The Mexican Border Defense Medal (MBDM) was established by a memorandum of the United States Department of Defense on August 13, 2025, for US military service members who have deployed to the southern US border, backdated to January 20, 2025, in support of the US Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP).
Mexican Border Defense Medal Ribbon
$2.05
Select Ribbon- Type:
Service Medal
- Awarded for:
Service in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the U.S.-Mexico border
- Presented by:
U.S. Department of War
- Eligibility:
U.S. service members permanently assigned, attached, or detailed to a unit participating in a designated military operation supporting CBP within the qualifying border area for 30 consecutive or nonconsecutive days. The award period began January 20, 2025.
- Status:
Active
- Established:
August 13, 2025
- First awarded:
2025
- Last awarded:
Present
- Total recipients:
Approximately 25,000 eligible service members as of the 2025 announcement. However, this is a qualification estimate, not a confirmed final recipient count.