Troops serving in Iraq, Syria or neighboring waters and airspace on or after June 15, 2014, can apply for the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal, named after the anti-ISIS operation.
The medal will be awarded to those who participate in the campaign for more than 30 days. According to the Pentagon, so far 11,000 service members qualify for this medal.
The President's executive order authorizing the medal comes after recommendations were made by Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford to recognize the increased danger facing service members battling terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria.
As of Wednesday, two U.S. troops have been killed in combat related to the fight against ISIS since operations began in mid-2014.
The decision to create the new medal comes at a time when the Pentagon has faced criticism, including from members of Congress, for not recognizing any living Iraq War combat veterans with the nation's highest military decoration.
The military has been examining over 1,000 medals given since the attacks of September 11, 2001, as part of its review to determine whether the actions that led to those awards were actually deserving of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for combat valor.
