Under Section 1084 of the Fiscal Year 1998 National Defense Authorization Act, the Secretary of Defense authorized the Cold War Recognition Certificate (CWRC) for members of the Armed Forces and qualified federal civilian employees who served faithfully and honorably at any time during the Cold War era, 2 September 1945 through 26 December 1991.
This is a federal certificate, separate from the New York State Cold War Certificate.
The only official application site is operated by the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, the executive agency for the program:
https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Cold%20War%20Recognition%20Certificate%20Program
Review the instructions and FAQ on that page, download the application, complete and sign it, and submit it with a copy of supporting documentation by one of the methods listed there. Do not send original documents. Unofficial websites that sell “Cold War certificates” or medals are not authorized.
Revised: 2 September 2026