| Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Expeditionary medal |
| Presented by | theDepartment of Defense[1] |
| Eligibility | Served in the U.S. Armed Forces after July 1, 1958, and participated in U.S. military operations, U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations, or U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations. |
| Reverse |  |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | Executive Order 10977, December 4, 1961 |
  Service ribbon andstreamer | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Antarctica Service Medal Army Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal UCCG |
| Next (lower) | Vietnam Service Medal |
TheArmed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is amilitary award of theUnited States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order ofPresident John F. Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of theU.S. Armed Forces who, after July 1, 1958, participated in U.S. military operations, U.S. operations in direct support of theUnited Nations, or U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations.
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is issued as a bronze medal, 11⁄4 inches in diameter.
The obverse side of the medal consists of an eagle, with wings addorsed and inverted (representing the strength of the United States Armed Forces), standing on a sword loosened in its scabbard, and super- imposed on a radiant compass rose of eight points, (representing the readiness to serve wherever needed) all within the circumscription "ARMED FORCES" above and "EXPEDITIONARY SERVICE" below with a sprig of laurel on each side. On the reverse side of the medal is the shield from the United States Coat of Arms above two laurel branches separated by a bullet, all within the circumscription "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA".[2]
The ribbon is 13⁄8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes:3⁄32 inch Green,3⁄32 inch Golden Yellow,3⁄32 inch Spicebrown,3⁄32 inch Black,7⁄32 inch Bluebird,1⁄16 inch Ultramarine Blue,1⁄16 inch White,1⁄16 inch Scarlet,7⁄32 inch Bluebird,3⁄32 inch Black,3⁄32 inch Spicebrown,3⁄32 inch Golden Yellow and3⁄32 inch Green.
Ribbon devices
A bronzeservice star is authorized for participation in subsequent U.S. military operations authorized for award of the AFEM (only one award is authorized for each designated U.S. military operation). A silver service star is worn in lieu of five bronze service stars.
TheArrowhead device is authorized forUnited States Army,United States Air Force, andUnited States Space Force personnel who are awarded the medal through participation in an airborne or amphibious assault.[3]
TheFleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia is authorized for U.S. Navy service members assigned to Marine Corps units that participate in combat during the assignment.[2]
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal may be authorized for three categories of operations: U.S. military operations; U.S. military operations in direct support of the United Nations; and U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations. The medal shall be awarded only for operations for which no other U.S. campaign medal is approved, where a foreign armed opposition or imminent threat of hostile action was encountered.[2]
Since its original conception in 1961, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal has been awarded for United States participation in over forty five designated military campaigns. The first campaign of the AFEM was theCuban Missile Crisis and the award was issued for military service between October 1962 and June 1963. Following this original issuance, the AFEM was made retroactive to 1958 and issued for actions in Lebanon, Taiwan, Republic of the Congo, Quemoy and Matsu, and for duty inBerlin between 1961 and 1963.[4]
During the early years of theVietnam War, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was issued for initial operations in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was intended to replace theMarine Corps Expeditionary Medal andNavy Expeditionary Medal, but this never occurred and both services continue to award their service expeditionary medals and the AFEM, though not concurrently for the same action.[5]
In 1965, with the creation of theVietnam Service Medal, the AFEM was discontinued for Vietnam War service. As the Vietnam Service Medal was retroactively authorized, those personnel who had previously received the AFEM were granted the option to exchange the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for the Vietnam Service Medal. In 1968, the AFEM was awarded for Naval operations in defense of theUSS Pueblo (AGER-2), which was seized by North Korea, as well as for Korean Service, and awarded for Thailand and Cambodia operations in 1973. Because of these awards during the Vietnam War period, some military personnel have been awarded both the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal & the Vietnam Service Medal. Some military advisers involved in the 1973 Arab–Israeli War were also awarded the medal for their involvement in the supply and training of the IDF on the use and deployment of anti-tank weapons.
