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Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

Criteria: a. Authorized to be awarded to soldiers who deploy abroad for service in the Global War on Terrorism Operations on or after 11 September 2001 to a date to be determined. Initial award is limited to soldiers deployed abroad in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom in the following Department of Defense designated specific geographic areas of eligibility (AOE):

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), Saudia Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey (East of 35 degrees east latitude), Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen, that portion of the Arabian Sea north of 10 degrees north latitude and west of 68 degrees longitude, Bab El Mandeb, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Aqaba, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Suez, that portion of the Mediterranean Sea east of 28 degrees east longitude, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz and Suez Canal.

b. To be eligible for the award, a soldier must be assigned, attached or mobilized to a unit participating in designated operations for 30 consecutive days or for 60 nonconsecutive days in the AOE, or meet one of the following criteria:

1) Be engaged in actual combat against the enemy and under circumstances involving grave danger of death or serious bodily injury from enemy action, regardless, of time in the AOE.

2) While participating in the designated operation, regardless of time, is killed or wounded/injured requiring medical evacuation from the AOE.

3) Soldiers participating as a regularly assigned air crew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the AOE in direct support of Operations Enduring Freedom and/or Iraqi Freedom. Each day that one or more sorties are flown in accordance with the criteria shall count as one day towards the 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive day requirement.

c. The medal may be awarded posthumously to any soldier who lost his/her life while, or as a direct result of, participating in Global War on Terrorism Operations, without regard to length of such service, if otherwise eligible.

d. Only one award of the GWOTEM may be authorized for any individual. A message will be transmitted at a later date by the Military Awards Branch to address battle stars/service stars.

Bronze Service Stars may be applicable for service members who were engaged in actual combat against the enemy and under circumstances involving grave danger of death or serious bodily injury from enemy action.
 

Only the Combatant Commander can initiate a request for a Battle Star. The request will contain the specific unit(s) or individual(s) engaged in actual combat, the duration for which actual combat was sustained and a detailed description of the actions against the enemy. The Chairman, Joints Chiefs of Staff is the approving authority for Battle Stars. The approval of Battle Stars for CJCS is authority for the senior Army Commander in the combat theater to approval campaign participation credit.

Effective 30 April 2005, the GWOTEM is no longer authorized to be awarded for service in Afghanistan and/or Iraq. However, the GWOTEM is still authorized for service in the other geographical areas of eligibility.

Service members qualified for the GWOTEM by reasons of service between 24 October 2001 and 30 April 2005, in Afghanistan, shall remain qualified for the medal. Any such soldier may be awarded the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM) in lieu of the GWOTEM for such service. Additionally, any such soldier authorized the arrowhead device may be awarded the ACM with arrowhead device in lieu of the GWOTEM with arrowhead device. No soldier shall be entitled to both medals for the same act, achievement or period of service.

Service members qualified for the GWOTEM by reasons of service between 19 March 2003 and 30 April 2005, in Iraq, shall remain qualified for the medal. Any such soldier may be awarded the Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM) in lieu of the GWOTEM for such service. Additionally, any such soldier authorized the arrowhead device may be awarded the ICM with arrowhead device in lieu of the GWOTEM with arrowhead device. No soldier shall be entitled to both medals for the same act, achievement or period of service.
 

     The Arrowhead device is a decoration of the U.S. Army issued as an attachment to certain service medals awarded to any service member who participates in an amphibious assault, combat parachute drop, helicopter assault landing, or a combat glider attack. No more than one arrowhead device may be authorized per campaign medal.

 

     As of 2004, the service medals which are authorized the arrowhead device are as follows:
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Korean Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
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