSUANCE TO REPRESENTATIVE OF DE18 CEASED.—If a person described in subsection (b) dies be19 fore being issued the Cold War service medal, the medal 

20 shall be issued to the person’s representative, as des21 ignated by the Secretary concerned. 

22 ‘‘(e) REPLACEMENT.—Under regulations prescribed 

23 by the Secretary concerned, a Cold War service medal that 

24 is lost, destroyed, or rendered unfit for use without fault 
4

•S 1841 IS 

1 or neglect on the part of the person to whom it was issued 

2 may be replaced without charge. 

3 ‘‘(f) APPLICATION FOR MEDAL.—The Cold War serv4 ice medal shall be issued upon receipt by the Secretary 

5 concerned of an application for such medal, submitted in 

6 accordance with such regulations as the Secretary pre7 scribes. 

8 ‘‘(g) UNIFORM REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of De9 fense shall ensure that regulations prescribed by the Sec10 retaries of the military departments under this section are 

11 uniform so far as is practicable. 

12 ‘‘(h) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘Cold 

13 War’ means the period beginning on September 2, 1945, 

14 and ending at the end of December 26, 1991.’’. 

15 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

16 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

17 at the end the following new item:

‘‘1134. Cold War service medal.’’.

Æ