HOUSE RESOLUTION URGING CONGRESS TO AUTHORIZE THE AWARD OF THE ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL, OR SIMILAR RECOGNITION, TO UNITED STATES SERVICE MEMBERS WHO SERVED IN HONDURAS FROM 1981 TO 1992

Plain-English Summary

This is a resolution from the Rhode Island House of Representatives urging the U.S. Congress to take action at the federal level. Specifically, it asks Congress to authorize the award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal — or a similar military honor — to U.S. service members who served in Honduras between 1981 and 1992. This resolution does not create a new law or directly award any medals itself; it is essentially a formal message from Rhode Island's legislature to federal lawmakers expressing support for this recognition.

The resolution focuses on veterans who were deployed to Honduras during a period of significant U.S. military activity in Central America. During those years, American troops participated in various operations in the region, often in support of broader U.S. foreign policy goals during the Cold War era. Despite their service, many of these veterans have never received a formal military decoration specifically recognizing that deployment.

This bill would directly affect veterans who served in Honduras during that time period, potentially making them eligible for a military medal they have not previously received. Such recognition can carry personal, symbolic, and in some cases practical significance for veterans and their families. Since Rhode Island cannot award federal military medals on its own, this resolution is the state legislature's way of formally advocating on behalf of those veterans by encouraging Congress to act.