To receive an authentic military service medal issued by the United States Navy, a Sailor might want to visit the local uniform shop that is located on the Naval Air Station or Naval Base where they are stationed. The uniform shop carries all type of military awards, medals and uniform items and is sure to have everything that a Sailor might need to ensure that they have medals for formal ceremonies. When Sailors are presented an award for good conduct for a period of four years, they did not have to go shopping for the medal because the commanding officer where they are stationed had one in stock and presented the medal along with a certificate that was signed by an Admiral or high ranking officer of a command that was in a higher echelon in the chain of command.

There are many stellar events that occurred for some people to earn a service medal and some of them gave their life or limb to earn this type of recognition. The Purple Heart requires a person to be wounded in action during a conflict and some of these people have a hard time shopping for medals because they are no longer able to walk freely without the use of a crane or a prosthetic device. Anyone can shop for service medals through an internet connection and find service medals that are no longer stocked. These medals will probably be in limited supply because there are very few people left living that fought during World War I and might need a medal for personal reasons. Families are another matter entirely when it comes to keeping plenty of medals on hand because they are proud of the achievements of a son or a daughter who served their Country well.