The Antarctica Service Medal (ASM) was established by the United States Congress on July 7, 1960, under Public Law 600 of the 86th Congress. The medal was intended as a military award to replace several commemorative awards which had been issued for previous Antarctica expeditions from 1928 to 1941. With the creation of the Antarctica Service Medal, the following commemorative medals were declared obsolete; Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal United States Antarctic Expedition Medal The Antarctica Service Medal is considered an award of the United States Armed Forces, issued in the name of the U.S. Department of Defense, and is authorized for wear on active duty uniforms. The medal may also be awarded to U.S. civilians and citizens of foreign nations who participate in a U.S. Antarctic expedition on the continent at the invitation of a participating U.S. agency (for example, National Science Foundation). The Arctic equivalents of the Antarctica Service Medal are the Army Arctic Tab, Navy Arctic Service Ribbon, the Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal and the Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with Arctic "A" Device. Criteria To qualify for the Antarctica Service Medal, personnel must train or serve ten days stationed on the Antarctic continent, or aboard vessels in Antarctic waters, defined as south of 60 degrees latitude. Flight crews performing transport missions to Antarctica qualify for one day of service for each flight mission performed within a 24-hour time period. Civilians who work in a research facility or on a research vessel are also eligible to receive the Antarctica Service Medal through the National Science Foundation, provided that they also remain south of 60 degrees latitude for a cumulative period of 10 days, or 30 days if prior to October 10, 2008. Appearance The award is issued as a bronze medal, inches in diameter. Its obverse consists of a polar landscape view and standing figure in Antarctica clothing facing to the front between the horizontally placed words, "ANTARCTICA" on the figure's left and "SERVICE" on the figure's right. On its reverse is a polar projection with geodesic lines of the continent of Antarctica across which are the horizontally placed words "COURAGE", "SACRIFICE", and "DEVOTION", all within a circular decorative border of penguins and marine life. The service ribbon is inches wide and consists of a -inch black stripe on each edge and graded from a white stripe in the center