****************************************************
10 April 2005
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 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.
Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20050407-2441.html]
KOREAN WAR SERVICE MEDAL AVAILABLE TO VETERANS
U.S. veterans of the Korean War are now eligible to wear a medal initially offered to them more than 50 years ago, but never issued. In a May 13, 2000, letter to Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, Republic of Korea Defense Minister Seong Tae Cho formally announced that his government would provide the Republic of Korea War Service Medal (ROKWSM) to eligible U.S. veterans of that conflict, or to their surviving next of kin. The medal will be provided at no cost to veterans. The U.S. Air Force has been designated the lead agency to receive and distribute the medals.
"On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War," Cho wrote, "the ROK government decided to issue the ROKWSM to pay tribute to the Korean War veterans for their historic endeavors to preserve freedom of the ROK and the free world." The two governments will conduct fiftieth anniversary ceremonies throughout 2000-2003 and medals may be applied for at any time during this period. The war began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces invaded ROK territory. The armistice on July 27, 1953, ended the fighting, although a formal peace treaty has never been completed.
The medal was originally offered by the ROK in 1951 to United Nations forces serving in Korea and adjacent waters. At the time U.S. law prohibited the U.S. military from wearing medals issued by foreign governments. Congress changed that in 1954, but by then most U.S. service members eligible for the medal had returned home. In 1998 the government of the Republic of Korea renewed its original offer of the ROKWSM to U.S. military personnel. On Aug. 20, 1999, the Defense Department approved the acceptance and wear of the medal. Approximately 1.8 million U.S. veterans of the Korean War are eligible to receive it. Next of kin to eligible deceased veterans can also apply for the medal.
To wear this medal on U.S. military uniforms, U.S. military personnel must have: served between the outbreak of hostilities, June 25, 1950, and the date the armistice was signed, July 27, 1953; been on permanent assignment or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days, and performed their duty within the territorial limits of Korea, in the waters immediately adjacent thereto or in aerial flight over Korea participating in actual combat operations or in support of combat operations.
The ROK specifies the eligibility period and criteria. Only the ROK-provided medal is approved by the U.S. government to meet the U.S. criteria for wear on the military uniform.
To apply, veterans must provide a copy of their discharge paper, commonly known as a "DD-214," or a corrected version of that document, a "DD-215." National Guard members must provide their statement of service equivalent, "NGB Form 22."
Additional information on how to apply for or request the medal can be found by contacting the Air Force Personnel Center, Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (CST) at (800) 558-1404, or the Awards and Decorations Section (210) 565-2432/2520/2516, fax (210) 565-3118, or by writing to HQ AFPC/DPPPRA, 550 C Street West, Suite 12, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 78150-4714 or by visiting its web site at: http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/awards
General information on Korean War commemorations can also be found by contacting the DoD 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee, 1213 Jefferson Davis Highway, Crystal Gateway 4, Arlington, VA 22202, by calling (703) 604-0831 or by visiting its web site: http://korea50.army.mil
Because the order of precedence for non-U.S. service medals and ribbons is determined by date of approval, the ROKWSM should be worn after the Kuwait Liberation Medal, which was the last foreign medal approved for wear by U.S. military personnel. For the majority of Korean War veterans the medal will be worn after the United Nations Medal, or the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal if they served during that conflict.
The time frame for which an eligible Navy or Marine Corps veteran may be awarded the Combat Action Ribbon (CAR) has been extended. (The Army's Combat Infantryman's Badge, created in 1943, was awarded retroactively to Dec. 7, 1941.)
H.P. 552, sponsored by Rep. Michael R. McNulty (D-N.Y), included a CAR provision (Sec. 564) in the annual Defense Authorization Bill, the legislation that de-termines spending and policy priorities for the Pentagon for the next fiscal year. The President signed that bill into law on Oct. 5, 1999.
Public Law 106-65's relevant provision "authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to award the Combat Action Ribbon to a member of the Navy or Marine Corps for participation in ground or surface combat during any period after Dec 6, 1941, and before March 1, 1961, if the Secretary determines that the member has not been previously recognized for such participation."
The CAR had been awarded to eligible Navy and Marine Corps personnel who were actively engaged in combat in the V'ietnam War and since. The ribbon was created Feb.17, 1969, and awarded retroactively to March 1, 1961. This prevented a large number of WWII and Korea veterans from receiving special recognition. To deal with this inequity, H.R. 552, co-sponsored by 79 members of the House, was introduced. It had the strong support of a number of veterans organizations.
To obtain a CAR, fill out SF 180 - Request Pertaining to Military Records - and send it along with a copy of your discharge to: Bureau of Naval Personnel, Liaison Office, Room 5409, 9700 Page Avenue, St Louis, MO 65132-5100
Below you will find a sample letter that should be sent along with a copy of your DDForm2l4 or discharge paper in order to receive a Cold War Certificate. Because any documents submitted as part of the application for the certificate will not be returned, you are advised not to send original documents and only photocopies should be forwarded.
All correspondences regarding this certificate should be sent to:
Cold War RecognitionPlease send me a Cold War Recognition Certificate for my service to the United States government during the authorized period of September 2, 1945 to December 26, 1991.
Enclosed is a source document with my Social Security Number/Military Service Number/Foreign Service Number, which verifies my service during the Cold War Era. I understand that the enclosed source document will not be returned.
Please mail my Cold War Recognition Certificate to the following address:
____________________________________________________Submission of this request confirms my faithful service to the nation during the Cold War Era. If my service was in the Armed Forces, I further certify that my discharge was honorable or general under honorable conditions. If I served as a federal civilian employee, I further certify that the character of my service was honorable.
Sincerely,