Updated: 12 June, 2006

United States

• Military Awards Program (DoD Instruction 1348.33, August 26, 1985. Explains DoD policies and procedures on awarding Defense decorations and Service awards; non-military decorations; the acceptance of foreign military decorations by members of the Armed Forces of the United States. Also describes the various Defense awards; the basis and eligibility requirements for the award; and who is eligible to receive and who is eligible to authorize the award. It tells how to prepare, submit, and process recommendations for Defense decorations and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA).
  • Manual of Military Decorations and Awards (DoD 1348.33-M, 09/1996)

• Cole attack Hero to be Honored (Major Jeff Davis, formerly of the 75th Airlift Squadron, Awarded Aerial Achievement Medal and Meritorious Service Medal) (Oct 01)

• Dept. of Defense honors ATA employees For more than 20 years, Indianapolis-based ATA has transported troops and military supplies to staging areas around the world. "This is our way of giving back, helping in the situation," says flight attendant Cindy Crafton. As part of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, ATA flew nearly 700 missions carrying about 7,000 troops for Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is for those efforts that the Department of Defense honored more than 1,000 pilots, flight attendants and crew members. For those pilots, flight attendants and crew who flew seven missions or more the Department of Defense awarded them the Aerial Achievement Award Medal. wthr.com 13 Dec 05

Afghanistan Campaign Medal

• Afghanistan Campaign Medal  Public Law 108-234, signed into law on May 28, 2004, authorized separate campaign medals for members of the uniformed services who participate in Operation Enduring Freedom and to members of the uniformed services who participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Some interpret this law to mean there will be separate campaign medals for the Afghanistan Campaign and for the Iraqi Campaign. We will report updates as they become available. Eligibility: Subject to limitations as prescribed by the President and by the Secretaries of the military departments and subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense. Design of the medal and design approval will probably take a year or more. Image courtesy of Ed Emering Nov 04

• Separate medals for Afghan and Iraq campaigns President George W. Bush ordered separate medals to be issued to honor US soldiers who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq, in lieu of the Global War on Terrorism medal previously accorded to troops involved in both campaigns. In an executive order signed this week, Bush declared that "the Afghanistan Campaign Medal shall be awarded to members of the uniformed services of the United States who serve or have served in Afghanistan or contiguous air space, as defined by such regulations, on or after October 24, 2001, and before a terminal date to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense." He also created a separate Iraq Campaign Medal for troops serving in Iraq or in its adjoining waters or air space on or after March 19, 2003. Bush declared that troops are eligible only to receive either an Iraq or Afghanistan campaign medal or the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. "No member shall be entitled to the award of more than one of these three medals for the same period of service," the executive order stipulated. However, soldiers who have already qualified for the war on terrorism medal will remain eligible for that honor, it noted. The Iraq and Afghanistan medals may also be awarded posthumously, according to the November 29 decree. timesofindia.inidatimes.com 01 Dec 04

• Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM) - Pesident Bush signed the Executive Order authorizing this new medal. The final design has been approved and the US Army Institute of Heraldry is working with the appropriate contractors to produce the ribbons and planchets. It is anticipated that the medal will be available for issue by May/June 2005. iraqwarveterans.org Feb 05

• New Campaign Medals Recognize Iraq, Afghanistan Service The Defense Department announced the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and Iraq Campaign Medal for military members who directly support Operation Enduring Freedom between Oct. 24, 2001, and a date to be determined in the future or Operation Iraqi Freedom between March 19, 2003, and some future date.  DoD Announces Criteria for Two New Campaign Medals

   

• Air Force officials have authorized Airmen to wear the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Iraqi Campaign Medal The Department of Defense campaign medals apply to active-duty Airmen, reservists and guardsmen deployed on or after Oct. 24, 2001, for Operation Enduring Freedom and March 19, 2003, for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Airmen must have been assigned, attached or mobilized to units operating in Afghanistan or Iraq for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days to be eligible. The ACM is awarded for service for all land areas within and all airspaces above Afghanistan. The ICM is for service covering all land areas within Iraq, all adjoining water areas out to 12 nautical miles and all airspaces above those areas. Airmen are not entitled to more than one campaign and/or expeditionary medal for the same action, achievement or period of service. There are also no devices for either campaign medals or the Global War on Terrorism-Expeditionary Medal. A period of service is defined as an area of deployment and includes the number of days criteria outlined above. Airmen begin a second period of service when they forward deploy or return to home station and then deploy later. Airmen deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq, who have 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days between the eligibility period and April 30, may elect to wear either the appropriate campaign medal or the GWOT-E medal, but not both. Those who deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq, who have 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days after April 30 can only earn the respective campaign medal for the area they served in. Air Force Personnel Center officials here will do a mass system update in August to convert GWOT-E medals to campaign medals for Airmen who are eligible. Airmen who do not want the GWOT-E medal converted need to notify their commander's support staff or military personnel flight, officials said. The campaign medal for Afghanistan shall be positioned below the one for Kosovo and above the medal for Iraq. i-newswire.com 27 Jun 05

Air Force Campaign Medal

• Air Force Campaign Medal - Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) Creates New Medal, Awards - 3 July 2002 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air Force’s top civilian leader recently authorized the creation of a new medal and two new awards to recognize outstanding achievement or service in wartime operations. The Air Force Campaign Medal will recognize significant direct contributions to wartime operations, according to Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche. “The awarding of campaign medals to specially recognize people and units who fight our wars is a long-standing military tradition,” Roche said. “Historically, the Department of Defense’s criteria for such awards have centered on geography to define the area of combat operations,” he said. “In light of the expeditionary aerospace force environment and the transformation in the way the Air Force carries out its missions today, such criteria doesn’t allow us to appropriately recognize our people who contribute directly and significantly to the success of wartime campaigns from outside the area of combat operations.” Therefore, in accordance with DOD policy, Roche authorized the creation of a medal to be given to Air Force people who are not eligible for a DOD campaign medal but directly supported combat operations from a location outside the geographic area of operations. The secretary said he also wants to ensure units are properly recognized for their actions in support of wartime efforts and has established two new Air Force unit awards. The first award, the Gallant Unit Citation (GUC), will recognize units for their significant combat heroism below that currently required for the Presidential Unit Citation. The second, the Meritorious Unit Award, will honor units for their outstanding achievement in direct support of combat operations. The specific design and criteria for the new medal and awards are currently being reviewed, and a final decision on what they will look like and who is authorized to wear them will be reached in the next few months, Roche said. (Ref: Mike Smith)

• Air Force Campaign Medal
  • Recognition will go to airmen outside of combat operations - Arlington, Va. — Air Force personnel fighting the war on terror may soon have another ribbon to wear, even if their duties have kept them far from Afghanistan. Air Force Secretary James Roche has authorized the Air Force to create the Air Force Campaign Medal and two unit citations, the Gallant Unit Citation and the Meritorious Unit Award. Air Force officials are reviewing the new ribbons and expect to make a decision in the next few months on the design and who is authorized to wear them. Individual military services traditionally bestow campaign medals to people or units who have distinguished themselves in battle. However, “historically, the Department of Defense’s criteria for such awards have centered on geography to define the area of combat operations.” “That criteria doesn’t allow us to appropriately recognize our people who contribute directly and significantly to the success of wartime campaigns from outside the area of combat operations.”  Thus, the Air Force Campaign Medal will be given to airmen who are not eligible for a Defense Department campaign medal, “but who have nonetheless directly supported combat operations from a location outside the geographic area of operations,” Roche said. Roche also authorized the Gallant Unit Citation, which will recognize units for significant combat heroism at a level below that required for the Presidential Unit Citation; and the Meritorious Unit Award, which will honor units for their outstanding achievement in direct support of combat operations. None of the new citations will have any point value for promotions. Asked Monday whether the other services intend to authorize similar “out of area” citations or medals for their own personnel, spokesmen for the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps said they were unaware of such plans. The Defense Department already has one all encompassing “war on terrorism” award, the National Defense Service medal, authorized in May. The NDS has traditionally been bestowed on all active duty U.S. personnel during wartime, beginning with the Korean War. Every full-time service member on duty since Sept. 11, 2001, is eligible for the current NDS, regardless of where they have serve or in what capacity. Mobilized members of the reserve forces are also eligible. (Ref: Stars and Stripes- Lisa Burgess) (9 Jul 02)

Air Force Air and Space Campaign Medal

• US Air Force Air and Space Campaign Medal - This medal, authorized by the Secretary of the Air Force on 24 Apr 2002, may be awarded to members of the United States Air Force who, after 24 March 1999, participated in or directly supported a significant U.S. military operation designated by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The medal is awarded only to personnel who provided direct support of combat operations from outside a geographic area determined by the Joint Chief of Staff. Service members must be assigned or attached to a unit engaged in the operation. Personnel must be engaged in direct support for at least 30 consecutive days or for 60 nonconsecutive days. For this medal, direct support is defined as: 1) deploying in support of an operation, or 2) if at home station, performing functions or missions that historically were deployed forward, or entirely new and future missions, which due to technological advances, are no longer constrained by geographic location. This includes, but is not limited to, sortie generation, intelligence, surveillance, targeting, computer network attack operations, etc. No individual shall be eligible for both the ASCM and a DoD campaign/service medal awarded during a single tour in the designated operation. Participants are limited to only one ASCM for assignment to a designated operation. A second award of the ASCM is only authorized to individuals for nonconsecutive and nonconcurrent assignments to separate operations, provided the participants meet the criteria for each. For each succeeding operation that justifies award of the ASCM, a service star is worn on the ribbon/medal. Multiple award of the ASCM for assignments or rotations to the same operation is not authorized. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force designates the military operations that qualify for the ASCM. The Commander Air Force Forces will designate those organizations that provided direct qualifying support. (Ref: Mike Smith - Apr 03)

   

• Air Force Campaign Streamers
  • USAF Campaign Streamers (Halfway down the page) (Air Force Historical Research Agency)

• Hill employee receives Medal of Valor Jimmy Snyder was awarded the Air Force’s Civilian Medal of Valor by Ogden Air Logistics Center commander Maj. Gen. Kevin Sullivan earlier this month for his actions which prolonged the life of another Hill employee in July. hilltoptimes.com 15 Dec 05

• Tinker civilian lauded for valor A Tinker Air Force Base civilian was lauded for his heroism Jan. 9 during a 72nd Mission Support Group commander's call. Johnnie Pickett, a materials examiner and identifier with the 72nd Services Division's Recycling Department, was presented with the U.S. Air Force Command Civilian Award for Valor after rescuing a 3-year-old girl from a burning car last summer. The ceremony marked the first time the civilian award, equivalent to the military Airman's Medal, has been presented at Tinker. blackanthem.com 1 Feb 06

Air Force Commendation Medal

• Senator replaces stolen medal Charles Davis was 20 years old when he received a Commendation Medal in 1970, honored by the Air Force for coming up with a good idea -- service "above and beyond the call of duty" that helped to save some American lives. "There was something called a brake shoot on the airplanes," said Davis, who repaired bullet holes in aircraft sheet metal in Phang Rang, Vietnam. "They were messing up and causing some of the planes to crash. I came up with an idea to fix that." Made out of bronze, Davis' Medal of Commendation wasn't worth much money. But it meant something to him. When somebody stole it from his Marion home last Father's Day, Davis figured he'd never get it back. (Dec 02)

• CSAF Honors Sept 11 Heroes  - Ten Air Force members, including Lt. Gen. Paul Carlton Jr., the Air Force surgeon general, received the Airman’s Medal for their contributions on that fateful day. Another eight received the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, while eight others received the Air Force Commendation Medal. One person received the Army Commendation Medal and one other received the Air Force Scroll. Master Sgt. Noel Sepulveda, who received the Airman’s Medal, also received the Purple Heart for injuries he incurred during the attack. The Airmen’s Medal recipients were: Carlton; Lt. Col. Gary W. Holland; Maj. Joseph A. Milner; Chief Master Sgts. Ricky L. Arnold, Paul D. Miller, and John K. Monacio; Senior Master Sgt. Kevin M. Andrews; Master Sgts. Paul R. Lirette and Sepulveda; and Staff Sgt. Gregory D. Fechner. The Meritorious Service Medal recipients were: Col. John S. Baxter; Lt. Cols. Janet Deltuva, Maureen E. Massey and Terry P. Kane; Maj. Michael Moore; Chief Master Sgts. Troy J. McIntosh and Robert Walko; and Tech. Sgt. Randall B. Federspill. Recipients of the Air Force Commendation Medal were: Lt. Col. Matthew D. Swanson; Majs. James G. Cusic and Andrew H. Weaver; Senior Master Sgt. Anthony J. Twitty; Tech. Sgt. Bernard Kimbrough; Staff Sgts. Lisa A. Ducharme and Charles V. Hawkins; and Airman 1st Class Evandra D. Spruell. Lt. Col. William Mitchell received the Army Commendation Medal. (Apr 02)

• Crew nets medals for C-5's return Capt. Zach Zeiner talks with members of the press before men from his C-5 crew received medals. The 10 Travis Air Force Base aircrew who successfully brought their wounded C-5 Galaxy safely back to the ground after it was hit by an Iraqi missile were honored. Air Medals were awarded to Capt. Zach Zeiner, Capt. Steve Radtke, Master Sgt. Geoff Miller and Tech. Sgt. Eric Troutt. Air Force Commendation Medals were awarded to Capt. Jeff Krulick, Tech. Sgt. Reggie Bazemore, Tech. Sgt. Marcus Rettig, Staff Sgt. Jeff Stanhope, Senior Airman John Cooper and Airman Mohammed Seidu. Daily Republic 6 Mar 04

• Lexington airman earns commendation medal Air Force Senior Airman Jaz L. Pope has been decorated with the Air Force Commendation Medal. The medal is awarded to those who demonstrate outstanding achievement or meritorious service in the performance of their duties on behalf of the Air Force. Pope, a unit deployment manager, is assigned to the 314th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.  kentucky.com 21 Jul 04

• Security forces Airmen recognized for valor Three Airmen in the 28th Security Forces Squadron here received medals for their heroism displayed in Iraq in 2005. Senior Master Sergeant Gregory Williams and Master Sergeant Kelly Mixson each earned the Bronze Star Medal, with valor, for their heroism while deployed to Balad Air Base between March and September. Senior Airman Pamela Bolton earned the Air Force Commendation Medal, first oak leaf cluster with valor, for her accomplishments while deployed to Balad AB between February and August. blackhillsbandit.com 5 Jan 06

• Canadian officer garners Air Force medal A Canadian officer, previously assigned to the 21st Operations Support Squadron, returned to the 21st Space Wing Headquarters Building for an award ceremony in her honor. Capt. Teresa Holla is the fourth of 50 Canadian Team Pete members over the past five years to receive a U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal. She is currently the exercise planner in the Exercises, training and development section, North American Aerospace Defense Command. Captain Holla served as the 21st OSS chief of the systems integration section from July 11, 2002, until June 30, 2004. "Her position was particularly critical at that time, as the 21st Operations Group was undergoing heavy upgrades and system changes," said Maj. Jason Gross, 21st OSS operations officer. "She directly supported all 21st SW Space Warning and Space Control squadrons." Captain Holla was recognized for several medal-worthy accomplishments while serving as section chief. She not only streamlined approval processes, eliminating 840 man hours per year; but she played a pivotal role following the system decertification of a Deep Space Sensor. Captain Holla coordinated with various agencies to reduce the range error from 1,480 meters to 100 meters, which allowed the system to be recertified. blackanthem.com 6 May 06

Air Force Cross

• Air Force Cross Recipients (54 Recipients, some with Citations) (Legion of Valor)
• Air Force Cross recipient retires (Master Sgt. Tim Wilkinson, the only enlisted Air Force Cross recipient on active duty. Wilkinson, a pararescueman, earned the Air Force Cross in 1993 for his heroic efforts while supporting Task Force Ranger during an 18-hour firefight in Mogadishu, Somalia. He became the first enlisted person to earn the Air Force Cross since 1975, bringing the total of enlisted honorees to 21)
• Pararescuer awarded Air Force Cross (An Air Force pararescuer killed in Afghanistan while attending to wounded comrades was awarded the Air Force Cross for his heroism. The medal, the second highest military honor, was presented to Theresa Cunningham, the widow of Senior Airman Jason Cunningham, who died in March. The Air Force Cross is the service's highest award and is only surpassed by the Medal of Honor, awarded by Congress. Just 22 airmen have received the cross, and only two have since the Vietnam War, including Cunningham) (Ref: e-mail from Bennett Dickson) (Sep 02)
• Vietnam War hero receives Air Force Cross A Vietnam War hero was awarded an Air Force Cross, giving him proper recognition and closing a chapter in his life. Retired Col. Jerry Hoblit’s actions during the Vietnam War warranted his receipt of the Air Force Cross, but it took the actions of his wingman, Col. Tom Wilson, to help set the record straight. Then Capts. Hoblit, the pilot, and Wilson, the electronic weapons officer, flew 100 missions over North Vietnam in their “Thud”, an F-105 Thunderchief. They were two of the first Wild Weasels in the history of the U.S. Air Force. Air Combat Command News Service Jun 03 More - Thud

• Combat controller posthumously awarded Air Force Cross The secretary of the Air Force choked with emotion and covered his face with his hands as he recalled the bravery of Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman. Chapman was cited for heroism against an armed enemy for his efforts during a firefight March 4 in the eastern highlands of Afghanistan as part of Operation Anaconda. The award is the military's second highest for valor in combat. It is surpassed only by the Medal of Honor. "Since its creation in 1960, the Air Force Cross has been awarded to only 23 enlisted airmen," said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray. "John is only the third since the end of the Vietnam War to receive this distinguished award. Such is the high degree of heroism for the merit of this medal's award." (Jan 03) Chapman

