IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
No. 567-11
June 30, 2011
Additional Phases Identified for Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals
The Department of Defense announced today that additional campaign stars are authorized for wear on the Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM) and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM).
The campaign stars recognize a service member's participation in DoD-designated campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Service members who have qualified for the ICM and ACM may display a bronze campaign star on their medal for each designated campaign phase in which they participated. The stars will be worn on the suspension and campaign ribbon of the campaign medal.
The additional campaign phase and associated dates established for the ICM is:
• New Dawn - Sept. 1, 2010 through a date to be determined.
Six other phases, previously identified, include:
• Liberation of Iraq - March 19, 2003 to May 1, 2003.
• Transition of Iraq - May 2, 2003 to June 28, 2004.
• Iraqi Governance - June 29, 2004 to Dec. 15, 2005.
• National Resolution - Dec. 16, 2005 to Jan. 9, 2007.
• Iraqi Surge - Jan. 10, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2008.
• Iraqi Sovereignty - Jan. 1, 2009 to August 31, 2010
The additional campaign phase and associated dates established for the ACM is:
• Consolidation III - Dec. 1, 2009 through a date to be determined.
Three other phases, previously identified, include:
• Liberation of Afghanistan - Sept. 11, 2001 to Nov. 30, 2001
• Consolidation I - Dec. 1, 2001 to Sept. 30, 2006
• Consolidation II - Oct. 1, 2006 to Nov. 30, 2009
Service members should contact their respective military departments for specific implementation guidance.
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
On the Web: http://www.defense.gov/releases/
Media Contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public Contact: http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1
GWOT MEDAL UPDATE 02: [Source: VFW Magazine AUG 04]
The GWOT Expeditionary Medal is designed for service members who deploy to fight. It is currently under legal review at DoD and then it must receive formal approval and guidance to the services by Deputy Secretary of Defense. When completed the services will be authorized to issue the medals. The Pentagon in June released the following list of specific qualifying areas:
1. LAND AREAS: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Crete, Cyprus, Diego Garcia,
Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey (East of 35 degrees east longitude), Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
2. OFFSHORE: Arabian Sea (north of 10 degrees north latitude and west of 68
degrees east longitude), Bab el Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Aqaba, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Suez, Mediterranean Sea (east of 28 degrees east longitude), Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz, and Suez Canal.
Military personnel records will not be updated until this fall regarding eligibility. Vets must have served 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in the above areas. Proof of service can consist of travel orders, letters of evaluation, or flight logs. Eligibility for the award meets the Veteran of Foreign Wars criteria for membership.
Update: June 15, 2004
More Than One Medal Now Authorized
The Senate voted 98-0 for a bill H.R. 3104 that the House passed on 30 March 2004 (423-0) to authorize separate medals for participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The President signed it into Public Law 108-234 on 28 May 2004. Members of the armed forces who participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom are now eligible to receive these medals. [Source: NAUS Update 21 May & 4 June 04]
National Stock Numbers (NSN):
GWOT Expeditionary Medal: 8455-01-506-7144
GWOT Service Medal: 8455-01-506-7170
August 28, 2003 - Veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom Will Get Only One Campaign Medal
The Department of Defense recently announced that only one medal would be awarded to veterans who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan during the war on terrorism. President Bush says the Global War on Terrorism will likely last many years and be fought on many shores, but no matter how many times they are deployed overseas, our veterans will receive only one campaign medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOTEM). The Expeditionary Medal will recognize service in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
A second medal, the GWOTSM (Global War on Terrorism Service Medal) will recognize duty in Operation Noble Eagle, the homeland defense mission against further terror attacks, as well as duty in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom performed in areas that don't qualify for the Expeditionary Medal.
This is a big departure from wars in the past during which a soldier could earn as many as seven campaign medals. During World War II many veterans received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Normandy Campaign Medal, the Rhineland Campaign Medal, the Rome-Arno Campaign Medal, the Southern France Campaign Medal, the Northern France Campaign Medal and the Argonne Campaign Medal. Soldiers in the Pacific Theater of Operation and the American Theater could also be awarded multiple campaign medals. These awards told other soldiers where you had been. A simple glance at the rows of ribbons on a uniform could tell the battles in which a soldier had participated and, in a way, showed the soldier's experience level.
The most recent example is the 1991 Gulf War. The Southwest Asia Service Medal was awarded for soldiers serving in that area anytime between Aug. 2, 1990 and Nov. 20, 1995. Three separate campaigns are recognized: the defense of Saudi Arabia, the Liberation of Kuwait, and enforcing the cease-fire agreement through Nov. 20, 1995. Soldiers were eligible to receive the medal up to three times.
The Department of Defense is still working on eligibility criteria for the medals and the Army Institue of Heraldry said on June 13 that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's staff is finalizing the implementation rules for the two medals.
The criteria for the award of these two medals will have no affect on the award of other normal medals such as the Bronze Star Medal or the Purple Heart. Soldiers will still be able to receive the others if they are submitted for them, it will just be much more difficult for a person to be able to tell for combat in which country were they awarded and how many times they were deployed.
Many soldiers feel each country should be a separate campaign and the medal should be awarded each time you serve in a different country. Some say there has been at least three different operations in Iraqi, including Southern Iraq, Northern Iraq and the Battle of Baghdad and maybe more. However, regardless of how the soldier on the ground feels about the medals, the decisions will be made at a higher level, a fact recognized by soldiers from every war.
