(Washington) The Pentagon showed off their latest medal for its servicemen and women who deploy out to the Middle East in which to take on ISIS. To qualify , a service member "must have been present in Iraq, Syria, or the contiguous waters or airspace of either country, on or after June 15, 2014, for a period of 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days," according to a Pentagon statement. "Service members who were killed or were medically evacuated due to wounds or injuries immediately qualify for the award, as do members who engaged in combat."
The front side of the new medal features an image of a sword
piercing a scorpion -The hand clutching the sword appears to be wearing armor,
and the sword itself is a variant of one commonly used in earlier U.S. military
insignias. Known as the Sword of Liberation, the blade is prominently displayed
in the emblem of U.S. Army Europe — although in the Inherent Resolve Campaign
Medal, the sword is more of a dagger and the hilt is slightly altered. The
reverse side of the medal has an eagle perched atop a banner that says,
"For service."