• Air Force Cross Enlisted Recipients (Air Force University)
  • Airman First Class William A. Robinson
    Airman Third Class Arthur N. Black
    Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger
    Airman Second Class Duane D. Hackney
    Sergeant Russell M. Hunt
    Staff Sergeant Eugene L. Clay
    Sergeant Larry W. Maysey
    Sergeant Nacey Kent, Jr.
    Sergeant Thomas A. Newman
    Airman First Class Joel E. Talley
    Technical Sergeant Victor R. Adams
    Airman First Class Charles D. King
    Sergeant Michael E. Fish
    Technical Sergeant Donald G. Smith
    Sergeant Theodore R. Hamlin
    Technical Sergeant Leroy M. Wright
    Staff Sergeant Charles L. Shaub
    Sergeant Charles D. McGrath
    Staff Sergeant Jon D. Harston
    Technical Sergeant Timothy A. Wilkinson
    Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchberger

• Key figure in the Vietnam War is starting to earn recognition 37 years after his death One of America's bravest military heroes lies buried, unheralded, beneath a modest headstone on a windswept plot in St. John's Cemetery in Hamburg. He would have received the Medal of Honor, except to give him that distinction would have embarrassed a president. The work he did almost 40 years ago briefly turned the tide of the Vietnam War. It was so vital that only his wife knew that he had resigned from the Air Force and joined the CIA to do it. Today, Hamburg native Chief Master Sgt. Richard L. Etchberger is known only in military circles and among military historians for his gallantry on a Laotian mountaintop during the Vietnam War. He was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, the second-highest military honor for valor. He was recommended for the Medal of Honor but officials say President Johnson feared giving Etchberger that honor would have forced the president to admit he had violated international law by putting U.S. troops in neutral Laos.Instead the Air Force Cross was posthumously conferred on him during a secret Pentagon ceremony. Now, however, there's a move afoot to give more high-profile recognition. U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy, a North Dakota Democrat, is leading the effort to have Etchberger awarded the Medal of Honor. His recommendation is under review. He was on a top-secret CIA mission when he was killed on March 10, 1968, after singlehandedly holding off enemy commandos and saving three wounded comrades before being killed by enemy fire. grandforks.com 27 Feb 05

  • Broken Link - For Information Purposes Only:

    • Decorated Pilot gets Dream Job (Lt. Col. Paul Johnson, AFC – only 1 of 2 awarded during Gulf War)  

• Expeditionary Service Ribbon honors deployed members Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche has approved award of the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon to recognize servicemembers’ support of air expeditionary force deployments. The ribbon will be awarded to Air Force active-duty, Reserve and Guard members who completed a contingency deployment after Oct. 1, 1999. Hilltop Times  02 Oct 03

• Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (AFESR)

Air Force Gallant Unit Citation

• Recognition will go to airmen outside of combat operations - Arlington, Va. — Air Force personnel fighting the war on terror may soon have another ribbon to wear, even if their duties have kept them far from Afghanistan. Air Force Secretary James Roche has authorized the Air Force to create the Air Force Campaign Medal and two unit citations, the Gallant Unit Citation (GUC) and the Meritorious Unit Award. Air Force officials are reviewing the new ribbons and expect to make a decision in the next few months on the design and who is authorized to wear them. Individual military services traditionally bestow campaign medals to people or units who have distinguished themselves in battle. However, “historically, the Department of Defense’s criteria for such awards have centered on geography to define the area of combat operations.” “That criteria doesn’t allow us to appropriately recognize our people who contribute directly and significantly to the success of wartime campaigns from outside the area of combat operations.”  Thus, the Air Force Campaign Medal will be given to airmen who are not eligible for a Defense Department campaign medal, “but who have nonetheless directly supported combat operations from a location outside the geographic area of operations,” Roche said. Roche also authorized the Gallant Unit Citation, which will recognize units for significant combat heroism at a level below that required for the Presidential Unit Citation; and the Meritorious Unit Award, which will honor units for their outstanding achievement in direct support of combat operations. None of the new citations will have any point value for promotions. Asked Monday whether the other services intend to authorize similar “out of area” citations or medals for their own personnel, spokesmen for the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps said they were unaware of such plans. The Defense Department already has one all encompassing “war on terrorism” award, the National Defense Service medal, authorized in May. The NDS has traditionally been bestowed on all active duty U.S. personnel during wartime, beginning with the Korean War. Every full-time service member on duty since Sept. 11, 2001, is eligible for the current NDS, regardless of where they have serve or in what capacity. Mobilized members of the reserve forces are also eligible. (Ref: Stars and Stripes- Lisa Burgess) (9 Jul 02)

• Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche approved two new medals recognizing units for outstanding heroism in combat and for achievement or service in direct support of combat operations. The Gallant Unit Citation (GUC) and the Meritorious Unit Award (MUA) can be awarded to Air Force active-duty, Reserve and Guard units for actions or service while directly supporting combat operations. The Gallant Unit Citation is awarded to units for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy of the United States. The action must be while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force on or after Sept. 11, 2001. This ribbon is worn immediately before the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. Subsequent awards will be denoted by oak leaf clusters. Meritorious Unit Awards are awarded to units for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding achievement or service directly supporting combat operations for at least 90 continuous days. The military operations must be against an armed enemy of the United States on or after Sept. 11, 2001. This ribbon is worn immediately before the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Subsequent awards will be denoted by oak leaf clusters. Both medals are currently in the design phase, which may take several months before they are ready for wear, AFPC officials said. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) 12 Apr 04

• Recognition will go to airmen outside of combat operations - Arlington, Va. — Air Force personnel fighting the war on terror may soon have another ribbon to wear, even if their duties have kept them far from Afghanistan. Air Force Secretary James Roche has authorized the Air Force to create the Air Force Campaign Medal and two unit citations, the Gallant Unit Citation and the Meritorious Unit Award. Air Force officials are reviewing the new ribbons and expect to make a decision in the next few months on the design and who is authorized to wear them. Individual military services traditionally bestow campaign medals to people or units who have distinguished themselves in battle. However, “historically, the Department of Defense’s criteria for such awards have centered on geography to define the area of combat operations.” “That criteria doesn’t allow us to appropriately recognize our people who contribute directly and significantly to the success of wartime campaigns from outside the area of combat operations.”  Thus, the Air Force Campaign Medal will be given to airmen who are not eligible for a Defense Department campaign medal, “but who have nonetheless directly supported combat operations from a location outside the geographic area of operations,” Roche said. Roche also authorized the Gallant Unit Citation, which will recognize units for significant combat heroism at a level below that required for the Presidential Unit Citation; and the Meritorious Unit Award, which will honor units for their outstanding achievement in direct support of combat operations. None of the new citations will have any point value for promotions. Asked Monday whether the other services intend to authorize similar “out of area” citations or medals for their own personnel, spokesmen for the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps said they were unaware of such plans. The Defense Department already has one all encompassing “war on terrorism” award, the National Defense Service medal, authorized in May. The NDS has traditionally been bestowed on all active duty U.S. personnel during wartime, beginning with the Korean War. Every full-time service member on duty since Sept. 11, 2001, is eligible for the current NDS, regardless of where they have serve or in what capacity. Mobilized members of the reserve forces are also eligible. (Ref: Stars and Stripes- Lisa Burgess) (9 Jul 02)

• Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche approved two new medals recognizing units for outstanding heroism in combat and for achievement or service in direct support of combat operations. The Gallant Unit Citation and the Meritorious Unit Award can be awarded to Air Force active-duty, Reserve and Guard units for actions or service while directly supporting combat operations. The Gallant Unit Citation is awarded to units for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy of the United States. The action must be while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force on or after Sept. 11, 2001. This ribbon is worn immediately before the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. Subsequent awards will be denoted by oak leaf clusters. Meritorious Unit Awards are awarded to units for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding achievement or service directly supporting combat operations for at least 90 continuous days. The military operations must be against an armed enemy of the United States on or after Sept. 11, 2001. This ribbon is worn immediately before the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Subsequent awards will be denoted by oak leaf clusters. Both medals are currently in the design phase, which may take several months before they are ready for wear, AFPC officials said. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) 12 Apr 04

• Airman remembered for helping others - Senior Airman Jason Cunningham, one of seven Americans killed in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan on Monday, was hit by machine-gun fire as he treated wounded soldiers and pulled others to safety, said his commander.  Cunningham was with the 38th Rescue Squadron and was trained as a parachutist, a diver and as a combat medic. Air Force officials awarded him a Purple Heart for his wounds in Afghanistan and the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal for rescue work. (Mar 02)

• CSAF Honors Sept 11 Heroes  - Ten Air Force members, including Lt. Gen. Paul Carlton Jr., the Air Force surgeon general, received the Airman’s Medal for their contributions on that fateful day. Another eight received the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, while eight others received the Air Force Commendation Medal. One person received the Army Commendation Medal and one other received the Air Force Scroll. Master Sgt. Noel Sepulveda, who received the Airman’s Medal, also received the Purple Heart for injuries he incurred during the attack. The Airmen’s Medal recipients were: Carlton; Lt. Col. Gary W. Holland; Maj. Joseph A. Milner; Chief Master Sgts. Ricky L. Arnold, Paul D. Miller, and John K. Monacio; Senior Master Sgt. Kevin M. Andrews; Master Sgts. Paul R. Lirette and Sepulveda; and Staff Sgt. Gregory D. Fechner. The Meritorious Service Medal recipients were: Col. John S. Baxter; Lt. Cols. Janet Deltuva, Maureen E. Massey and Terry P. Kane; Maj. Michael Moore; Chief Master Sgts. Troy J. McIntosh and Robert Walko; and Tech. Sgt. Randall B. Federspill. Recipients of the Air Force Commendation Medal were: Lt. Col. Matthew D. Swanson; Majs. James G. Cusic and Andrew H. Weaver; Senior Master Sgt. Anthony J. Twitty; Tech. Sgt. Bernard Kimbrough; Staff Sgts. Lisa A. Ducharme and Charles V. Hawkins; and Airman 1st Class Evandra D. Spruell. Lt. Col. William Mitchell received the Army Commendation Medal. (Apr 02)

• Awards show RED HORSE has served country with honor Seven members of the Ohio Air National Guard's 200th RED HORSE Squadron who will be receiving bronze star medals. The seven guardsmen -- Commander Col. H. Dewey Perkins, Lt. Col. Michael Skomrock, Capt. Michael Hrynciw, Sr. Master Sgt. Edward Lacroix, Sr. Master Sgt. Terry Eishen, Chief Master Sgt. Bruce Reed and Master Sgt. Michael Crosser -- are receiving the medals for their "meritorious achievement or service" overseas in Qatar and Afghanistan during the past two years. The unit as a whole, will also be receiving an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for projects done both in the United States and abroad. Port Clinton News Herald 5 Dec 03

• Taft honors area guardsmen After toiling through months of heavy labor under wartime conditions in Southwest Asia, the Ohio Air National Guard 200th RED HORSE Squadron is hauling in honors. The Camp Perry-based group received the U.S. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award during a star-studded ceremony Saturday morning, drawing applause from the engineers' families and friends. Seven officers also won individual Bronze Star Medals for their wartime achievements. The local recipients: Col. H. Dewey Perkins of Port Clinton, Capt. Michael Hrynciw of Fremont, Senior Master Sgt. Terry Eishen of Lindsey, Chief Master Sgt. Bruce Reed of Fremont, Master Sgt. Michael Crosser of Port Clinton, Lt. Col. Michael Skomrock and Master Sgt. Edward Lacroix. News Herald 8 Dec 03

• 110th Fighter Wing recognized for bravery The 110th Fighter Wing received its sixth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. The citation, awarded for the first time to the 110th "with valor," was given for the group's role during Operation Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom and the subsequent home station performance after their safe return in 2003. battlecreekenquirer.com 5 Dec 05

• Polar Airmen earn an 'A' - 12/12/02 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Airmen with service time in the Arctic Circle are now eligible for a new Overseas Short Tour Ribbon device. A bronze-colored letter "A" device will recognize active-duty, Reserve and Guard members who complete a short tour at latitudes higher than 66 and one-half degrees north. Thule Air Base, Greenland, located 950 miles below the North Pole, is the northernmost U.S. military base and currently the only one within the Arctic Circle boundary. Airmen on active duty Feb. 10, 2002, and after can wear the "A" device, regardless of when they served in the Arctic. The "A" device needs to be centered on the Overseas Short Tour Ribbon officials said. If the wearer has oak leaf clusters, the "A" goes to the wearer's right of them. Only one "A" can be worn. This is the first new device since 1990, when the "M" device -- for contingency support -- became available for wear on the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, said Tech. Sgt. Jeff Simmons, superintendent of awards and decorations at the Air Force Personnel Center here. The new award recognizes the isolation, harsh climate and limited services airmen deal with at extreme northern latitudes. Temperatures around minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit are common at Thule and the nearest "town" is the village of Qaanaaq, 65 miles away. A morale visit to Thule in 2000 by the former commander of Air Force Space Command led to the rekindling of an idea for Arctic recognition, which was submitted in 1999, by former Thule airman, Tech. Sgt. Edward Crowson, now a master sergeant at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, officials said. Crowson proposed an Air Force Arctic service award after hearing about the Navy's Arctic Service Ribbon from some visiting Navy divers. "I never expected anything to come of it and quite frankly, I'm floored," said Crowson who had all but given up on his idea since he'd originally been informed that it had been rejected. "Thule was something totally different than anything I've ever experienced. I'm really glad that this got approved, especially for everybody there now," he said. An Antarctic Service Medal has been given to members of all branches who served there since 1946, but there is no universal award denoting Arctic service. The Navy, Marines and Coast Guard already offer Arctic service decorations that people can earn without being stationed there. The "A" devices are expected to arrive at clothing sales stores and military personnel flights by next summer, said Lt.Col. Mike Goolsby, chief of recognition programs at the Pentagon. "The Arctic service device is part of an ongoing strategic plan to ensure Air Force people get the recognition they deserve," he said. Local personnel flights have more information. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) (Dec 02)

• Heroic act earns staff sergeant Airman's Medal The Air Force’s top award for a heroic act not involving combat has been awarded to Staff Sgt. Richard Halsell for the rescue of a woman from a burning vehicle (Oct 02)

• Airman’s Medal Awarded to Major Jeffrey Stephenson (Photo) (Aug 1999)

• Airman's Medal Awarded to Senior Airman Cory P. Grice (Photo) (Jul 96)

• Airman's Medal Awarded to Airman 1st Class Christopher T. Wagar (Photo) (Jul 96)

• Airman's Medal Awarded to Staff Sgt. Alfredo R. Guerrero (Photo) (Jul 96)

• Heroic actions earn sergeant Airman's Medal (Master Sgt. Ricardo Martinez received an Airman's Medal for heroic actions four years ago in West Africa. He was part of a team deployed to Dakar, Senegal, for Operation Shepherd Venture to evacuate Americans and other foreign nationals from conflict in neighboring Guinea-Bissau in June 1998. When fire broke out in the hotel, Martinez ran through choking smoke and searing heat, working his way door to door waking the guests. Martinez was one of three airmen to receive the Airman’s Medal for their actions that day)  Airman's Medal

• Airman's Medal Awarded to Major Steven Goff (Photo) (Jul 96)

• Delrossi awarded Airman's Medal Stoneham Police Officer Dick Delrossi was recently nominated for the United States Air Force's ninth highest award - the Airman's Medal. The medal is awarded for heroism that involves the voluntary risk of life under conditions other than those of conflict with an opposing force. Delrossi, a 52-year-old Technical Sergeant, was deployed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and is in the midst of his second tour of active duty. On Oct. 17, Delrossi responded to a report of a civilian aircraft that crashed while landing at the international airport where he is stationed. (Nov 02)

• Martin relieves Smith as Garuda 1 Cmdr. Bradley A. Martin relieved Cmdr. Gregg K. Smith as commanding officer of VAQ-134.  He has accumulated over 2,270 flight hours and 450 carrier landings. His personal awards include the Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (two Strike/Flight Awards), Navy Commendation Medal (five awards, two with Combat V's), Joint Achievement Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal. (Dec 02)

• Military Intelligence Hall of Fame in 1988. Detachment 101 (May 02)
• Elmendorf airman receives medal for heroism Tech. Sgt. James Dishman, a facility manager for the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Elmendorf Air Force Base was recently awarded the Airmen’s Medal for his heroic actions, when a bear charged a group of children and adults. Dishman brandished a stick and ran straight at the bear, yelling at the top of his lungs. (Dec 02)

• Airman's Medal honors modest hero Staff Sgt. Jason Topick is awarded Airman's Medal for saving the life of a man in a burning home. (Oct 02)

• 3 Air Guardsmen Honored Three members of the 139th Airlift Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard unit in Saint Joseph were honored for their role in a deadly accident. Master Sgt. Ricky Reece, Master Sgt. Delbert Funk and Tech Sgt. Kirk Arthur were awarded the Airman`s Medal each. They assisted victims and survivors in a multi-vehicle crash on I-29 near Platte City in January of 2000. KQ2 News 13 Dec 03

