Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Miniature

Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Miniature Service: All Services Instituted: 2003 Dates 2001 to present Criteria: Active participation in, or support of, Opera­tions ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, NOMAD SHADOW or follow-on operations while deployed abroad for service in the Global War on Terrorism. Devices: All Services: Bronze Star For deployed service abroad in support of Global War on Terrorism operations on, or after September 11, 2001. The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is worn after the Iraq Campaign Medal and before the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal was authorized by executive order. The medal is awarded to any member of the Armed Forces who is deployed in an approved operation, such as ENDURING FREEDOM. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall designate the specific area of deployed eligibly per qualifying operation. To be eligible personnel must have participated in the operation by authority of written order. Qualification includes at least 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days, or be engaged in actual combat (hostile weapons fire is exchanged), or duty that is equally as hazardous as combat duty, or wounded or injured requiring evacuation from the operation, or while participating as a regularly assigned air crewmember flying sorties into, out of, within or over the are of eligibility in direct support of the military operations. Personnel may receive both the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal if they meet the requirements of both awards; however, service eligibility for one cannot be used to justify service eligibility for the other. The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal was designed by the Institute of Heraldry. The medal is a circular bronze disc which displays a shield adapted from the Great Seal of the United States surmounting two sword hilts enclosed within a wreath of laurel; overall an eagle, wings displayed, grasping a serpent in its claws. The reverse of the medal displays the eagle, a serpent and swords from the front of the medal within the encircling inscription, “WAR ON TERRORISM EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL.” The ribbon is scarlet, white and blue representing the United States; light blue refers to worldwide cooperation against terrorism; gold denotes excellence. Participation in specific combat operations is denoted by three-sixteenth inch bronze stars. A three-sixteenth inch silver star is worn in lieu of five bronze stars. Naval personnel who were attached to units of the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) during campaigns awarded this medal are entitled to wear a small Marine Corps emblem device on the ribbon. Created by Presidential Order of George W. Bush in March 2003. The decoration recognizes those military service members who have performed deployed overseas service in the War on Terrorism from September 11, 2001 to a date to be determined. Awarded for duty in a deployed status and participation in designated anti-terrorism operation for a period of either 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days of duty. In June of 2005, the GWOTEM was discontinued for service within Iraq and Afghanistan, with such service now being recognized with the Iraq Campaign Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Personnel who received the GWOTEM for previous service in these two regions may elect to exchange the GWOTEM or retain the original decoration. All future service within Iraq and Afghanistan, however, will only be recognized by the award of the new Iraq and Afghanistan service medals. The designated Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal operations are: • Enduring Freedom (OEF): 11 September 2001 - Date to be determined • Iraqi Freedom (OIF): 19 March 2003 - Date to be determined • Nomad Shadows (ONS): 5 November 2007 - Date to be determined To date, the Areas of Eligibility associated with the operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM and NOMAD SHADOW are: • 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 lat.) • 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 • Suez Canal