Posted on 04/07/2005 4:22:44 PM PDT by txradioguy
DoD Announces Criteria for Two New Campaign Medals
The Department of Defense announced today the creation of two campaign medals for Afghanistan and Iraq.
Presidential Executive Order 13363 established the Afghanistan and Iraq campaign medals to recognize members, who made specific sacrifices and significant contributions in these areas of operation.
Service members authorized the Afghanistan Campaign Medal must have served in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom on or after Oct. 24, 2001, to a future date to be determined by the Secretary of Defense or the cessation of the operation. The area of eligibility encompasses all land areas of the country of Afghanistan and all air spaces above the land.
Those authorized the Iraq Campaign Medal must have served in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on or after March 19, 2003, to a future date to be determined by the Secretary of Defense or the cessation of the operation. The area of eligibility encompasses all land area of the country of Iraq, and the contiguous water area out to 12 nautical miles, and all air spaces above the land area of Iraq and above the contiguous water area out to 12 nautical miles.
Service members must have been assigned, attached or mobilized to units operating in these areas of eligibility for 30 consecutive days or for 60 non-consecutive days or meet one of the following criteria:
Be engaged in combat during an armed engagement, regardless of the time in the area of eligibility; or
While participating in an operation or on official duties, is wounded or injured and requires medical evacuation from the area of eligibility; or
While participating as a regularly assigned air crewmember flying sorties into, out of, within or over the area of eligibility in direct support of the military operations; each day of operations counts as one day of eligibility.
Service members qualified for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal by reasons of service between Oct. 24, 2001, and April 30, 2005, in an area for which the Afghanistan Campaign Medal was subsequently authorized and between March 19, 2003, and Feb. 28, 2005, in an area for which the Iraq Campaign Medal was subsequently authorized, shall remain qualified for that medal.
Upon application, any such service member may be awarded the Afghanistan or Iraq Campaign Medal in lieu of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for such service. No service member shall be entitled to all three medals for the same act, achievement or period of service.
The awarding authority for the Afghanistan and Iraq campaign medals shall be the prescribed by the member’s respective military service regulations. Both medals may be awarded posthumously.
Only one award of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and Iraq Campaign Medal may be authorized for any individual. Service stars are not prescribed.
Individuals may receive both the medals if they meet the requirement of both awards; however, the qualifying period of service used to establish eligibility for one award cannot be used to justify eligibility for the other.
The Afghanistan Campaign Medal shall be positioned below the Kosovo Campaign Medal and above the Iraq Campaign Medal. The Iraq Campaign Medal shall be positioned below the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and above the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
Each military department will prescribe appropriate regulations for processing, awarding and wearing the medals and ribbons for their service members, to include application procedures for veterans, retirees and next-of-kin.
http://www.dod.mil/releases/2005/nr20050407-2441.html
More fruit salad...
How new can these awards be? john Kerry already has three of each.
As a soldier, I wish people in the Army would spend more time on improving our tactics in the war against terrorism (especially information operations), and less time bitching about what awards there should be. If so, we'd have more dead terrorists and a safer country.
So you wear this one instead of the GWOT expeditionary ribbon...
I don't think you want the same people who design medals design tactics.
.... just a thought .....
Every time I open the Army Times there are a half-dozen (or more) heartfelt stories and arguments about who should get a CIB or some new combat award. It ticks me off -- you seldom read an article about how we can do better against terrorists. I wish a few people would get their priorities straight.
"So you wear this one instead of the GWOT expeditionary ribbon."
Talking to my NCO's trying to find out.
Yeah I read those and the ones talking about how tough their deployment is and they're in Kuwait!
IMHO the ones with time to write a letter from Iraq bitching about whether or not they should get some kind of badge for being in combat aren't doing something they need to do in preparation for their next patrol.
my commment was deleted :p I think the qwotem is purdier than the ICM I will keep wearing the gwotem. Yes there has been quiet a debate in armytimes and stars and strips over the cib/ccb. I think the critera should stand on the cib and the ccb. the ccb was newly created but from my understanding they (armor and fa) have been trying to get recognition for 30 years. Now for everyone else in the army that comes under fire they should give us the combat action ribbon like the marines. There is a house bill on this too. h.r.4369 http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d108:15:./temp/~bddiIP::
altho it might be an outdated bill.
It might be instructive to remember that these two campaign medals were established at the direction of Congress, over the objections of the Department of Defense. Congress voted to establish these medals after hearing from constituents that many felt that the GWOT Expeditionary Service Medal was insufficient recognition for those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I suspect that the ribbons are flying off the shelves.
I just don't like all the public arguing and bickering I've read in the military press about combat awards -- it's unattractive, and it shows a lack of focus on our real objectives.
When I open a copy of Army Times, I'm put off by all the bickering about awards.
I like the idea about the combat action ribbon. Hell I'd qualify for that one.
Yeah there has been for a few decades an effort to get a combat tank badge by the "death before dismount" gang! (BTW...I'M KIDDING!!! I loke tankers).
I don't like all of the piling on "mee too" stuff.
IMHO going to Iraq is MORE than just how many ribbons or patches etc that you can rack up.
And that's sure not the reason I went.
"When I open a copy of Army Times, I'm put off by all the bickering about awards"
To put this in perspective for you...Army/AF/Navy/Marine Corps Times is owned by Gannett Publishing...the folks that pring USA Today.
And thus...that there is where the editorial direction of Army Times.
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