• CSAF Honors Sept 11 Heroes  - Ten Air Force members, including Lt. Gen. Paul Carlton Jr., the Air Force surgeon general, received the Airman’s Medal for their contributions on that fateful day. Another eight received the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, while eight others received the Air Force Commendation Medal. One person received the Army Commendation Medal and one other received the Air Force Scroll. Master Sgt. Noel Sepulveda, who received the Airman’s Medal, also received the Purple Heart for injuries he incurred during the attack. The Airmen’s Medal recipients were: Carlton; Lt. Col. Gary W. Holland; Maj. Joseph A. Milner; Chief Master Sgts. Ricky L. Arnold, Paul D. Miller, and John K. Monacio; Senior Master Sgt. Kevin M. Andrews; Master Sgts. Paul R. Lirette and Sepulveda; and Staff Sgt. Gregory D. Fechner. The Meritorious Service Medal recipients were: Col. John S. Baxter; Lt. Cols. Janet Deltuva, Maureen E. Massey and Terry P. Kane; Maj. Michael Moore; Chief Master Sgts. Troy J. McIntosh and Robert Walko; and Tech. Sgt. Randall B. Federspill. Recipients of the Air Force Commendation Medal were: Lt. Col. Matthew D. Swanson; Majs. James G. Cusic and Andrew H. Weaver; Senior Master Sgt. Anthony J. Twitty; Tech. Sgt. Bernard Kimbrough; Staff Sgts. Lisa A. Ducharme and Charles V. Hawkins; and Airman 1st Class Evandra D. Spruell. Lt. Col. William Mitchell received the Army Commendation Medal. (Apr 02)

• Airman cited for non-combat valor An airman assigned to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, was presented with the Air Force’s highest medal for valor not involving combat. Senior Airman Nicholas Semonelle, 435th Logistics Readiness Squadron traffic management journeyman was visiting his sister and her husband in Kinston, Ala., when they spied smoke coming from a nearby house. After a 14-year-old babysitter said there were three children in the house, Semonelle and his brother-in-law rushed into the house through a back window. During four ventures into the home they found and pulled to safety two of the children, a 3-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy, though they were not able to find the third child, an 18-month-old girl who perished in the fire. The Airman’s Medal is the ninth highest achievement medal in the Air Force, and is awarded to any member in the U.S. armed forces serving in any capacity with the Air Force who distinguishes themselves by a heroic act at the voluntary risk of their own life. airforcetimes.com 24 Jan 05

• Ramstein Tech. Sgt. receives Airman's Medal Tech. Sgt. Sean Hansen, a weather forecaster with Detachment 1 of the Air Force's 7th Weather Squadron in Würzburg, Germany, received the Airman's Medal for saving a 7-year-old boy from two attacking Rottweilers in his neighborhood outside Würzburg in January 2004. The dogs were tearing at the boy’s flesh outside Hansen’s home, and Hansen fought them off by punching them. Witnesses credited Hansen with saving the boy’s life. estripes.com 5 Feb 05

• Kadena airman receives medal for heroic rescue of swimmers Master Sgt. Randolph Hodges receives the Airman’s Medal from 18th Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas for Hodges’ role in saving three men from drowning in the Gulf of Mexico in 2003. estripes.com 7 Apr 05

• Community heroes awarded Airman's Medal From left to right) Airman 1st Class Eric Munana, 898th Munitions Squadron; Captain Mark Chavez of the Albuquerque Fire Department; Senior Airman Jonathon Calhoun, 898th Munitions Squadron; and Chief Robert Ortega from the AFD after the medal ceremony where Airmen Calhoun and Munana received Airman's Medals. The Airmen were given medals after helping Captain Chavez save the lives of a disabled woman and her daughter in an apartment fire in Albuquerque, N.M. blackahthem.com 14 Jan 06

   

• Air Medal

   

• Storm-relief medals authorized The Joint Staff has authorized the award of the Humanitarian Service Medal and Armed Forces Service Medal to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and members of the Coast Guard — active, Guard and Reserve — who participated in relief operations for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Humanitarian Service Medal is authorized for those who supported immediate relief operations in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas — east of 96 degree west longitude — from Aug. 29 to Oct. 13, 2005. The Armed Forces Service Medal is authorized for those who provided, or are providing, direct support to relief efforts for 30 consecutive days, or 60 nonconsecutive days anywhere in the United States from Aug. 27, 2005, to Feb. 27, 2006. Service members who are awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal may also qualify for the Armed Forces Service Medal, provided their direct support occurred after the qualifying dates for the HSM. The military has categorized disaster relief operations for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as one operation. marinecorpstimes.com 9 Dec 05

• Military, Civilian Medals Approved for Hurricane Relief Work Servicemembers and civilians who took part in Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita relief efforts may be eligible for a medal. The director of the Joint Staff has approved awarding the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Armed Forces Service Medal for U.S. military personnel. Department of Defense civilians may receive the Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal. To qualify for the HSM, servicemembers must have provided direct support to immediate relief operations for at least one day in the area of eligibility -- east of and including Houston (designated as 96 degrees longitude), Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi -- from Aug. 29 to Oct. 13, 2005. Servicemembers eligible to receive the AFSM must have provided direct support to relief operations for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in the continental United States from Aug. 27, 2005, to Feb. 27, 2006 -- minus the specific area and time-period used to qualify for the HSM. If a member receives an HSM for Katrina relief operations, he or she cannot receive a second HSM for Rita. The same applies for the AFSM. However, people who receive the HSM may later qualify for the AFSM if their direct support does not include the dates and actions used in their qualifications for the HSM.To qualify for the AFCSM, civilians must have provided direct support to relief operations for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in the same area of eligibility and period as the AFSM. military.com 3 Jan 06

Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal

• Military, Civilian Medals Approved for Hurricane Relief Work Servicemembers and civilians who took part in Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita relief efforts may be eligible for a medal. The director of the Joint Staff has approved awarding the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Armed Forces Service Medal for U.S. military personnel. Department of Defense civilians may receive the Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal. To qualify for the HSM, servicemembers must have provided direct support to immediate relief operations for at least one day in the area of eligibility -- east of and including Houston (designated as 96 degrees longitude), Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi -- from Aug. 29 to Oct. 13, 2005. Servicemembers eligible to receive the AFSM must have provided direct support to relief operations for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in the continental United States from Aug. 27, 2005, to Feb. 27, 2006 -- minus the specific area and time-period used to qualify for the HSM. If a member receives an HSM for Katrina relief operations, he or she cannot receive a second HSM for Rita. The same applies for the AFSM. However, people who receive the HSM may later qualify for the AFSM if their direct support does not include the dates and actions used in their qualifications for the HSM.To qualify for the AFCSM, civilians must have provided direct support to relief operations for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in the same area of eligibility and period as the AFSM. military.com 3 Jan 06

Army Achievement Medal

• Soldier Decorated with Army Achievement Medal (Army Spec. Matthew J. Schmidt has been decorated with the Army Achievement Medal) (Mar 02)
• 3 reservists win medals Sgt. Blanche A. Woffindale of Rochester and Spc. Daniel Zarpentine of Spencerport awarded Army Achievement Medal for service in Afghanistan. Not present for her Army Achievement medal was Spc. Alison R. Kastner. (Dec 02)
• Soldiers receive award for valor Medals awarded to members of 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment for actions taken while under enemy fire in a May 18 battle near Al Hawija, Iraq. The “V” designation denotes valor: 

  • Spc. Billy Barnes — Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal with “V” for gunshot wound suffered in firefight, and, after being injured, helping to protect John Sullivan, an embedded journalist traveling with the unit.
  • Spc. Dante Cammarata — Bronze Star Medal with “V” for using his body to shield Barnes from enemy gunfire.
  • Staff Sgt. Scott Eisom — Army Commendation Medal with “V” for securing and protecting enemy prisoners of war.
  • Sgt. Clinton Johnson — Army Commendation Medal with “V” for effectively placing Mk-19 [grenade launcher] fire to protect platoon leaders.
  • Capt. Mario Soto — Bronze Star with “V” for actions in directing the platoon while separated from the battalion and without communications.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Michael Williamson — Bronze Star with “V” for coordinating the successful medical evacuation of Barnes while directing platoon fire against the enemy.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Wright — Bronze Star with “V” for coming forward to assist in the medical evacuation of Barnes.
  • Spc. John Zagyva — Bronze Star with “V” for initially spotting and firing upon enemy troops. Stars and Stripes 12 Nov 03

• Aviators recognized for Egypt crash mission Six members of Aviation Company, 1st U.S. Army Support Battalion, were awarded Army Achievement Medals for their rescue efforts following the crash of Flash Airlines Flight FSH604 on the morning of Jan. 3. Staff Sgt. Bobby Brown, crew chief, Sgt. Jarrett Nielsen, the team’s flight medic, Warrant Officer 1 Thomas Hamilton, co-pilot. Army Public Affairs 21 Jan 04

• Sgt. Kerri Norman receives medals Sgt. Kerri A. Norman was recently assigned to the 45th Infantry Brigade in Afghanistan with Operation Enduring Freedom. She is stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., with the 66th Military Intelligence Company, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment. She was sent to Bosnia in 2000 for SFOR 7. She joined the National Guard in 2001 as an intelligence analyst for 245MICO. She received two Army commendation medals and three Army Achievement Medals for her intel analysis work. News-Star.com 28 Sep 03

• FR-born Marine a hero A Marine was recently awarded the Army Achievement Medal for saving the lives of two Army Air Force Exchange Service employees’ lives. According to U.S. Marine reports, Staff Sgt. Jonathan S. Lindquist was among a convoy resupplying bases in Iraq when he came upon a series of improvised explosive devices along the route. "I was really surprised," Lindquist said of the award, which typically goes to Army personnel." zwire.com 3 Oct 04

• Corpsmen Earn Army Medals for Joint New Orleans Missions Three Navy corpsmen on duty within the East Bank Branch Health Clinic in downtown New Orleans developed an “exceptional partnership” with the medical staff of the Army’s 82nd Airborne during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and were each awarded the Army Achievement Medal Sept. 13. Chief Hospital Corpsman Shawn Frederick of the Naval Ambulatory Care Clinic (NACC) on the West Bank in New Orleans, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Thomas Santos and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Scott Moore, both of Naval Hospital (NH) Pensacola, Fla., were presented the medals by the 82nd Airborne for their efforts during missions beginning Sept. 6, to clear a nursing home, Tulane and Charity hospitals, and the Superdome. news.navy.mil 20 Sep 05

• Mobile Security Squadron 2 Sailors Receive Army Awards An awards ceremony was held to honor Sailors from Mobile Security Squadron 2, who recently supported Army exercise Bright Star in the Egyptian desert. Army Maj. Efran Delacruz, from the 3rd Transportation Command Element, presented 14 Sailors with the Army Achievement Medal and Army Commendation Medal for “a job well done” while they were deployed to Dukaylah, Egypt, in support of exercise Bright Star. Master-at-Arms 2nd Class (SW) John Brooks, a member of Mobile Security Detachment 27’s boat team. Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class John Joyce, a member of Detachment 21. Detachments 21 and 27's primary mission was to provide waterborne security to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) assets in Egypt. Chief Master-at-Arms (SW) Darryl Everett from Detachment 21. Lt. Todd Mills was presented the Army Commendation Medal. news.navy.mil 6 Dec 05

• Arviso Awarded Army Achievement Medal U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Oliver Arviso of the 4/394th Postal Company from Long Beach, Calif., was awarded the Army Achievement Medal for exceptional service while serving in Iraq. blackanthem.com 22 Jan 06

• County man earns combat medal in Iraq Lance Cpl. Clinton Severcool has received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal With Combat V for bravery in the April battle for Husaybah, Iraq. newage-examiner.com 19 Jan 05

• Soldiers nominated for medals after assisting injured Korean motorist Spc. Norman P. Portillo, left, and Spc. Nathan A. Bird, of the 36th Signal Battalion, have been nominated for Army Achievement Medals after assisting an injured South Korean motorist. estripes.com 13 Aug 05

• National Guard MPs awarded medals in robbery case Sgt. David Montgomery and Pfc. Michael Lowe are military police officers who never thought they'd be called heroes when they stopped two armed robbery suspects at Fort Campbell. But both were presented with Army Commendation Medals. Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, TN - 6 May 2003

• Toppo, with patients looking on, accepts medals Dr. Frank Toppo received an Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device, a Combat Infantry Badge and several campaign medals, all for service during the Vietnam War. The day Toppo and Staff Sgt. Peter Alston Jr. earned the Army Commendation Medal was Dec. 2, 1967. According to the commendation, the two men "completely exposed themselves to enemy fire" while "throwing hand grenades and placing accurate machinegun fire" as part of a counterattack against an enemy squad that discovered and engaged their ambush patrol. "Their heroic actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service," the commendation states, "and reflect great credit upon themselves, their unit and the United States Army." (Nov 02)
• Campbell awarded Army medal Army Spc. Michael J. Campbell received the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service while assigned to Delta Company, 801st MSB. Campbell’s technical and tactical knowledge led to great achievements and multiple mission accomplishments throughout his tour of duty from Jan. 1999 to Nov. 2002. “His actions bring great credit upon himself, the 801st MSB, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the United State Army,” the award stated. (Dec 02)

• Army Commendation Medal - Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Arnholter has been decorated with the Army Commendation Medal. The medal is awarded to individuals who, while serving in any capacity with the Army, have distinguished themselves by acts of heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service.
  Arnholter is a cavalry scout-platoon sergeant-instructor with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 5th Battalion, 15th Cavalry at Fort Knox, Ky. (Jan 03)

• Shawnee resident decorated with Army Commendation Medal Army Spec. Jeffery R. Gill has been decorated with the Army Commendation Medal for honorably and faithfully serving in the Army for four years. Shawnee News Star, OK - 10 Jul 2003
• Reservists at Camp Shelby receive Army medals Eighteen Reservists received Army Commendation or Army Achievement medals Friday before returning to civilian life. Hattiesburg American, MS - 8 Aug 2003
• Helicopter Unit Gets Honor After Thayer County Rescue The three-member crew rescued the man from the roof of his house when the Blue River flooded from storms that included heavy rain and tornadoes. The crew was recognized at the Nebraska National Guard air base in Lincoln. They received the Sikorsky Award, the Nebraska Emergency Service Ribbon and the U.S. Army Commendation Medal
• A warm welcome About 75 reservists from the 770th Engineer Company (New York State) arrived home to family, friends and a ceremony honoring them for their service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The soldiers were presented with various medals and honors, including the Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal, given for meritorious achievement or service. Capt. Anthony Struzik, unit commander, was presented with the Bronze Star for leading the unit in construction of the first paved road in a war zone since Vietnam. Finger Lakes Times Online 11 Jan 04.

• Maj. Martin Pennock receives U.S. Army Commendation Medal Army Maj. Martin T. Pennock has completed his second deployment to Iraq and has been decorated with the Army Commendation Medal. zwire.com 21 Jan 05

• Brewer graduate honored for bravery in Iraq The U.S. Army has honored a soldier for saving a soldier injured when a roadside bomb tore through a vehicle, killing two others in a convoy traveling south toward Baghdad. Already a Purple Heart recipient, 20-yer-old Spc. Bianca Henderson, a medic in the 411th Military Police Company, received a Commendation Medal for valor in a Dec. 22 ceremony. The Army described her action as "inherently notable" because her first concern was the safety of her fellow soldiers even though she was in danger herself. According to the Army, the eight-vehicle convoy was traveling on an Iraq roadway July 27 when the bomb exploded, knocking the second vehicle carrying three soldiers on its side. Henderson, who was in the fifth vehicle, raced to the scene and pulled an injured soldier to safety. An incendiary grenade from the bomb ignited a fire inside the vehicle filled with ammunition and weapons, the Army said. Henderson, 20, treated the injured soldier for a chest wound and an exit wound on his side as they waited for the air medivac helicopter. ledger-enquirer.com 5 Jan 06

• Iraqi soldiers awarded ARCOM for heroism Two Iraqi National Guard soldiers were awarded the Army Commendation Medal for their heroic acts after a suicide bomber attacked the Forward Operating Base Marez dining facility in southwest Mosul Dec. 21. The two Iraqis saved the life of an American Soldier suffering severe wounds and carried several other wounded to safety. "The attack of December 21 was not only intended to take lives, it was intended to divide two nations," said Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, who awarded the ARCOMs. "The actions taken by these ING soldiers indicate clearly that American Soldiers and the Iraqi soldiers are one. We are very greatful for your brave actions that day." army.mil 7 Jan 05

• Col. Kurt Fuller, left, salutes Sgt. Sebastian Pineiro, who received a Purple Heart. The following paratroopers with the 1st Battalion of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment received medals for action during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The soldiers’ ranks appear as they were at the time of action for which they were recognized. Bronze Star with 'V' device Capt. Gabriel Barton 1st Lt. Eric Schonbachler Staff Sgt. Jonathon Ramer Pvt. Charles Swank Army Commendation Medal with 'V' device Capt. Devin Hollingsworth 1st Sgt. Frederico Dottin Sgt. 1st Class Donel Hagelin Staff Sgt. Ezell Brown Staff Sgt. Jesse Burroughs Staff Sgt. Kristopher Gullixson Staff Sgt. Stanley Millwood Sgt. Justin Brown Sgt. John Kurtz Cpl. George Anderson Cpl. Cezar Cruzatte Spc. Wayne Emerson Spc. Keith Jones Spc. Christopher Thoms Spc. Jason Wilson Pfc. Henry Cameron Pfc. Adam Green Pfc. Jason Meade Pfc. Craig Moskalik Pfc. Shawn Myers Pfc. Michael Zinsmeister Purple Heart Spc. Jason Wilson (2 awards) 2nd Lt. Jesse Acosta Sgt. 1st Class William LaFever Staff Sgt. Andrew Mangrum Staff Sgt. Jeremy Stout Sgt. Jaime Aleman Sgt. Cory Brassine Sgt. Joshua Evans Sgt. Barry Foster Sgt. Sebastian Pineiro Sgt. Aaron Westman Spc. Chad Baker Spc. Kurtis Durocher Spc. Bobby Gunnoe Spc. Damen Gutshall Spc. Jason McKean Spc. Damien Muse Spc. Billy Slater Spc. Gregory Wallace Spc. Brad Willey Pfc. Richard Whipps Pfc. John Adamic Pfc. Antoine Cottle Pfc. Elijah Godwin Pfc. Joseph Heit Pfc. Aaron Light Pfc. Steven Oleson Pfc. Napolean Register Pfc. Richard Rosengrant Pfc. John Salwolke Pvt. Matthew Schilling Pvt. Jacob Morang       fayetteville.com 6 Feb 04

