The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is a decoration of the United States military which has been in existence since 1953. The decoration recognizes service performed by the Reserve and National Guard forces of the United States of America.

To be awarded the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, a service member must complete a total of ten years service as a member of a Reserve or National Guard component of the United States military. This service may be cumulative, provided that the combined ten years of service was performed over a period of twelve consecutive years. Voluntary recalls to active duty are not counted within the ten years of service nor is service within the inactive reserves (IRR). In addition, unlike the Reserve Good Conduct Medal, a service member’s disciplinary history is not a factor when awarding the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

The initial award of the Armed Forces Reserve Medal is presented with a bronze Hourglass device, denoting ten years of reserve service. Subsequent awards of the Armed Forces Reserve Medal are annotated by upgrading the hourglass device to silver and gold. A fourth award of the Armed Forces Reserve Medal is denoted by a bronze and gold hourglass device worn simultaneously.

The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is also awarded to any member of the Reserve of National Guard who are mobilized to an active duty status. In such cases, the ten years criteria period is waived and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal is presented regardless of time in service. The Mobilization device is awarded as an attached to the Armed Forces Reserve Medal in all such cases of mobilization to active duty.

The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is a service wide decoration for all branches of the military and is presented to both officers and enlisted personnel. On the reserve of every Armed Forces Reserve Medal is crest denoting the branch of service in which Reserve or National Guard duty was performed.

The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is considered a successor decoration to the Naval Reserve Medal and the Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon.