The Distinguished Warfare Medal was a planned United States military decoration announced by U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on February 13, 2013. It would have been the first American combat-related award to be created since the Bronze Star Medal in 1944. The new blue, red and white-ribboned medal was to be awarded to individuals for "extraordinary achievement" related to a military operation occurring after September 11, 2001. It was intended to recognize military achievement in cyberwarfare or combat drone operations for actions that did not include valor in combat.