• Gaston soldier Bryan Marsh earns Army award for valor Bryan Mitchell Marsh was patrolling with five other soldiers in an APC 113, a vehicle smaller than a Bradley tank with a machine gunner on top. They were hit with a rocket grenade, and all were knocked out. Marsh and another soldier, whose eardrums had been blown out, were the first to wake up. Marsh's helmet, goggles, and one earplug were knocked off, but he and the other soldiers kept fighting. The Gaston soldier helped the soldier whose eardrums had burst into a Medivac. That soldier was flown to Germany for surgery and was medically discharged from the Army. For his bravery, Marsh earned a U.S. Army commendation medal with a "V" device for valor, and may get a Purple Heart medal as well, since he was wounded. He has hearing loss in both ears and suffers headaches and ear pain. oregonlive.com 6 May 04

• 3ID PA NCO earns medal for valor under fire A petroleum supply specialist turned journalist received the Army Commendation Medal with a “V” device for valor after Iraqi soldiers ambushed his convoy April 6, 2003. Staff Sgt. Brian S. Sipp, a public affairs NCOIC attached to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor, kept the enemy at bay until his unit could take cover. The Iraqis were firing mortars, small arms, and rocket-propelled grenade fire at his convoy in an attempt to disrupt refueling operations that were beginning. His citation reads that Sipps’ “courage under fire and unending enthusiasm inspired his team on the battlefield.” He hopped a fence and lead a group of Soldiers across an open field under fire to try and save HEMTTs loaded with ammunition. army.mil 4 Jun 04

• Alert Guardsmen spot IED, save supply route Staff Sgt. David Jensen, a 202nd Air Defense Artillery section sergeant, is awarded the Army Commendation Medal by Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, 1st. Cav. Div. commanding general. Jensen helped find and remove a large vehicle-borne improvised explosive device while patrolling a major coalition supply route. army.mil 4 May 04

• Hoyer gets Army Commendation Medal for Iraq tour Army Spec. Curt D. Hoyer has been decorated with the Army Commendation Medal for participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hoyer is a driver assigned to the 1st Cavalry Regiment, Buedingen, Germany. themonroetimes.com 9 Jun 04
• Medals sought for 4, including Larksville man Cpl. John Shulskie, Spc. Terence Le Gare, and Sgt. Quentin Cummings have been recommended for the Army Commendation Medal. Because of the deep gratitude felt by the Marines involved in the attack, Sgt. Christopher Smith has been recommended for the Navy Commendation Medal, a rare honor for any soldier, made rarer still by the fact that he serves the Army. timesleader.com 8 Jun 04

• F Troop Soldiers get ARCOMs for valor in Iraq Four Soldiers from 4th Platoon, F Troop, 4th Cavalry, have been awarded Army Commendation Medals with valor for their heroism while combating enemy forces in Baqubah, Iskandariah and Najaf, Iraq, last April. 1st Lt. Carl E. Gregory (pictured left), Sgt. Mitchell W. Wagner, Spc. Paul Carrisoza and Pfc. John M. White were presented medals by Col. Dana J.H. Pittard, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.  army.mil 17 Sep 04

• 181 soldiers get medals for service in Iraq Soldiers from Fort Bliss' 978th Military Police Company  were honored with 194 medals, including seven Army Commendation Medals with V device for valor in combat. The medals went to 181 soldiers. Twelve Bronze Stars were awarded for distinguished leadership service, three soldiers received Purple Heart Medals for wounds, and 172 soldiers received Army Commendation Medals for outstanding service while attached to the 4th Infantry Division. Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Quirk, who was awarded a Bronze Star. Sgt. 1st Class Pedro Guevara, received a Bronze Star medal and an Army Commendation Medal with V device. Other recipients were: Army Commendation With V Device
  • Spc. Daniel Sweeney.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Pedro Guevara.
  • 1st Lt. Jason Porter.
  • Sgt. Michael Parks.
  • Spc. Brandon Hatchell.
  • Spc. Eric Fuehring.
  • Spc. Marcus Cooke.
    Purple Heart
  • Pvt. Ernest Adams.
  • Sgt. Christopher Hieniger.
  • Spc. Clarice Smith.
    Bronze Star
  • Sgt. 1st Class John Apostol.
  • 1st Lt. Charcillea Barrett.
  • 1st Sgt. Jeffrey Bishop.
  • Capt. Kimberly Elniff.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Pedro Guevara.
  • Staff Sgt. Adrian Muñoz.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Page.
  • 1st Lt. Jason Porter.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Quirk.
  • 1st Lt. Robert Rogers.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Michael Weatherholt.
  • Staff Sgt. Jaquell Williams. borderlandnews.com 6 Apr 04

• Pierre sergeant receives Army valor medal Chad Larson, has received the Army Commendation Medal with Valor for his service in Iraq. Larson, a sergeant, belongs to the South Dakota National Guard's 200th Engineer Company. He got the medal for helping build a berm to keep a fire from spreading while his unit was under enemy fire 35 miles north of Baghdad in August 2003. aberdeennews.com 10 Dec 04

• Local soldiers awarded medals for prompt action Staff Sgt. Eric Lee has received the Bronze Star Medal. Lee recently led a patrol that discovered a large cache of explosives and weapons, including a vehicle-borne bomb that could have killed many U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Soldiers who were in the raid and were awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Recipients of the Army Commendation Medal were Sgt. 1st Class Miguel Robles, Staff Sgt. Erik Alvarez, Sgt. Roger Allen, Sgt. Kip Cochran, Sgt. William Cook, Sgt. Dominick Torti, Sgt. Paul Trucinski, Spc. Chase Breed, Spc. William Cox, Spc. Trey Harold, Spc. Ryan Jacobsen, Spc. Justin Lowery, Spc. Alan Parker, Spc. Joshua Stapf and Spc. Lou Wetuski, and Spc. Craig Nelson. shreveporttimes.com 22 Dec 04

• United States - Local Soldier Honored For Bravery A soldier serving in Iraq has been honored for his bravery. Jonathan has received the Army Commendation Medal with Valor and has been promoted to Sergeant. The award states that Joyce "displayed confidence, courage and poise in an ensuing firefight" on May 10th, 2004. "His expertise and discipline played a crucial role in suppressing the enemy and providing an escape route for the rest of the element." wgrz.com 4 Jan 05

• Augusta soldier wins medal for battlefield valor Sgt. Will Stover was on security duty when the attack happened. Part of the Army's Bravo Battery, 1st Infantry Division, 6th Field Artillery Unit, the 24-year-old soldier from Augusta and his five-man crew placed themselves around concrete blocks that already had been destroyed in an earlier artillery barrage. Their mission was to protect a road south of Baqubah, a city northeast of Baghdad. For his quick reactions in the face of that day's car bombing, Stover and the unit's gunner both received the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, on New Year's Eve. Stover, who has been in Baqubah for about a year, already has earned one Purple Heart and two others are pending -- all for shrapnel wounds. kennebercjournal.mainetoday.com 13 Jan 05

• Seal Rock Sergeant awarded U.S. Army Commendation Medal Sgt. James Kurth was presented with the U.S. Army Commendation Medal for his outstanding leadership and performance while stationed with the 4th Battalion, 3rd Air Defense Artillery, 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in Iraq. newportnewstimes.com 31 Dec 04

• S.C. guardsman garners medals for actions during convoy attack Capt. Matthew Delk stands at attention while being presented a Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor device for actions taken when his convoy came under attack in Mosul, Iraq, on April 20. army.mil 27 Oct 04

• Valor abroad, honor at home Chillicothe Mayor Joseph Sulzer, left, speaks Thursday afternoon during a gathering honoring Army Capt. A.J. Seidensticker at the grave site of Gen. Joshua Sill in Grandview Cemetery. Seidensticker was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor and the Army Commendation Medal for valor while overseas. Pictured with A.J. is his wife, Katie, and their 6-week-old son, Alexander Tristan. chilliocothegazette.com 25 Jun 04

• Grannis soldier awarded medals for valor in action Shilo Smith of Grannis was awarded the Bronze Star and Army Commendation medal with "V" device on December 15, 2004 for valorous achievement while under direct fire in the Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, according to officials with the 1st Battalion, Bravo Co., 3rd Special Forces at Fort Bragg, N.C. On March 24, 2004, Smith and his Special Forces "A" team were conducting a combat patrol when they were suddenly startled by a man riding a bicycle in front of their vehicle at a very slow pace. dequeen.com 14 Feb 05

• Ferguson awarded two medals while serving in Iraq Sgt. Charles "Chuck" Ferguson of Moses Lake, Charlie Company, 1-161st Infantry, was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Purple Heart Medal during his service in Iraq. Ferguson received the Army Commendation Medal for his performance as a machine gunner while under heavy enemy fire last May. According to the official wording of the award, Ferguson was commended for his courage and initiative under fire and for greatly contributing to the successful removal of enemy forces from the Jisr-Diyala NAC advisory building. columbiabasinherald.com 14 Feb 05

• State guardsmen recognized for bravery in Iraq Two Alabama National Guardsmen have been recognized for their bravery in battle after their convoy was hit by enemy fire while on its way to Camp Victory, Kuwait, the last leg on its journey before coming home to Alabama. Chief Warrant Officer Three Gary A. Clark of Lineville, received the Bronze Star Medal and Specialist William J. Johnson Junior, of Ohatchee, was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with "Valor". The 1151st Engineer team was attacked when some 60 insurgents fired at them in the town of Al Amarah in Iraq on May first, 2004. Clark, who received his award for his overall performance in maintaining utilities at the Al Asad Air Base, said the success at the air base was the result of team work. Johnson was recognized for shielding Clark with his body and giving him first aid for a wound he suffered in the neck. whnt19.com 4 Apr 05

• Medic receives Army medal for valor in Iraq Spc. Shane Courville, 210th Forward Support Battalion combat medic, has been awarded the Army Commendation Medal with valor device for providing medical aid to his fellow Soldiers while under enemy fire. blackanthem.com 2 Apr 05

• Green Berets get Silver Stars for actions in Iraq, Vietnam Master Sgt. Robert Collins (center right) shakes hands with Col. Kenneth Tovo after receiving the Silver Star.  Collins and Sgt. 1st Class Danny Hall (right), both of 2nd Battalion, 10th SFG, were awarded Silver Stars for their heroic actions in Iraq earlier this year. At the end of his 1965 combat tour in Vietnam, retired 1st Sgt. Cornelius Clark had been awarded an Army Commendation Medal with valor device for his actions in defense of Camp Plei Me, but upgraded to a Silver Star for his heroism in Vietnam in 1965. soc.mil 19 Oct 05

• 'Go For Broke' unit wins 10 medals for bravery For displaying bravery under fire during an August ambush, 10 members of the "Go For Broke" 100th Battalion, six of them from Hawaii, will receive the Iraq-deployed unit's first Army Commendation medals with valor devices. The medals are for valor displayed by members of Charlie Company's 3rd Platoon, which survived a harrowing early-morning, three-hour ambush in which one Iraqi Army soldier was killed and two others were wounded. They are: Sgt. 1st Class Alfred Tachera, Sgt. Orlando Ulep, Spc. Michael Correa, Sgt. Lafaele Faatamalii, Spc. Harry Mahoe, Spc. James Inabnitt. Also honored were: Spc. Cameron Ortega, Spc. Christopher Panzier, Spc. Dustin Mendoza, and Spc. Daniel Weinland. Of the nearly 800 awards and citations given to the battalion since it was mobilized in August 2004, these were the first for heroism under fire. To date, at least 46 Purple Heart medals have been awarded. starbulletin.com 4 Dec 05

• Mobile Security Squadron 2 Sailors Receive Army Awards An awards ceremony was held to honor Sailors from Mobile Security Squadron 2, who recently supported Army exercise Bright Star in the Egyptian desert. Army Maj. Efran Delacruz, from the 3rd Transportation Command Element, presented 14 Sailors with the Army Achievement Medal and Army Commendation Medal for “a job well done” while they were deployed to Dukaylah, Egypt, in support of exercise Bright Star. Master-at-Arms 2nd Class (SW) John Brooks, a member of Mobile Security Detachment 27’s boat team. Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class John Joyce, a member of Detachment 21. Detachments 21 and 27's primary mission was to provide waterborne security to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) assets in Egypt. Chief Master-at-Arms (SW) Darryl Everett from Detachment 21. Lt. Todd Mills was presented the Army Commendation Medal. news.navy.mil 6 Dec 05

• United States - Rangers given award for valor Mention the 2003 Battle of Hadithah Dam to any Ranger and watch him swell with pride.The Army thinks so highly of the performance by the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment that it recently honored the outfit with the Valorous Unit Award, second in unit awards only to the Presidential Unit Citation. According to the award citation, the Fort Benning-based Rangers, then part of a joint task force engaged in an intense battle during the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, displayed extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy from March 30 through April 9, 2003. Their mission: Seize the enemy-occupied Hadithah Dam in Iraq to obtain a communication line across the Euphrates River and to prevent the enemy from destroying the dam. Previously, four Rangers received the Silver Star, 11 received the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, five received the Purple Heart, 20 received Army Commendation Medals for Valor, 15 received the Bronze Star Medal and 71 received the Army Commendation Medal for this mission. The 3rd Battalion last received the Valorous Unit Award for actions while deployed to Somalia in 1993. ledger-enquirer.com 13 Dec 05

• Secretary of Defense honors Bayonet Soldiers Capt. William Swaims (Arkansas), a combat surgeon with Charlie Company, 173rd Support Battalion (Airborne) was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for actions on July 25 in the village of Stah Chow in Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. Spc. Michael Vertucci (Fishers, IN), serving with Delta Company, 165th Military Intelligence Battalion, was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for actions on June 21 in Miena Shin district, Zabul Province, Afghanistan. Master Sgt Richard Steele (Florida), 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, received the Purple Heart for wounds received in action during an operation in southern Afghanistan. Capt. Matthew Peterson (Eugene, OR), Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry, Sgt. Angel Cortez (Willos, CA), Delta Company, 113th Aviation Regiment, and Spc. Jose Rhodes (Texas), Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, received the Air Medal with Valor for actions taken during May and June of 2005 in southern Afghanistan. Sgt. Kenneth Stover (Philadelphia, PA), and Sgt. Angel Sanchez were awarded the Army Commendation Medal with Valor for actions taken on July 25 in the village of Stah Chow in Oruzgan Province,  Afghanistan army.mil 28 Dec 05

• Medic Nesiba receives medal of valor Eric Nesiba tries not to think about the 21-year-old female soldier who died in his care in Iraq. “I pray for her every night,” Nesiba, 39, of Kearney said. “I just put it out of my head. I saw so much death over there.” It was October 2005 when Nesiba, a sergeant with Lincoln’s 313th Medical Company of the U.S. Army National Guard, and Spc. Donald Harrer of Lincoln, both combat medics, tended to nine injured people, three U.S. soldiers and six Turkish truck drivers, after their convoy was indirectly hit by several improvised explosive devices. Nesiba and Harrer’s convoy still was under fire as they treated patients. For their efforts that day, Nesiba and Harrer today received the Army’s Commendation Medal for Valor for heroism under fire. Nesiba and Harrer are two of 17 Nebraska National Guard soldiers who were honored with either the Bronze Star of Valor, the Army Commendation Medal for Valor or the Purple Heart for service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. kearneyhub.com 22 Feb 06

• National Guard soldiers honored Complete list of recipients: 

  Bronze Star with Valor
  Spc. Jennifer Beck
  Spc. Joshua Birkel
  Spc. Richard DeLancey
  Spc. Michael Sharples
  Purple Heart
  Staff Sgt. Jeremy Preister
  Sgt. Terence Ricketts
  Sgt. Matthew Rouse
  Sgt. Chad Schroetlin
  Spc. Richard DeLancey
  Spc. Justin Diggins
  Spc. Jacob Graff
  Spc. John Harris
  Spc. Kelsey Lamb
  Spc. Fenton Phan
  Spc. Rachelle Spors
  Army Commendation Medal with Valor
  Sgt. Eric Nesiba
  Spc. Jacob Graff
  Spc. Donald Harrer
  Spc. Nathan Reitz    journalstar.com 24 Feb 06

• Award: Security Forces officer receives Bronze Star, team earns medals The commander of the 66th Security Forces Squadron received the Bronze Star Medal for his service in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during the 66th Air Base Wing commander's call Feb. 15. Maj. Michael E. Gimbrone, along with three noncommissioned officers from the 66th SFS, received awards for their efforts while deployed to Southwest Asia during the first half of 2005. The team stood up the first-ever purely U.S. Air Force unit responsible for law and order operations at a U.S. Army installation within Iraq. Among the NCOs who were recognized, Master Sgt. Jody L. Laffon received the Meritorious Service Medal for contraband sweeps, unit morale assurance, and personnel and equipment accountability. Sergeant Laffon seized two rifles, more than 100 bottles of alcohol and unauthorized cellular phones, military articles, ballistic vests and digital cameras. Seizing this contraband material prevented their use in future possible terrorist attacks. Staff Sgt. Jason R. Lussier earned the Army Commendation Medal for his services as noncommissioned officer in charge of the supply section, crime scene photographer and member of a contraband sweep team. Sergeant Lussier's efforts safeguarded $500,000 worth of military equipment, provided key photographic evidence to military investigations, and uncovered possible intelligence gathering equipment and weapons leading to investigations of six people. Staff Sgt. Theodore R. Yost II also received the Army Commendation Medal for his work in customs, victim response and investigation assistance. Sergeant Yost detained one suspect after an intelligence-based sweep of local national interpreters, which protected against possible bomb-making materials. He also assured no harmful materials were transported into the continental U.S. while working with the customs division. blackanthem.com 3 Mar 06

Army Distinguished Civilian Service Medal

• Ceremonies honor Korean War author, vet (The Army recently honored a retired World War II and Korean War veteran whose 29-year-old firsthand account of fighting in Korea, "This Kind of War," is required reading for all soldiers assigned to Korea and a recommended selection on the Army chief of staff's professional reading list. Army Secretary Thomas E. White handed Lt. Col. T.R. Fehrenbach the Distinguished Civilian Service Award) (Jun 02)
• Army Honors Man Who Exposed Fake Records B.G. "Jug" Burkett received the military branch's Distinguished Civilian Service Award on Monday from former President George H.W. Bush at the Bush Library in College Station. "He exposed a mass distortion of history that cost taxpayers billions of dollars" in undeserved veteran benefits, said John W. Nicholson, an undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "He returned to the Vietnam veterans their good name." In the 1980s, Burkett began researching to find out who fought in Vietnam and debunk some of the myths about veterans. In a latter book, he and a co-author showed that 75 percent of those killed were volunteers, not draftees. Mercury News 2 Dec 03

• Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
  • Former NW Ayer Copywriter Receives Army Medal for `Be All You Can ... Earl Carter, a former N.W. Ayer copywriter who created the Army's "Be All You Can Be" theme and advertising strategy, received the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal during a U.S. Army Recruiting Command annual awards banquet Jan. 23 in Nashville, Tenn. Yahoo News - 11 Feb 2003

Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal

• Military Honors The following people received awards from B Co. 2/127th Infantry of the Wisconsin Army National Guard in Green Bay. They are: Spc. Nicholas Pichette of Sturgeon Bay received the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal. Spc. Jason Smits of Suamico received the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal and Sgt. James Elie of Green Bay received the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal. greenbaypressgazette.com 4 Jul 05

•  Grand Island native receives Superior Civilian Service medal Marilyn (Bell) Richardson was presented the Superior Civilian Service Medal for her service with the United States Army Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence. The award was her second, an unusual feat for a civilian employee. Richardson was also presented with a flag that was flown over the Pentagon in honor of her 35 years of service. theindependent.com 3 Nov 04

• American, European-African-Middle Eastern and Asiatic-pacific Campaign Medals (Executive Order 9265 –Nov 6, 1942)

• Antarctica Service Medal

  • Broken Link - For information purposes only:

    • Army gives 6 medals to WWII cook (Carmelo Mangano earned the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the Antarctica Service Medal and the Honorable Service Lapel Medal) (Nov 01)

• Armed Forces Reserve Medal (Executive Order 10163 – Sep 25, 1950) Amendment (13013- Aug 6, 1996) (PDF file)

• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Executive Order 10977 – Dec 4, 1961) Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for El Salvador Armed Forces Service Medal - Established on January 11, 1996, and awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who, after June 1, 1992, have participated in a U.S. military operation deemed to be a significant activity encountering no foreign armed opposition or imminent threat of hostile action. Areas of activity include foreign territory on which troops have actually landed or are present and specifically deployed for the operation, adjacent water areas in which ships are operating, patrolling, or providing direct support of the operation and the air space above and adjacent to the area in which operations are being conducted. No more than one medal can be awarded to any one service member. Subsequent awards are denoted by 3/16" bronze service stars. A 3/16" silver star is worn instead of five bronze stars. Armed Forces Expetionary Medal (List of USAF Approved Areas) (USAF Website)

• Armed Forces Service Medal

  • Armed Forces Service Medal (List of  USAF Approved Areas) (USAF Website)

• Battle Streamers

• Bronze Star

• Campaign Medals (Foxfall)

• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Distinguished Public Service Medal (No info available)

• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Outstanding Public Service Medal (No info available)

China Service Medal

• Veteran of WW II and Korean War awarded seven medals for his service Berryville resident Roy Newborn right, along with wife Joi Newborn, holding picture of a young Roy, and Lt. Colonel Steve Gray were all smiles Jan. 31 after Gray officially awarded Newborn with seven medals for his service in both World War II and the Korean War. Medals awarded to Newborn include: China Service; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign; American Campaign; National Defense Service; United Nations Korean; Korean Service; and World War II Victory. eurekaspringstimesecho.com 7 Feb 06

Civilian Awards

• Army

• Civilian Service Medal created (Jan 98)

• Coast and Geodetic Service Ribbons (Executive Order 9590 – Jul 21, 1945)

• World War II hero finally get his medal It took six decades, but George Varner finally is receiving recognition for saving a man's life during World War Two. The Grapevine resident was a 19-year-old Coast Guard seaman in the Philippines ands when a small boat containing U-S Army troops began taking on water. Most of the men went into a small launch, but Varner and another man dove in to help two men who were struggling in the water. Varner received the Coast Guard Commendation Medal. kltv.com 28 Nov 04

Coast Guard Medal

• ‘ Perfect Storm ’ heroes receive medals for saving lives The United States Coast Guard honored the crew of the Cutter Tamaroa who rescued four Air National Guardsmen when their ocean-rescue helicopter ran out of fuel and crashed 75 miles off Nantucket Island during the so-called "No-Name Storm" of Halloween 1991. Among the honorees is Petty Officer Robert Jackson. Jackson and 18 other sailors received the Coast Guard Medal, the highest military award for valor outside of combat. Portsmouth Herald, NH - Apr 03

• Rescuers awarded medals for valor The Coast Guard awarded one of its highest medals for heroism yesterday to a rescue swimmer who plunged into an icy chemical spill in the ocean off Virginia a year ago to save six seamen from the sunken tanker Bow Mariner. Petty Officer 3rd Class Dave Foreman received the Coast Guard Medal for entering the 44-degree ocean and helping the six exhausted men from a life raft into a hovering rescue helicopter. Foreman, the rescue swimmer, asked his superiors for permission to enter the water, which was full of spilled ethanol and bunker oil. For 33 minutes, he loaded all six survivors into the basket so they could be lifted to safety. Other members of the helo crew said Foreman appeared to succumb briefly to the chemical fumes at several points during the rescue. timesdispatch.com 23 Feb 05

Coast Guard Commendation Medal

• Coast Guard Pilot Honored Coast Guard rescue pilot from Air Station Savannah has been recognized for his bravery. Lt. Dale Taylor was awarded the Coast Guard Medal for his heroic action during a rescue mission in Key West, Florida. Taylor and his crew saved the lives of two people stranded in the ocean, after their small sailboat was pounded by 15-foot seas. Taylors' crew, Lt. Bill Strickland and petty officer Brian Jerritt, received the Coast Guard Commendation Medal for their work during the rescue. wtoctv 19 Mar 04

Cold War Medal

• DoD decides not to create Cold War medal - The Department of Defense will not be creating a Cold War Service medal, and Army officials said any commemorative medals made by private vendors are unauthorized on the military uniform Jan 02

• Cold War Medal (Ref: email Scott Laird)

• Cold War Recognition Certificate

• Les congressmen US au garde-à-vous instituent la Médaille de la guerre froide According to a story in the Russian newspaper Novosti, the US Congress has approved the establishment of a Cold War Victory Medal. Apparently, it was part of the defence appropriation bill. The Secretary of Defence has been tasked with the design and production of the medal which will be awarded to all US servicemen for 6 months service during the Cold War period. Article in French. armees.com 12 May 06

  • New medal for American Uniform Not so long ago the U.S. Congress unanimously voted for the institution of a Cold War Victory Medal. To be honest, when I heard about this from a colleague, I thought he was joking because the whole idea seemed utterly ridiculous. Later, when I found out that this was true, I still felt perplexed for a long time - what could explain this yearning to put one more medal on the American uniform for a remote war, and a cold one for that matter? And why institute it now, and not right after the disintegration of the USSR? Quite a bit of time has gone by since then. Why don't Italians go for a medal for the victory in the Gallic war? It would be more logical because ancient Gaul was a site of a real war. There could be several ways to explain why the U.S. has decided to go for the medal now. Maybe Washington, thinking that Moscow has become too independent, has decided to remind it who came out the winner in the confrontation last time. Or, maybe it wants to uplift the spirit of the American nation. In recent years, having won militarily the first war in Iraq, the U.S. then sustained a disgraceful moral and political defeat, leaving Saddam Hussein's political opponents, who naively hoped for U.S. help, at the dictator's mercy. The second Iraqi war has been even more shameful - having occupied the country (under a false pretext), the Americans have proved unable to control it. Finally, it is not ruled out that a new war is in the making, now against Iran. It will be even dirtier, and will take a bigger toll on innocent lives, considering that Washington is seriously debating the use of nuclear weapons during a new military operation. The third version is perhaps the most probable, and human - Congressmen simply want to show off their new medal to their wives, secretaries, and lovers. The attitude to the Congress decision depends on which version is the right one. It may be perceived with humor, or in real earnest. The first two versions are not amusing. If the U.S. is serious about exerting even indirect pressure on Russia, it is making a political mistake. As I said, the train has already left the station - today's Russia is not what it was yesterday. Whatever Washington says, the Kremlin will defend its interests and its views on both global problems and democracy at home. If the U.S. is trying to raise the spirit of the Americans, then that's its own business. But this effort is not likely to succeed, especially if the Bush Administration gets involved in a war with Iran. Finally, it's high time to clear up the main question. The U.S. did not win a Cold War against the USSR. The USSR lost it to the U.S. These are different things. Decay and inefficiency were genetically programmed into the Communist system. For this reason, its disintegration started at birth. Only the Soviets (councils) were a peculiar form of democracy, but Lenin had completely emasculated the Soviet system by subjugating all government bodies to the Bolshevik Party. The Soviets died for good after the suppression of the well-known Kronstadt uprising in 1921. It would be fair to confer the U.S. medal on Lenin, albeit posthumously. Krushchev deserves it in an equal measure for exposing Stalin's personality cult, and thereby depriving the nation of its ideological support. Finally, Gorbachev surely deserves it as well, although he was not guided by Western radio voices, these Cold War champions. He dreamt of "socialism with a human face," and was drawn to Euro Communism rather than Western democracies. But having let the genie out of the bottle, he couldn't stuff it back in. Russia followed its own road independently. There are Cold War heroes in the U.S. as well. Take Zbigniew Brzezinski, who once told the French press how he drew the USSR into the Afghan venture, which proved suicidal for the Kremlin. But the end was sad not only for the Soviet Union, but also for the United States. Trained by the CIA for fighting the Russians in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden is responsible for the September 11 tragedy in New York. It's a big question whether Brzezinski should be awarded or punished. But if the U.S. Congress opted for the medal, it will certainly find its way to the chest of the heroes. en.rian.ru 19 May 06

Combat Action Ribbon

• France Jubilee of Liberty Medal - The Jubilee of Liberty Medal was authorized by the Regional Council of Normandy to pay tribute to the men and women who fought at Normandy to restore freedom. They were first presented to all veterans who came back to Normandy for the 50th anniversary observance of D-Day in 1994. The governor of Normandy also authorized the medal for any Normandy veteran who was unable to attend the 1994 ceremonies but was still part of the invasion that occurred June 6-Aug. 31, 1944.

  • Jubilee Medals Presented (50^th Anniversary of France Medal)

  • Normandy Veterans honored with Medals (Jubilee of Liberty Medal) (Nov 01)

  • Local man honored by France (French 50th anniversary of World War II certificate and medal. Photo) (Mar 02)

  • French recognize Vallejoans contribution of D-Day (Dave Conger has been awarded a medal by the French government for the role he played in D-Day as a bomber pilot. Conger flew his first combat mission as lead pilot of a B-24 bomber squadron on June 6, 1944 -- more commonly known as D-Day. His mission was to fly behind the invasion beach and destroy a German railroad and reinforcement point for the front. Before the war was over, Conger had flown 30 combat missions over military targets in Germany and France. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medial with four Oak Leaf Clusters. (Mar 02)

  • Vet Sends Normandy Medal Back To France - A World War II veteran says he's so angry with France that he plans to return the Normandy Medal given to him by the French government for his actions on D-Day. More (Mar 03)

  • Veterans honored for D-Day Service (French Jubilee of Liberty Medals awarded) (Apr 02)

  • Medal recipients listed  - The 10 Oak Ridge/Oliver Springs medal recipients of the Jubilee of Liberty Medal (Sep 02)

  • Delhi vet receives WWII French liberty medal Joe Wenck of Delhi Township, was one of five men who recently received The Jubilee of Liberty Medal from France, for heroic efforts in World War II. The other four World War II veterans who were awarded The Jubilee of Liberty Medal from France were Fred M. Hess of Symmes Township, Jack Smith of Middletown, Roy Cashdollar of West Virginia and Tony Fasano of Springboro. communitypress.com 11 May 05

  • Veterans receive medals At the Mayport Naval Station, Congressman Ander Crenshaw presented medals to veterans during a ceremony -- specifically veterans who took part in the Normandy Invasion and those who served in the Korean War. FirstCoastNews 10 Nov 03   Medal honors soldier's fight to liberate Europe It will be 60 years in July since Edna Irvin Hamlet received the awful news that her brother, Luther Irvin Jr., had been killed in fighting during World War II in Europe. She has lived with the loss, never having had the brother she grew up with to grow old with. That's one of the reasons Hamlet was pleased to learn that she might received the Normandy Medal of the Jubilee of Liberty in her brother's memory. Hamlet is one of the area people eligible for the medal, which was first minted in 1994 at the direction of the Regional Council of Normandy and the Governor of Normandy and presented to U.S. veterans of the Normandy invasion. It was presented to Normandy veterans who attended the jubilee in France. This year, the U.S. government has re-commissioned the medal and plans to give it to as many veterans and their families as possible. Pal-item.com 28 Feb 04

  • 6 vets receive medals Six St. Cloud-area World War II veterans received the Jubilee of Liberty medal. Issued by the French government, the Jubilee of Liberty honors military members who participated in the invasion of Normandy, France. It was first given to soldiers at a June 6, 1994, ceremony in Normandy commemorating the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Later, the governor of Normandy decided that veterans who participated in the invasion but could not attend the ceremony in France still should receive the medal. Walter Buranen of Kimball, Leander Danzl of St. Cloud, Donald Koehn of Holdingford and Eva Tembrock Donovan of Monticello received the Jubilee of Liberty. Two other recipients accepted the medal on behalf of deceased relatives. Jack Brown accepted the medal for his father, Robert, of St. Cloud, and Verne Hansen accepted on behalf of his brother, Warren, of Sauk Rapids. miva.sctimes.com 30 Aug 05

  • Eight area D-Day vets awarded Jubilee of Liberty medals The Jubilee of Liberty medals were first issued to thousands of U.S. veterans of the invasion at a ceremony in Normandy on the 50th anniversary in 1994. After realizing that most veterans were not able to attend the event, the French government asked the United States to administer the remaining medals. Receiving the medals were Robert Powell, Robert Davis, Sylvester Barthel, Bane Blankenship, Thorleif Hageland, Forrest Leigh and Clyde Stimpson. yakima-herald.com 6 Oct 05

• France Palmes Academiques
  • Palmes Academiques Awarded (His Excellency Francois Bujon de l'Estang visited Indiana University Bloomington to deliver a lecture and to also award France's highest academic honor, the Commandeur de l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques, to Albert Valdman, the Rudy Professor of French and Italian and Linguistics at IU (Oct 00)
• France - Legion d'Honneur - 

  • Remise des insignes d'officier de la Légion d'Honneurà M. John « Jack »
    Smith, Chairman de General Motors (Jul 01)

  • French Ambassador Honors American and French former and present Servicemen (Legion d'Honneur and Ordre nationale du Merite) (Dec 97)

  • France pins top honour on D-Day Veteran (Walt Ehlers' awarded the French National Order of the Legion of Honor. Ehlers already wears the Medal of Honor, and holds three Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars and one Silver Star) (May 02)
  • France presents 3 with Legion of Honor Bob Slaughter receives Legion d'honneur after fighting for 14 years to see his dream, the National D-Day Memorial, get built. Also receiving the award were Bedford Mayor Mike Shelton and Smith Mountain Lake resident Evelyn Kowalchuk. (Octg 02)
  • Maj. Gen. Albert Bartlett "A.B." Crowther has died aged 104 Albert Bartlett "A.B." Crowther, a recipient of the French Legion of Honor was 104. Crowther's military decorations also include the Legion of Merit and the Military Valor Cross of the Italian government. San Antonio Express-News Apr 03
  • France to bestow honor upon Eagle Butte woman France will bestow its highest civilian honor upon an Eagle Butte woman for her work as an Army nurse during World War II.Marcella LeBeau, 84, is one of 100 former military personnel who will receive the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur during a June 5 ceremony in Paris. LeBeau, then 24 years old, served with the Army Nurse Corps' 76th General Hospital based in Minster, England. After Allies invaded Europe on June 6, 1944, LeBeau and her colleagues treated the first battle casualties from the beaches of Normandy. aberdeennews.com 15 May 04

  • Utah Man To Receive France’s Highest Military Honor Seven surviving American pilots, including a Utah man, will being honored with a French award for their bravery. Back in 1954, the pilots risked their life to fly CIA supply missions to besieged French forces in what is now Vietnam. The pilots served in Dien Bien Plu, a cluster of villages near the Laotian border. Communist rebels on higher ground pummeled the French with artillery in an epic battle that marked the end of French colonial rule in Indochina and foreshadowed the U.S. experience in Vietnam. Next week the pilots will be honored with the Legion of Honor. One of the pilots being honored is 84-year-old Monson W. Shaver. kutv.com 15 Feb 05

    • France to award medals to U.S. pilots who flew supplies into Dien Bien Phu Allen L. Pope risked life and limb to fly CIA supply missions in 1954 to besieged French forces in what is now Vietnam. Nearly 51 years after the fall of Dien Bien Phu, the seven surviving American pilots who flew in those perilous skies - but later were essentially disowned by the CIA - will be awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur. "It's a nice gesture on their part," says Douglas R. Price who was 29 when he flew 39 airdrop missions to Dien Bien Phu in April and May 1954 as a civilian employee of Civil Air Transport, a flying service whose undeclared owner was the CIA. "I was a covert employee. We were expendable," says Roy F. Watts. journalnow.com 16 Feb 05

  • Veteran wins Legion of Honor Barney Hajiro has received so many decorations for heroism for his service with the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Europe during World War II, you'd think by now he'd be used to it. But when France's highest distinction, the Legion of Honor, was added to Hajiro's stack of honors — which include the Medal of Honor and the British Military Medal — Hajiro, 88, seemed puzzled by all the fuss. For the French, however, the honor was long overdue. This year the French observed the 60th anniversary of D-Day by inviting more than 90 U.S. veterans of World War II to Paris in early June to present them with the Legion of Honor. Hajiro was supposed to have been among them, but could not make the journey. So the French came to him, pinning the medal on him at a ceremony aboard a French military surveillance ship, the Prairial, based in Papeete, Tahiti. Looking sharp and standing at attention on the deck of the Prairial, docked at Honolulu Harbor's Pier 9, Hajiro accepted the medal last night with grace, dignity and humility. the.honoluluadvertiser.com 15 Oct 04

  • Kendal resident to receive French Legion of Honor medal World War II veteran Roy Bair will be receiving the Knight of the Legion of Honor award from the French government on June 5. Bair, 81, was one of 100 World War II veterans chosen this year to receive the award on behalf of all the Americans who participated in the liberation of France.

  • 3 county veterans to be guests of France at June 6 ceremony John Moreno (left), 95, of Coronado, a Navy veteran of World War II, will soon add France's highest military award, the Legion of Honor, to his service medals. For John Moreno, Charles Hostler and Robert Clark, the June 6 celebration marking the 60th anniversary of the Normandy landings against the forces of Nazi Germany in World War II will be a rewarding ceremony. They are three of the 100 Americans who will be presented the Legion of Honor. signonsandiego.com 24 May 04

  • France gives Scottsdale man Legion of Honor medal France has honored George Pillmore with its highest honor -- the Legion of Honor medal. Pillmore was one of 100 American veterans and the only Arizona resident to receive the medal over the weekend. In the D-Day invasions when Allied troops overcame Adolf Hitler's forces, Pillmore was second in command of a landing craft tank.The small ship was responsible for carrying armored bulldozers and assault cargo between larger vessels and the Normandy shores. But Pillmore's 12-man crew also rescued soldiers whose ships were attacked by air raids, torpedoes and magnetic mines in the water. kpho.com 12 Jun 04
  • Durham WWII veteran receives medal, 'thank you' from France Sixty years ago, John T. Fearrington participated in one of the biggest invasions in history -- in an army that separated whites from blacks in the barracks and on the battlefield. Fearrington, now 81, and other veterans returned to France to accept medals for their service in the Normandy invasion. He said he particularly enjoyed going back to receive an award alongside white veterans he'd never gotten a chance to meet.He was one of 100 U.S. veterans to receive France's highest award, the Legion of Honor medal. He and his wife of 55 years, Annabelle, were flown to Paris by the French government to participate in the D-Day observances. herald-sun.com 20 Jun 04

  • France hnours director Spielberg French President Jacques Chirac bestowed the country's highest honour on director Steven Spielberg. He was made a knight of the French Legion of Honour to recognise his work fighting hatred and intolerance. Mr Chirac said Spielberg's holocaust film Schindler's List ensured that past atrocities were remembered along with heroic deeds. news.bbc.co.uk 6 Sep 04

  • Top French Honour for Hollywood Lobbyist The recently retired chairman of the influential Motion Picture Association of America, 83-year-old Jack Valenti, has been awarded France's top distinction, the Legion of Honour.  French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres decorated Valenti with the honour in a ceremony attended by US Ambassador Howard Leach and film legend Olivia de Havilland.  The common thread in your work is the essential value on which the United States was founded with France's help: liberty," said the French minister, who also praised Valenti's role in the fight against film piracy.  expatica.com 7 Sep 04

  • Celebrating Julia Child and Her Love of France Julia Child, famed cookbook author and television personality died on August 13, 2004. In 2000, Julia Child was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, France's highest decoration. Other Americans who have been given this honor include comedian Jerry Lewis in 1984 and 100 veterans of World War II this past June, in honor of the 60th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings. travelvideo.tv 20 Sep 04

  • Decatur war veteran gets French medal 61 years late World War II veteran George F. Mills served in the 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, known as the "Keystone" Division. The French government awarded his regiment the Croix de Guerre medal for valorous actions during the liberation of France in 1944. The 109th was the only regiment in the division that received the honor. A recent check of Army records revealed that Mills never received the award. Sixty-one years later, at the February meeting of Redstone Chapter No. 353, National Sojourners Inc., past president and retired Air Force Maj. Henry B. Tyra, himself a World War II veteran, presented the medal to Mills. decaturdaily.com 10 Apr 05

  • Springfield consultant awarded Legion of Honor US Political consultant Joseph J. Napolitan has been chosen to receive France's highest civilian award by President Jacques Chirac. Napolitan will be added to France's Legion of Honor. Napolitan has served as adviser to French presidents and members of the French parliament. boston.com 20 Oct 05

  • Pilot's covert flights in Indochina earn belated honor from France Maybe it's habit or humility, but Douglas Price won't admit to any heroics. He is careful and deliberate with his words. He won't embellish. War stories? The way he tells them, they're about as captivating as a bond market report. "I just wanted to fly," Price says. The French government is giving him and six other American pilots, most of them now in their 70s and 80s, France's highest military and civilian honor, the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur. The heroics took place in 1954 when 37 American civilian pilots risked their lives to help French troops in part of what was then Indochina, later known as Vietnam. signonsandiego.com 24 Feb 05

  • French honor ex-nurse for her role in D-Day In a 90th birthday surprise, Rachel Fairbanks Sweitzer was awarded one of France's most distinguished awards for her service as a nurse in the Normandy invasion. Sweitzer, who was assigned to a surgical unit under Gen. George Patton's 3rd Army during World War II, accepted the Legion of Honor. chicagotribune.com 2 May 05

  • World War II Remembered Following news items are from 1945 - Capt. Zachary T. Ossefort has been awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in Czechoslovakia May 5. First Lt. Robert Mahony has been awarded the Purple Heart and Air medal for duty with the Army Air corps in Europe. Cpl. Harold E. Derbique, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Derbique, 1250 Doty street, has been awarded the Croix de Guerre Avec Palme by the French government for “exceptional military services rendered in the course of operations for the liberation of France.” T/Sgt. Sylvester Strelow, of Gresham, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement in the strategic air war over Europe. Lt. George M. Ossefort has been awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action in Germany between Feb. 23 and Feb. 26, 1945. Cpl. Charles W. Erickson was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service in combat on the Fifth Army front in Italy. Sgt. Alfred B. Forsythe has been awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action in Italy April 14. greenbaypressgazette.com `17 Jul 05

  • Legion of Honor Joseph Biehler and Anthony Santoro aren't the type of men who talk freely about the World War II battles they have fought, or the ordeals they have managed to survive. They fought the Nazis around Normandy in France – military encounters that served as the tipping point of the war. Dedicated young GIs, Biehler and Santoro followed orders; they went where they were told to go. Humble and private men, they said they do not enjoy conjuring up those bloody battlefield memories more than a half-century later. But the danger Biehler, 84, of Clifton, and the 83-year-old Santoro, of East Rutherford, faced in those battles is not going unrecognized, because the men joined nine other American veterans from the tri-state area in receiving the Legion of Honor. bergen.com 9 May 06

  • Broken Link - For Information Purposes Only:  
    • Better Late Than Never for a Medal (Nevada’s oldest veteran William Brown, celebrating his 107th birthday, awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government)

• Ghana

  • Ghana honours outgoing US Ambassador Ghana on Friday conferred the State Honour of Grand Medal, Honorary Division on Mrs Mary Carlin Yates, the outgoing US Ambassador in Ghana. The citation said; "in recognition of your contribution, dedication and determination to strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Ghana and the United States of America (USA) the Republic of Ghana, hereby confers on you, the State Honour of Grand Medal, Honorary Division". ghanaweb.com 19 Aug 05

   

• Greece

  • Sen. Harkin presents multi-war veteran with 22 honors James Keller Lee was escorted into the room at the Iowa National Guard Armory by his wife Judy as Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, presented the veteran with 22 medals and honors earned during his service in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. For his World War II service Lee received a Purple Heart, the Navy Unit Commendation, Distinguished United Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Occupation World War II Army Medal and Discharge Button from the U.S. Marine Corps. For his service in the Korean War, Lee was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds received in combat on Oct. 7, 1951, Combat Infantryman Badge, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, and the Bravery Gold Medal of Greece. In recognition of his Vietnam War service, Lee received the National Defense Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Good Conduct Medal - 4th Award, Vietnam Service Medal with two campaign stars, the Aviation Badge, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and Air Medal. zwire.com 13 Feb 05

     

• India

  • India Honours Galbraith (Awarded the Padma Vibhushan Award)   (Awarded the Padma Vibhushan Award)  

• Italy

  • Maj. Gen. Albert Bartlett "A.B." Crowther has died aged 104 Albert Bartlett "A.B." Crowther, a recipient of the French Legion of Honor was 104. Crowther's military decorations also include the Legion of Merit and the Military Valor Cross of the Italian government. San Antonio Express-News Apr 03

• Korea

  • The US Government has approved the acceptance of the Republic of Korea War Service Medal after 48 years by all United States service members who fought there during the Korean War. The medal will not be issued, so veterans will have to purchase the medal. Vets of the Forgotten War They risked their lives for freedom fifty years ago, but it wasn't until recently that some South Dakota veterans were recognized for their bravery and service.  KSFY, SD - 30 May 2003

  • Republic of Korea War Service Medal  

  • Update on the Republic of Korea War Service Medal

  • There are actually two different types of the Korean War Service Medal.  Many collectors are familiar with the "Crossed Bullets" medal. There is an earlier, Korean War Service Medal, authorized by ROK Presidential Decree #390 on Oct. 24, 1950.  This earlier medal is enameled, and I am assuming that the Korean Government decided to produce a less expensive medal, consequently the crossed bullets medal.  I have both types of this medal in my collection, and a copy of the original Presidential Decree.  The official Korean name for the Korean War Service Medal is  "6.25 Incident Participation Medal".  The 6.25 refers to June 25th, 1950, the day the North Koreans started the War. (Ref: email Don Pfeifer)  
  • Korean War Service Medal

  • After 50 years, Korean War vet awaits medal  Republic of Korea Korean War Service Medal to U.S. veterans. More (Sep 02)

  • U.S. veteran to receive S. Korea's highest medal A veteran of two wars, retired U.S. Army Col. Young Oak Kim has received more than a dozen medals. But he doesn't display them like a proud warrior. They're all stowed in a box somewhere in his garage. During World War II, Kim played a key role in helping the Allies capture Rome and liberate several French towns. In the Korean War, he led a combat unit that pushed enemy forces back from the 38th parallel, creating a strategic wrinkle in the line that divides North and South Korea. Kim will soon add one more medal to his box. South Korean President Roh Moon-hyun recently approved giving him the Taeguk Order of Military Merit, the highest military honor in South Korea. The move marks a rare exception to a decades-old policy against awarding any more medals involving the Korean War. Political observers see the move as an effort by the South Korean government to maintain friendly relations with the United States during a wave of anti-Americanism in that country and amid tense negotiations over North Korea's rogue nuclear program. montereyherald.com 23 Oct 05

• Netherlands

  • Air Force Pilot receives Dutch Flying Cross (Maj. William Thomas who was assigned to a Dutch unit; who excelled in bravery in circumstances that can be compared to wartime. The Flying Cross is the second highest medal attainable in the Royal Netherlands air force. Prior to Thomas, just 88 foreigners, 11 of whom were Americans, have earned the medal) (Jan 02)

  • Punta Gorda man receives Dutch Medal for his services in WWII (Neil Van Duyn of Punta awarded the War Mobilization Medal) (Jan 02)

  • Dutch honour George Wartime sailor George Gray of Greenock has been honoured by the Netherlands. George (79) received a Commemoration Medal for his World War Two services in the Dutch Merchant Navy, joining at the age of 15 and sailing for two years on convoys to and from the United States, Canada and the West Indies. The Dutch government decided in the year 2000 to issue their 'Thank You Liberators' commemoration medal for those who took part in freeing their country from the Germans. The emblem on the medal symbolises the wings of a windmill. George also received a certificate which said the awards were 'a token of gratitude for contributing to the liberation of the Netherlands during World War Two'. He also sailed with the British Merchant Navy on the convoys to Murmansk in Russia.  George said: "I received 'Great Patriotic War' medals from the Russians in 1985, 1995 and 2005, but the British Government have still not decided if they will award a medal to those who sailed on the convoys." George is a member of the Arctic Convoy Club. greenocktelegraph.co.uk 29 Dec 05

  • Wartime sailor finally gets medal After more than 50 years, Martin Jansen, 82, has finally received formal recognition of his service to Holland during World War II. On Monday morning, the consul general of the Netherlands, David A.H. van Iterson, presented Jansen with the Mobilisatie-Oorlogskruis, a medal honoring members of the military during World War II. The medal recognizes the first part of Jansen's wartime service, when he was a member of the Dutch navy. The ceremony took place at Jansen's Camarillo home. (Dec 02)

• Philippines

  • U.S. Soldiers Honored in Philippines  - More than 300 American soldiers gathered to honor 10 colleagues killed in a helicopter crash during anti-terrorism exercises last week. Philippine chief of staff Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, posthumously awarded the 10 men with the Bronze Star, the Philippines' highest peacetime military award More (Photos) (Feb 02)

  • US Officers Honoured for work in the Philippines (The Philippine military awarded citations to two U.S. military officers involved in a counterterrorism exercise to help Filipino soldiers better fight a Muslim extremist group. Lt. Col. David Maxwell received the Award for Socio-Economic Upliftment and Maj. Samuel Ashley got the Military Merit Medal) (May 02)
• Poland
  • Skalny Family is Honored (Joseph Skalny, Frederic Skalny, and Stasia Skalny, and Anna Skalny of Hilton, New York, have been honored with the Cavalier Cross of Merit of Poland, one of that country's most prestigious awards. As trustees of the Louis Skalny Foundation, the four established and continue to support the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University of Rochester) (Dec 01)
• Russia

  • Ex-Red Army vets to receive jubilee medals A group of ex-Red Army soldiers and officers - all members of the local Russian-speaking community - will be awarded Russian jubilee medals at a dinner commemorating the 60th anniversary of the victory in Europe. The Russian consulate officials will bestow "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War" medals to 24 veterans of World War II. masslive.com 8 May 05

• Singapore

  • Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, United States of America, Receives Top Military Award The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, United States of America, GEN Richard Myers, was conferred Singapore’s highest military award, the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera)  [Distinguished Service Order (Military)], by Acting President Mr Sim Kee Boon. The Distinguished Service Order (Military) was awarded to GEN Myers in recognition of his significant role in enhancing the excellent ties between the United States Armed Forces and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).  Under General Myers’ leadership, professional interactions have been expanded to enhance the ability of the United States Armed Forces and SAF to meet new challenges, in areas such as force transformation, maritime security and counter-terrorism.  These interactions have served to enhance the professionalism and operational capabilities of the two armed forces, and strengthened mutual understanding and camaraderie between their personnel.  General Myers has also been instrumental in facilitating the SAF’s training in the United States. mindef.gov.sg 3 Jun 05

  • Former Commander of United States Pacific Command Receives Prestigious Military Award The former Commander of United States Pacific Command, Admiral Retired (Retd) Thomas Boulton Fargo, was conferred Singapore's prestigious military award, the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera), or Meritorious Service Medal by Minister Teo on 24 Aug 05 in recognition of his outstanding role in fostering closer ties between the United States Pacific Command and the Singapore Armed Forces. Under Admiral (Retd) Fargo’s leadership, the close cooperation between the United States Pacific Command and the Singapore Armed Forces has increased substantially. mindef.gov.sg 24 Aug 05

     

• Spain

  • Admiral Awarded Spanish Navy Cross of Merit Rear Adm. Gregory Timberlake, USJFCOM's command surgeon, received the Spanish Navy Cross of Merit award for his accomplishments while serving as director of surgical services and medical director of the emergency room at Naval Hospital Rota, Spain, from 1983 to 1985. During his tour more than 20 years ago, Timberlake ensured all surgical care and emergency treatment rendered to patients at the hospital was of the highest quality. This included a number of Spanish civilians and military members who were brought to the hospital for life- or limb-threatening emergencies on a "compassionate" basis. The award ceremony was originally scheduled in June 1986, but Timberlake had already returned to the United States for a new assignment, and was unable to attend. The diploma and medals were not sent to him due to an oversight by the office handling this matter at the Spanish Navy Headquarters. news.navy.mil 9 May 06

• Sudan

  • The Corridor’s writer receives Sudan’s highest medals The American Professor William Y Adams, a well-celebrated cultural anthropologist, archeologist, ethnologist, and historian was presented the Order of the Two Niles medal by the President of Sudan at the Republican Palace, Khartoum. Earlier in the 1950s, Adams led the salvation of many archeological sites that had been threatened by inundation of the Glen Canion Dam in his own country, the United States of America. In 1957-9, the UNESCO expert led the salvation of Nubia archeology from the inundation of the High Dam in Aswan. Still, invaluable antiquities were lost for ever in the inundated region by the Dam, let alone the unabated sufferings of the displaced Nubians. sudantribune.com 29 Dec 05

•  

• Taiwan
  • Taiwan bestows high honor upon Helms Jesse Helms awarded the Order of Propitious Clouds, meaning favorable skies. The wide turquoise sash, weighted by a large gold star with painted clouds, is usually reserved for vice presidents. (Oct 02)

• United Arab Emirates:

  • UAE honours General Franks United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan on Tuesday honoured US General Tommy Franks, who commands US forces in Iraq, for his efforts in boosting bilateral cooperation. Sheikh Zayed bestowed upon Franks the military order of the federation of the UAE in recognition of "his role in promoting cooperation between the Emirates and the United States, notably in the military field." Franks, who is set to retire in early July, last week received a medal from Kuwait's emir "in appreciation for his distinctive services and sincerity in carrying out his duties." (Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah presented the Kuwait medal and sash to Franks) Middle East Online, UK - 24 Jun 2003

• Vietnam:
  • Vietnam (Republic of) - Republic of Vietnam Medals (Awarded to US personnel) (Dec 02)  

• Global War on Terrorist Medals

  • Establishing the Global War on Terrorism Medals  With an executive order, Bush created the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Whitehouse.gov (press release) - 12 Mar 2003 Bush establishes two new anti-terror medals - San Francisco Chronicle Bush creates 'terror war' medals - News Interactive Bush Establishes Medals for Global War on Terror - Defenselink.mil        Newsday The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Color plate courtesy the Army Institute of Heraldry. (Click photo for screen-resolution image; high-resolution image available.) The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Color plate courtesy the Army Institute of Heraldry. (Click photo for screen-resolution image; high-resolution image available.)

