(CNN) -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Wednesday will announce he has authorized a new military medal for "extraordinary actions" that have taken place "not necessarily on the battlefield," a Pentagon official confirmed to CNN. The announcement will come at Panetta's final news conference this afternoon. The official said the award is aimed at acknowledging actions by military personnel operating unmanned drones and also those involved in cyberwarfare. The medal is named the "Distinguished Warfare Medal." It will rank above the Bronze Star.