President Trump honored members of our military for helping Border Patrol to get our border under control.
The president also handed out new border medals to service members.
The U.S. Department of War announced:
President Donald J. Trump awarded a group of 13 soldiers and Marines with the recently established Mexican Border Defense Medal during a ceremony today at the White House.
Established Aug. 13, 2025, via a memo signed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the MBDM — which is backdated to Jan. 20 — recognizes service members who deployed as part of Joint Task Force Southern Border to the U.S.-Mexico border to provide military support for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“On Day 1 of my administration, I signed an executive order making it [the] core mission of the United States military to protect and defend the homeland, and today we’re here to honor our military men and women for their central role in the protection of our border,” Trump said prior to the presentation of the medals.
The president added that border security was an issue he placed a great deal of emphasis on during his most recent campaign for the presidency, and that the men and women of the military are doing an outstanding job of ensuring that security.
“They’re unbelievable; they make us all look good,” Trump said of the service members.
Hegseth spoke about the border mission’s importance earlier in the day while meeting with the awardees at the Pentagon.
“I think it’s really cool that the folks that we have here … get a chance to stand there with their commander in chief in front of the country, for this incredible mission, which started on Day 1 of this administration,” Hegseth told the group.
He went on to say that border security is a core mission related to defending the U.S. in its own hemisphere.
“It’s getting down to that border and getting control of it; and whether it’s hanging concertina wire and reinforcing fencing or patrolling … you guys have jumped at the mission, gotten after it, and I think it’s been six months of effectively zero crossings on the southern border, which [was] the goal,” he continued.
Hegseth also explained that the newly issued MBDM is an exact replica of the original Mexican Border Service Medal, which was created in 1918 and awarded to U.S. troops who fought against the paramilitary forces of Francisco “Pancho” Villa during the Mexican Revolution.
The new medals were announced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth back in August of this year.
The Mexican Border Defense Medal is established to recognize service members deployed to the U.S. international border with Mexico for Defense Department support to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in an Aug. 13 memorandum.
Service members deployed in support of CBP previously were recognized with the Armed Forces Service Medal.
To receive the new award, service members must have been permanently assigned, attached or detailed to a unit that deployed to participate in a designated DOD military operation supporting CBP within the area of eligibility for 30 consecutive or nonconsecutive days, from Jan. 20 to a future termination date to be determined, Hegseth said.
The area of eligibility is U.S. land within 100 nautical miles from the international border with Mexico within Texas, including the city of San Antonio, as well as New Mexico, Arizona, California and the adjacent U.S. waters out to 24 nautical miles, he said.
Service members and veterans previously awarded the AFSM may apply for the new award in lieu of the AFSM previously awarded, the secretary said, adding no one can be awarded both medals for the same period of qualifying service.
“Securing the southern border, protecting the territorial integrity of the U.S. and defending our homeland are Department of Defense priorities,” said Anthony J. Tata, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.
Tata underscored the timeliness and criticality of this award, adding, “The service members deployed to support this national security imperative deserve to be recognized for their bravery and contributions — and we look forward to pinning the Mexican Border Defense Medal on them soon.”
The U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry will expedite procurement of MBDMs made to DOD standards, and the Defense Logistics Agency will expedite the process for procuring and placing the MBDM in the supply system to ensure timely availability of the award for qualifying service members and veterans.
WATCH PRESIDENT TRUMP HONOR MILITARY MEMBERS:
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