This image is a representation of an award or decoration of the U.S. military, created by the military or the Department of Defense. As works of the U.S. federal government, such images are in the public domain. Under American copyright law, originality of expression is necessary for copyright protection, and a mere photograph of an out-of-copyright work may not be protected under American copyright law. However, images of these awards created by individuals who are not employees of the US Government acting in the course of their duties are protected by copyright and cannot be tagged with this template.