    New military medals to be awarded to those who served in war on ... The GWOT Expeditionary Medal will be awarded to all service members who deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, namely, the war in Iraq. ... St. Augustine Record, FL May 03

  One Medal for Soldiers, Not Two The key question is: are the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq two wars or one? This week, the Pentagon has ruled they are one war — a war on terrorism. So those who serve in both places will get one medal — the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Rep. Ike Skelton is of the opinion that they were two separate campaigns, one against the Taliban and bin Laden forces [and one] to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction. "The purposes were different, the campaigns were different, they were carried on differently. They're distinct from each other." His website says Skelton has also cosponsored legislation, H.R. 3104, to provide for the establishment of separate campaign medals for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Poynteronline 7 Jan 04 Bush plans one medal for Iraq, Afghanistan conflicts Pentagon officials say the issue is closed. President Bush's authorization of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, they say, is appropriate, given the nature of the worldwide battle against terrorists and in terms of precedent in previous conflicts.  The Seattle Times 8 Jan 04 Single medal for Iraq, Afghan wars upsets some President Bush's administration plans to award only one medal -- the Global War on Terrorism Medal -- to service members who were involved in Iraq or Afghanistan or both. U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, along with U.S. Reps. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., and Rob Simmons, R-Conn., have introduced legislation to create separate campaign medals. elpasotimes.com 29 Sep 03 Missourians differ on separate medals for Iraq, Afghanistan Missouri lawmakers are at odds over whether soldiers should receive a campaign medal for serving in Iraq separate from the one created for the war on terrorism, which includes Afghanistan. Key House members are asking Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to create a separate medal for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Among them is Missouri Rep. Ike Skelton, the senior Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. Medals, ribbons and decorations are about more than an individual's service, Skelton said: They represent crucial times in U.S. history for generations to remember. Skelton pointed out there were separate campaign ribbons for Grenada and Panama, both of which were smaller operations than Iraq. Newsday.com 02 Nov 03 Jeffords dissents on terrorism medals for Iraq service By a 97-1 vote margin, the Senate on Friday passed a non-binding resolution urging that the War on Terrorism Medal be given to soldiers fighting what Bush has called the war on terrorism in Afghanistan and the Philippines, and the war that resulted in the ouster of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Several others including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Jeffrey Bingaman, D-N.M., also spoke out in favor of separate medals. Bingaman sponsored a substitute measure that would accomplish that. Jeffords supported that amendment, but it was defeated. Concord Monitor 21 Oct 03 2003: A Season of Valor, Sacrifice - and Many Heroes Profiling just a select few of the bravest of the brave in the War on Terrorism is a vexing project -- until these invariably modest warriors themselves show the way by crediting their remarkable exploits to teamwork and reminding us that all who serve on the frontlines of freedom are our country’s heroes. Newsmax.com 22 Dec 03 Campbell, O'Hanlon: Military medals and Pentagon meddlers In a move that is increasingly unpopular with some of the nation's military personnel and retired veterans, the Pentagon has decided to award the same campaign medal to those serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. This decision, ultimately taken by politically appointed civilians from the Bush administration, is meant to subtly convey a central -- if increasingly controversial -- tenet of their worldview: that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are part of the same seamless global military fight against terror. Dodge City Daily Globe online 23 Dec 03 Global War on Terrorism medals held up by review Department of Defense spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Jane Campbell stated that work’s still being done on the expeditionary medal. “The package designating the specific area of eligibility for the ... expeditionary medal is currently with the [DOD Office of the] General Counsel for their review and coordination.” Campbell wouldn’t speculate on when the medals would be authorized. Stars and Stripes 14 Jan 04 Policy on medals hasn't been finalized yet Don’t believe everything you read, even if it’s on a Department of Defense Web site. Servicemembers doing Internet searches about the new Global War on Terrorism Service and Expeditionary medals could find Air Force and Navy Web sites listing what seems like official DOD policy on the medals. But DOD public affairs officials in Washington, D.C., say that guidance hasn’t been released yet. Stars and Stripes 14 Jan 03 Global War medals aren't the same as ones for specific campaigns In my Opinion by Thomas Wm. McGarry Oregonlive.com 8 Feb 04

• Defense Department Introduces Global War on Terrorism Medals Military members serving at home and abroad in the war on terrorism will now be recognized for that service. Individuals who have deployed to operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom will be awarded the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal will be awarded to those who served in airport security operations in the United States following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks or who supported operations Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle or Iraqi Freedom. defenselink 26 Feb 04 Presidential Executive Order 13289 previously authorized the medals, which come in expeditionary and service versions.  The expeditionary medal is for those who deploy to designated combat areas, and the service medal is for those who serve in support of operations to combat terrorism. White House Mar 03 DoD Announces Criteria for Global War on Terrorism Medals dod.mil 26 Feb 04

   

• Bill proposes medals for those serving in Iraq, Afghanistan Baufort's Jimmie Leach already wore campaign ribbons recognizing his pre-Pearl Harbor efforts in the National Guard and service in the Far East before he became an Army officer and shipped out to fight in World War II. But Leach can't understand why the service members fighting today's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't being recognized with ribbons to tell their tales. Beaufort Gazette.com 27 Mar 04

   
• Terrorism war medal guidance due soon After months of waiting, airmen may soon find out who gets to wear the Global War on Terrorism medals. “The Air Force policy is still going through the coordination process,” said Air Force spokeswoman Jennifer Stephens. “We expect to have guidance out within the next few weeks.” The president approved awarding both a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and a GWOT Service Medal in March 2003. But it wasn’t until Feb. 26 that the Department of Defense released its guidelines on who should receive which award — and basically turned the decision over to each service. So far, the Army and the Marine Corps have issued some guidance on the medals. Navy guidance is still pending. airforcetimes.com 14 Apr 04

• Healthcare specialist receives medals Army Sgt. Cristina K. Beshears has been awarded the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the National Defense Service Medal for supporting the missions of Operations Enduring and/or Iraqi Freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. casperstartribune.net 8 Aug 04

• Strategic forces authorized service medal The commander of U.S. Strategic Command has authorized the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal for all servicemembers assigned, attached or mobilized to the command for at least 30 consecutive days on or after Sept. 11, 2001. The medal is awarded to people involved in supporting operations against terrorism anywhere in the world. It is worn after the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Both follow the Kosovo Campaign Medal. Only one award of this medal may be authorized for any individual; therefore, there are no service stars. af.mil 8 Dec 04

• Lawmakers seek more medals for duty in conflicts U.S. military members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will be eligible for additional medals under legislation the Senate approved. Under the bill, members of the military can be given an Operation Enduring Freedom medal, an Operation Iraqi Freedom medal or both, if they served in both conflicts. The legislation will now go to the White House for President George W. Bush's signature. It passed the House, 423-0, on March 30. "This bill was not intended to replace the administration's Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary medal (pictured left) and the Global War on Terrorism Service medal," said Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark. It complements them, he said.Senate Armed Services Chairman John Warner, R-Va., added, "The superb service rendered by our nation's fighting forces since Sept. 11," 2001, "fully warrants the establishment of campaign medals for service in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom." freep.com 19 May 04

• Some soldiers cry foul over medals Members of the California National Guard 270th Military Police Company receive the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. But some soldiers across the country - and locally - are complaining that too many of the military medals being handed out to soldiers in Iraq are going to people who don't deserve them. "But now we've got individuals who put themselves in for a Bronze Star just because they can." Too often, the critics say, the medals are being given to troop commanders, rather than lower-ranking soldiers placed in harm's way on a near daily basis. "We've got one kid who saved two lives and actually got nothing," sacbee.com 26 May 04

• Officials approve wear of expeditionary medal Air Force officials have authorized wear of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal which was approved by President Bush in 2003. The Department of Defense campaign medal applies to active-duty, Reserve and Guard servicemembers deployed abroad on or after Sept.11, 2001, for operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom. "The criterion is pretty clear, so members who believe they are eligible can begin wearing it," said Tech. Sgt. Jeff Simmons, superintendent of the Air Force Personnel Center’s recognition programs branch here. To qualify, an individual must have been assigned or attached to a unit in OEF or OIF and served 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days in specific geographic areas. The medal will only be awarded once, regardless of how many times an individual returns to serve in OEF or OIF. There are no service stars or other devices authorized; however, battle stars may be authorized for servicemembers who engaged in actual combat. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the approving authority for battle stars. Duty locations include these countries: Afghanistan; Bahrain; Bulgaria (Bourgas); Crete; Cyprus; Diego Garcia; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lebanon; Oman; Pakistan; Philippines; Qatar; Romania (Constanta); Saudi Arabia; Somalia; Syria; Tajikistan; Turkey (east of 35 degrees east latitude); Turkmenistan; United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; and Yemen. Other areas include: -- The portion of the Arabian Sea north of 10 degrees north latitude and west of 68 degrees longitude. -- Bab el Mandeb. -- The Gulf of Aden. -- The Gulf of Aqaba. -- The Gulf of Oman. -- The Gulf of Suez. -- The portion of the Mediterranean Sea east of 28 degrees east longitude. -- The Persian Gulf. -- The Red Sea. -- The Strait of Hormuz. -- The Suez Canal. The medal follows the Kosovo Campaign medal in precedence. The medal will be issued by local military personnel flights when it becomes available and will also be available through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service later this year. af.mil 27 May 04

• Soldiers to Get Separate Iraq, Afghan Medals This is an audio clip of NPR's Robert Siegel speaking with Rep. Vic Snyder (D-AR) about his bill creating separate campaign medals to be awarded to troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush signed the bill last Friday. Congressman Snyder says it's military tradition to have discreet medals for service in different parts of the world. npr.org 3 Jun 04

• Hospital Earns War on Terrorism Service Medal The National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) has earned the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal for its support with contingency operations pertaining to Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom as well as its treatment to wounded Sailors and Marines. Effective Jan. 27, service members attached to Bethesda and its branch clinics who checked into their command prior to December 27, 2004 are qualified to wear the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Service members must be attached for at least 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days. Reserve personnel are also authorized to wear the medal. dcmilitary.com 17 Feb 05

• Medals Updated in Personnel System Air Force officials have completed a batch update to currently reflect award of the Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM) and Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Expeditionary Medal in the military personnel data system. Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently completed a mass decorations update for more than 69,000 active-duty Airmen who were permanently assigned to Korea, earning the Korean medal. An additional 114,000 updates for the expeditionary medal were completed for active-duty Airmen deployed to Southwest Asia supporting Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom since Sept. 11, 2001. af.mil 18 Feb 05

• President awards GWOT Service Medal President George W. Bush approved awarding the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal to all personnel assigned, attached or mobilized to Air Combat Command. The medal is being awarded to all active duty, mobilized Reserve, and National Guard members assigned to ACC on or after Sept. 11, 2001, command officials said. To be eligible, members must have served in support of the command’s efforts in Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom or Noble Eagle for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days. An end date for the eligibility period in support of these operations has not been announced. Those who supported Airport security operations between Sept. 27, 2001, and May 31, 2002 are also eligible to receive the medal. Command officials stated the medal is a Defense Department campaign medal, and does not prevent members from receiving other deployment decorations that they may be entitled. Personnel may also receive the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal if they meet eligibility requirements. However, the qualifying period of service used to establish the eligibility for one award cannot be used to justify eligibility for the other. acc.af.mil 4 Mar 05

• Pentagon clarifies rules for GWOT Expeditionary medal After April 30, service members cannot earn the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary medal for service in Afghanistan and Iraq, but their service in a dozen other locations around the globe may still merit the award. As of April 30, the new campaign medals (Afghanistan and Iraq) will replace the GWOT-E for service in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines can still earn the GWOT-E for deployment to Algeria, Bosnia, Chad, Georgia, Hungary, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Turkey, Uganda, the Mediterranean Sea — for “boarding and searching” vessel operations — and Kosovo, for operations other than those that already qualify for the Kosovo Campaign Medal. marinecorpstimes.com 11 Apr 05

• Colombia, Guantanamo added to GWOT Expeditionary Medal list The Defense Department has added Colombia and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the list of more than 50 countries and areas that qualify soldiers and other U.S. service members for award of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. The GWOT Expeditionary Medal, and a companion GWOT Service Medal, were established in 2003 to recognize military service in support of overseas and homeland defense missions since Sept. 11, 2001. In a related move, Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey has established special recognition certificates for units that have participated in the war on terrorism but do not have a distinguishing flag, color or guidon. Major Army commands and senior theater commands can award certificates to units that participated in the overseas operations of Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and Noble Eagle, the homeland defense mission. Qualifying opening dates for these ongoing operations are Sept. 11, 2001 for Noble Eagle, Oct. 7, 2001 for Enduring Freedom and March 19, 2003 for Iraqi Freedom. There are two types of Global unit recognition certificates authorized in an Army headquarters policy letter issued Oct. 21. Those are the GWOT Unit Recognition Certificate- Expeditionary and the GWOT Unit Recognition Certificate – Service. Personnel officials expect the certificates will be available through normal supply channels early next year. The certificates do not authorize the unit to fly a streamer, or its members to wear an emblem. airforcetimes.com 11 Nov 05

• Eligibility for medal pushed back to 9/11 Congress has settled the question of when Operation Enduring Freedom started, a move that will make more soldiers eligible for a medal. Last April, the Pentagon approved a medal for service members who served in Afghanistan, called the Operation Enduring Freedom Campaign Medal. Questions arose because the medal's beginning eligibility date was Oct. 24, 2001. That was 17 days after U.S. warplanes started bombing Kabul and five days after Army Rangers conducted a nighttime parachute drop on a desert airfield. Pentagon officials steadfastly argued that Oct. 24 was the start of Enduring Freedom, despite Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's announcement of the operation's name on Sept. 25, 2001. Now, Congress has forced the Pentagon to change the initial eligibility date to Sept. 11, 2001, the day terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon. timesdispatch.com 5 Feb 06

• New medals reflect global war on terror Reflecting the global war on terrorism, certain military awards have been upgraded or updated to indicate current hot spots encountered by American troops. The importance of service in Colombia, where an ongoing battle against drugs is being waged, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where prisoners in the terror war are interned, has resulted in their being added to the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. To receive an award in the Iraq Campaign, service members must be deployed to Iraq in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for 30 consecutive days or at least 60 nonconsecutive days in all land areas, air spaces and contiguous waters. For the Afghanistan Campaign, service members must be assigned to a unit participating in Operation Enduring Freedom for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days. The Air Force Expeditionary Ribbon with Gold Border, is awarded for participation in combat operations by airmen engaged in conducting or supporting combat operations in designated combat zones. To earn the Combat Action Badge, a GI must be assigned to an Army unit and be actively engaged by the enemy while performing satisfactorily in the prescribed rules of engagement. Assignment to a combat arms unit or a unit organized to conduct close or offensive combat operations is not a requirement to qualify for the CAB. Recipients must not be eligible for the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge. To receive the SSBN Nuclear Deterrent Patrol Breast Insignia, awarded to submariners, individuals must be permanently assigned or assigned temporary duty on a submarine. The unit must operate under an alert posture for any period during the patrol. For units that do not assume an alert posture during a patrol cycle, the commander will determine a unit’s eligibility for the award based on the operations commitments. A normal patrol runs from 60 to 90 days. thetimes-tribune.com 12 Mar 06

• Some Gitmo sailors could qualify for terrorism war medal Hundreds of sailors who are or have been serving in Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba, could now be eligible for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. The news comes as the Navy formally updates its list of geographic areas where service is eligible for the award, with NavAdmin 094/06. The locations were officially added last year to the areas of eligibility by the Defense Department and only now were officially added by the Navy. Officials could not say what led to the delay. “The last two DoD changes to the [GWOT Expeditionary Medal areas of eligibility] included in this NavAdmin are likely to impact only a relatively small number of the total Navy force,” said Capt. Anne-Marie Hartlaub, who handles awards policy for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in Arlington, Va. The message also added to the list Algeria, Bosnia, Chad, Colombia, Georgia, Hungary, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Turkey, Uganda, the Mediterranean Sea — for “boarding and searching” vessel operations — and Kosovo for operations other than those that already qualify for the Kosovo Campaign Medal. navytimes.com 31 Mar 06

• Life-Saving Service, Lighthouse Service, Revenue Cutter Service Personnel who were awarded the Gold Life-Saving Medal (USCG Website) (Apr 02)

• Good Conduct Medals (Foxfall)

Persian Gulf War Medals (Ed Emering) (Mar 02)

• Gulf War Medals (GulfLinks)

• Gulf War Medals - Some of the medals  US military personnel could have been awarded as a result of service during the Gulf War are: The medals are: National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Liberation of Kuwait (Saudi Arabia), and Liberation of Kuwait (Kuwait).  The South West Asia Service Medal (SWASM) was given until December 1995.  There were three Campaigns, the last one, Cease-fire Campaign, ran from April 1991 to December 1995.  The continuing overflights in the south, called Southern Watch qualified for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFSM).  Subsequent operations in the south (Desert Fox etc.) also qualified.  In the north, Operation Provide Comfort II ( Jun 91- Dec 96) rolled over to Northern Watch in January 1997.  From the ending of the SWASM in December 1995 to the awarding of the AFSM in January 1997, there was no medal awarded until this past fall (Sep 99).  Operation Provide Comfort II personnel (Dec 95-Dec 96) now qualify for the Armed Forces Service Medal.  In 1993 the US accepted the Kuwaiti Kuwait Liberation Medal (apparently the issue was that it came in 5 classes/degrees).  The Kuwaiti Medal ran to August 1993 as opposed to the Saudi Arabia medal for the Liberation of Kuwait, which ended in Feb 91. (Ref: Paul Skvarka  - Note: Paul deployed to Operation Provide Comfort I and worked in Southern Turkey/Northern Iraq from April to June 1991, and qualified for the SWASM with one campaign star and the Humanitarian Service Medal).  

