[2] On 20 January 1943, official qualification for the Eastern Medal was extended to include both male and female combatant and non-combatant personnel in the Wehrmacht.

The Eastern Medal was officially decommissioned by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (German: High Command of the Armed Forces) (OKW) on 4 September 1944.

A helmet and stick grenade below the medal loop as well as outer ring were finished in a polished silver effect.

The Service ribbon featured a central white-black-white (white for snow, black for the fallen soldiers) stripe with red (for blood) either side.

With Nazi symbols now forbidden, the award was re-designed by removing the swastika, the eagle on the obverse now standing solely on a laurel branch.