• Broken Link - for information purposes only - Gulf War Commemorative Medal  A 60mm Desert Storm Commemorative medal was issued by Torii Station Okinawa to those individuals, who worked in support roles during the Gulf War. (Ref: Ed Emering)

• The Most Misundertood Medal (Humanitarian Service Medal) (Soldiers Online)

• Humanitarian Service Medal (List of USAF Approved Areas) (USAF Website)

• Storm-relief medals authorized The Joint Staff has authorized the award of the Humanitarian Service Medal and Armed Forces Service Medal to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and members of the Coast Guard — active, Guard and Reserve — who participated in relief operations for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Humanitarian Service Medal is authorized for those who supported immediate relief operations in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas — east of 96 degree west longitude — from Aug. 29 to Oct. 13, 2005. The Armed Forces Service Medal is authorized for those who provided, or are providing, direct support to relief efforts for 30 consecutive days, or 60 nonconsecutive days anywhere in the United States from Aug. 27, 2005, to Feb. 27, 2006. Service members who are awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal may also qualify for the Armed Forces Service Medal, provided their direct support occurred after the qualifying dates for the HSM. The military has categorized disaster relief operations for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as one operation. marinecorpstimes.com 9 Dec 05

• Military, Civilian Medals Approved for Hurricane Relief Work Servicemembers and civilians who took part in Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita relief efforts may be eligible for a medal. The director of the Joint Staff has approved awarding the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Armed Forces Service Medal for U.S. military personnel. Department of Defense civilians may receive the Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal. To qualify for the HSM, servicemembers must have provided direct support to immediate relief operations for at least one day in the area of eligibility -- east of and including Houston (designated as 96 degrees longitude), Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi -- from Aug. 29 to Oct. 13, 2005. Servicemembers eligible to receive the AFSM must have provided direct support to relief operations for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in the continental United States from Aug. 27, 2005, to Feb. 27, 2006 -- minus the specific area and time-period used to qualify for the HSM. If a member receives an HSM for Katrina relief operations, he or she cannot receive a second HSM for Rita. The same applies for the AFSM. However, people who receive the HSM may later qualify for the AFSM if their direct support does not include the dates and actions used in their qualifications for the HSM.To qualify for the AFCSM, civilians must have provided direct support to relief operations for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in the same area of eligibility and period as the AFSM. military.com 3 Jan 06

• Comfort Crew to Receive Humanitarian Medal for Hurricane Relief Efforts The Joint Staff authorized the Humanitarian Service Medal for service members who participated in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita relief operations. National Naval Medical Center Sailors who deployed with USNS Comfort are eligible for the Humanitarian Service Medal. Sailors provided medical assistance and aid in Pascagoula, Miss., and New Orleans, La. Comfort deployed Sept. 2 to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. The 700-member crew arrived in Pascagoula Sept. 9 and treated over 1,800 patients in 10 days. The ship then set sail to New Orleans. During its 10 days in New Orleans, Comfort crewmembers worked with civilian physicians to treat over 200 trauma patients. Comfort returned to its homeport in Baltimore, Md., Oct. 13. dcmilitary.com 12 Jan 06

   

Iraq Campaign Medal

• Iraqi Campaign Medal Public Law 108-234, signed into law on May 28, 2004, authorized separate campaign medals for members of the uniformed services who participate in Operation Enduring Freedom and to members of the uniformed services who participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom.    Some interpret this law to mean there will be separate campaign medals for the Afghanistan Campaign and for the Iraqi Campaign. We will report updates as they become available. Eligibility: Subject to limitations as prescribed by the President and by the Secretaries of the military departments and subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense. Design of the medal and design approval will probably take a year or more. Image courtesy of Ed Emering Nov 04

   

• Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM) -  President Bush signed the Executive Order authorizing this new medal. The final design has been approved and the US Army Institute of Heraldry is working with the appropriate contractors to produce the ribbons and planchets. It is anticipated that the medal will be available for issue by May/June 2005.  iraqwarveterans.org Feb 05

   

• New Campaign Medals Recognize Iraq, Afghanistan Service The Defense Department announced the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and Iraq Campaign Medal for military members who directly support Operation Enduring Freedom between Oct. 24, 2001, and a date to be determined in the future or Operation Iraqi Freedom between March 19, 2003, and some future date.  DoD Announces Criteria for Two New Campaign Medals

   

• Joint Meritorious Unit Award
  • Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Joint Task Force SHINING HOPE - Joint Meritorious Unit Award: This unit award was approved by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for members assigned to Headquarters, Joint Task Force-SHINING HOPE, Einsiedlerhof, Germany for the period 3 April 1999 to 1 July 1999. Humanitarian Service Medal: The Humanitarian Service Medal was approved for personnel directly supporting Operation SHINING HOPE and identified in the Operation SHINING HOPE personnel listing, during the period 3 April 1999 to 5 Jun 1999. The by-name listing of personnel has been provided to the Components (USAFE, USAREUR, MARFOREUR and NAVEUR). (Ref: HQ United States European Command Awards and Decoration FAQ, 29 Oct 99) (Thanks Paul Skvarka)
  • Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Joint Task Force NOBLE ANVIL - Joint Meritorious Unit Award: This unit award was approved by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for members assigned to Headquarters, Joint Task Force-NOBLE ANVIL, Naples, Italy for the period 31 January 1999 to 20 July 1999. Other awards members assigned to JTF-NA may be eligible for if criteria is met: Kosovo Campaign Medal (with Bronze Service Stars) and the NATO Medal for Kosovo (90 days in Italy). (Ref: HQ United States European Command Awards and Decoration FAQ, 29 Oct 99) (Thanks Paul Skvarka)

  • Joint Meritorious Unit Award (List of USAF Approved Areas) (USAF Website)

• Separate medals for Afghan and Iraq campaigns President George W. Bush ordered separate medals to be issued to honor US soldiers who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq, in lieu of the Global War on Terrorism medal previously accorded to troops involved in both campaigns. In an executive order signed this week, Bush declared that "the Afghanistan Campaign Medal shall be awarded to members of the uniformed services of the United States who serve or have served in Afghanistan or contiguous air space, as defined by such regulations, on or after October 24, 2001, and before a terminal date to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense." He also created a separate Iraq Campaign Medal for troops serving in Iraq or in its adjoining waters or air space on or after March 19, 2003. Bush declared that troops are eligible only to receive either an Iraq or Afghanistan campaign medal or the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. "No member shall be entitled to the award of more than one of these three medals for the same period of service," the executive order stipulated. However, soldiers who have already qualified for the war on terrorism medal will remain eligible for that honor, it noted. The Iraq and Afghanistan medals may also be awarded posthumously, according to the November 29 decree. timesofindia.inidatimes.com 01 Dec 04

Joint Service Commendation Medal

• Airmen get medal for Somalia Action  (Mar 99)

• Pineville man receives medals 30 years late Donald Ray Hudson picked up a Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, second award, Army of Occupation Medal with Berlin Airlift device, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze service star and one silver service star, Combat Infantry Badge 1st Award and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with device (1960), in addition to the Purple Heart with one bronze oak leaf cluster. The Town Talk 9 Jan 03

• Nanuet man cited for bravery in Iraq When Sgt. Eddie Boeringer's mother found out her son had received a Joint Service Commendation Medal for his bravery during an ambush in Iraq, she cried. On April 8, while the Marine was providing security to coalition forces traveling from the Coalition Provisional Authority Palace to Camp Cuervo in Baghdad, a large group of men on the roadside carrying weapons started shooting at the four-vehicle convoy. According to Boeringer's citation, which he received in May, he got out of his unprotected vehicle and returned fire. Boeringer and other members of the convoy then pursued the group of men, who retreated next to a building with tall grass. The end result was nine enemy dead and zero casualties for the coalition. thejournalnews.com 6 Jul 04

Korea Defence Service Medal

• US veterans of Korea will finally get service medals Members of the American armed forces who have served in Korea since July 1954 are finally going to get their medals. President Bush on Monday signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which among other things directs the Department of Defense to issue a Korea Defense Service Medal as championed by Congressman Elton Gallegly, R-Ventura County. The language signed today by the president specifically directs the Defense Department to award a Korea Defense Service Medal to members of the armed forces who served in Korea after July 1954, when the department stopped issuing the Korea Service Medal. More than 40,000 members of the U.S. armed forces have served on the Korean Peninsula each year since the armistice was signed. (Dec 02)

• Korean vets getting medal The new Korea Defense Service Medal was authorized by the Fiscal Year 2003 Defense Authorization Act. The U.S. Korea Defense Service Medal should not be confused with the foreign service Republic of Korea War Service Medal that was authorized for U.S. military personnel who served in Korea between June 25, 1950 and July 27, 1953, officials said. The new medal will be for those who served in Korea after the war, up to an undetermined ending date, said officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Given the volume of anticipated recipients, officials said the time it will take to award the KDSM is difficult to estimate. They said it will take time to identify, notify and award the medal to eligible former service members. Some of the actions that must be completed are designing the medal, obtaining necessary funding, developing policy for issuance and wear and processing, including verification of service and then award of the medal. The first three actions should be completed in four to six months, officials said. However, based on experience with other medals the process can take up to a year, officials added. New medal for Korea vets could take a year (Jan 03)

• Korea Defense Service Medal

• Congress Authorizes Korean Defense Service Medal Defenselink 11 Feb 04 The Defense Department announced today the creation of the Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM).  The KDSM is a service medal to give special recognition for the sacrifices and contributions made by members of the U.S. armed forces who have served or are serving in the Republic of Korea.  Public Law 107-314 legislated the creation of a new medal to recognize military service in the Republic of Korea and the surrounding waters. DOD Mil 9 Feb 04

• Gallegly-championed Korea Defense Service Medal approved The House of Representatives approved a House-Senate compromise National Defense Authorization Act that directs the Department of Defense to issue a Korea Defense Service Medal as championed by Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura County). The Senate is expected to approve the compromise bill this week and the President is expected to sign it. Last year, Congress approved language that only asked the DOD to consider a medal. But the DOD has consistently refused to issue the medal, leading Gallegly and his allies in the Senate to push for the stronger language this year. Gallegly introduced the Korea Defense Service Medal Act last year, which directs the DOD to award a Korea Defense Service Medal to members of the armed forces who served in Korea after July 1954. More than 40,000 members of the United States armed forces have served on the Korean Peninsula each year since July 1953. Since then, an estimated 1,200 servicemen and women have died as a direct result of their Korean service. More (Nov 02) Korea Defense Service Medal - Awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who have served for a qualifying period of time in the Republic of Korea or the waters adjacent thereto. Established by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 2, 2002. After 48 Years, Vets get Korea Medal (Members & Friends of the 501st ASA Korea)

   

• Medals Updated in Personnel System Air Force officials have completed a batch update to currently reflect award of the Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM) and Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Expeditionary Medal in the military personnel data system. Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently completed a mass decorations update for more than 69,000 active-duty Airmen who were permanently assigned to Korea, earning the Korean medal. An additional 114,000 updates for the expeditionary medal were completed for active-duty Airmen deployed to Southwest Asia supporting Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom since Sept. 11, 2001. af.mil 18 Feb 05

• Korean Service Medal (Executive Order 10179 –Nov 8, 1950) The Korean Service Medal - List of units credited by the Secretary of the Navy with having performed duty during the indicated periods which entitle personnel to the Korean Service Medal. (Ref: Navy History Website) Korean War Project: POW/MIA (This site is dedicated to the POWs and MIAs from the Korean War) Korean War (Links to various Korean War Research Sites) (National Archives and Records Administration) Korean War 50 Year Commemoration (American Legion) Commemorating the Korean War (AFIS Special Feature)

• Korean War Medals   Medals entitled to as a Korean War Veteran

   

• Deacon Bowers after 50 years receives Korean War medals Medals received by Deacon Bowers included the Korean Service Medal with one Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Expert Badge with Rifle Bar and Army Lapel Button.  starhq.com 3 May 05

Kosovo Campaign Medal

• Kosovo Campaign Medal (Executive Order 13154 – May 3, 2000) (PDF File) Kosovo Campaign Medal (KCM) Kosovo Campaign Medal - The Commander in Chief, United States European Command, signed the RECOMMENDATION to the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff on 6 October 1999, to establish and award the Kosovo Campaign Medal for U.S. military service members in direct support of Operations ALLIED FORCE, ALLIED HARBOUR and JOINT GUARDIAN and supporting operations during the period 24 March 1999 through a date to be determined. (Since a Campaign Medal has been proposed, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) or the Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) are not being considered.) The recommended area of eligibility (AOE) is the total land area and air space of Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy and Slovenia; and the waters and air space of the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea north of the 39th parallel. Bronze Service Stars would be awarded for the Air Campaign (24 Mar 99 to 9 Jun 99) and the Defense Campaign (10 June 1999 to TBD). Service members must be bona fide members of a unit deployed in operations within the established area of eligibility or meet one or more of the following criteria: (1) Be engaged in direct support for 30 consecutive days; (2) Be engaged in direct support for 60 nonconsecutive days; (3) Participate as a regularly assigned crewmember of an aircraft in direct support of operations entering the established AOE; (4) Be engaged in direct support for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days while assigned to an identified participating unit outside the designated area of eligibility. Participation in both the Air and Defense Campaign would be denoted by award of the KCM with two Bronze Service Stars. In addition to the participants in direct support within the AOE, USEUCOM recommended identified participants which provided direct support outside the AOE be included in the award of the KCM. We anticipate an announcement on the Campaign Medal by the end of the year. (Ref: HQ United States European Command Awards and Decoration FAQ, 29 Oct 99) (Thanks Paul Skvarka) Kosovo Campaign Medal was approved by President Clinton on 12 May, 2000. Kosovo Campaign Medal  (with Bronze Star Device) and Campaign Streamers were approved by Executive Order 13154 of 3 May 00. The medal will not be available for issue to Service members before January 2001. For complete details and Eligibility Criteria, follow this link to the United States European Command Website  Kosovo Campaign Medal (TAPC-PDO-PA MILPER Message 00-180 – Kosovo Campaign Medal Regulations) Army can't explain how Gen. Clark got Kosovo Campaign Medal waiver (The Army is at a loss to explain who granted a waiver awarding retired Gen. Wesley Clark the Kosovo Campaign Medal) (Jan 02) Pentagon stands by NATO Air Campaign Medals   Congress moves to limit awarding of Bronze Stars Bronze Star controversy – Kosovo Campaign (Jun, 2000)   Thousands still waiting for decision on eligibility for Kosovo Medal More than three years after the end of the Kosovo air campaign, thousands of troops still are waiting to find out if they can wear the medal honoring their service during the 78-day blitz against Yugoslavia. (Oct 02)

• Kosovo Medal (NATO) - A decision has finally been made by the US military on the NATO Kosovo Medal.  In short, US forces can accept and wear only one if they have earned both.  The second NATO medal will be indicated by a Bronze Service Star. Only one NATO MEDAL/RIBBON is authorized for wear.  Wear by U.S. Military of both NATO MEDALS/RIBBONS is prohibited.  Service Members will wear the NATO MEDAL they were awarded 1st.  Should they become eligible for another NATO MEDAL it will be indicated by a BRONZE SERVICE STAR on the 1st NATO MEDAL awarded.  EXAMPLE:  Service Member is awarded a NATO MEDAL for service in Bosnia and then is awarded a NATO MEDAL for Kosovo, will wear the NATO MEDAL/RIBBON for Yugoslavia with one BRONZE SERVICE STAR.  U.S. Service Members, regardless of the multiple rotations/tours to either or both NATO MEDAL Operations will wear only one NATO MEDAL with a maximum of one BRONZE SERVICE STAR.  U.S. Service Members are not authorized the wear of numeric symbols on either NATO MEDAL. (Ref: Paul Svkarka and WWW.EUCOM.MIL)