In the 1990s, it was awarded to numerous Naval ships such asUSS Simpson (FFG-56) who enforced theDayton Peace Accords and operated in the Adriatic Sea enforcing UN arms embargo against Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and participating inOperation Sharp Guard andOperation Joint Endeavor up through and during the Bosnian crisis.
In 1993, Somalia, (The Battle of Mogadishu), also known as the Black Hawk Down Incident, was part of (Operation Gothic Serpent). Operation Gothic Serpent was a military operation conducted in Mogadishu, Somalia, by an American force code-named (Task Force Ranger) during the Somali Civil War in 1993. The (Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal) was awarded to numerous Naval ships in the Amphibious Squadron 5, theUSS New Orleans (LPH-11),USS Denver (LPD-9),USS Comstock (LSD-45), andUSS Cayuga (LST-1186).
In 2003, with the creation of theGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the AFEM was discontinued for Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. After 18 March 2003, some personnel became eligible for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, as well as theGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Only one medal may be awarded, however, and individuals or units that deployed to the Gulf for Operation Southern Watch, and then immediately transitioned toOperation Iraqi Freedom, are not eligible for both medals.
Beginning in 1992 an effort was begun to phase out the AFEM in favor of campaign specific medals and the newly createdArmed Forces Service Medal. The Armed Forces Service Medal was also originally intended to be a replacement for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, however the two awards are currently considered separate awards with different award criteria. The primary difference between the two is that the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is normally awarded for combat operations and combat support missions.
After the close of the Vietnam War, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was issued for various military operations in Panama,Grenada, and LibyaOperation El Dorado Canyon.[2]
| Area or operation | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Quemoy andMatsu Islands | 23 August 1956 | 1 June 1963 |
| Lebanon (1958 Lebanon crisis) | 1 July 1958 | 1 November 1958 |
| Taiwan Straits (Second Taiwan Strait Crisis) | 23 August 1958 | 1 January 1959 |
| Berlin (Berlin Crisis) | 14 August 1961 | 1 June 1963 |
| Cuba | 24 October 1962 | 1 June 1963 |
| Congo (Operation Dragon Rouge) | 23 November 1964 | 27 November 1964 |
| Dominican Republic (Operation Power Pack) | 28 April 1965 | 21 September 1966 |
| Korea[a] | 1 October 1966 | 30 June 1974 |
| Arab–Israeli War (Operation Nickel Grass) | October 6, 1973 | October 25, 1973 |
| Cambodia (Evacuation-Operation Eagle Pull) | 11 April 1975 | 13 April 1975 |
| Vietnam (EvacuationOperation Frequent Wind)[b] | 29 April 1975 | 30 April 1975 |
| Mayagüez Operation | 15 May 1975 | 15 May 1975 |
| Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury) | 23 October 1983 | 21 November 1983 |
| Libya (Operation El Dorado Canyon) | 12 April 1986 | 17 April 1986 |
| Persian Gulf (Operation Earnest Will) | 24 July 1987 | 26 September 1988 |
| Panama (Operation Just Cause) | 20 December 1989 | 31 January 1990 |
| Somalia, Operation Restore HopeUnified Task Force | 5 December 1992 | 4 May 1993 |
| Somalia, Battle of Mogadishu, (Operation Gothic Serpent) | 22 August 1993 | 13 October 1993 |
| Somalia,Operation United Shield | 9 January 1995 | 3 March 1995 |
| Haiti (Operation Uphold Democracy) | 16 September 1994 | 31 March 1995 |
| Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, waters of the Arabian / Persian Gulf (Operation Southern Watch) | December 1995 | March 2003 |
| Saudi Arabia (Operation Southern Watch) | December 1995 | March 2003 |
| Haiti (Operation Secure Tomorrow) | 29 February 2004 | 15 June 2004 |
| FormerRepublic of Yugoslavia[c] | 1 January 2014 | to a date to be determined |
The medal is also authorized for severalUnited Nations actions, such as peacekeeping efforts inSomalia.[2]
| Area or operation | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 14 July 1960 | 1 September 1962 |
| Somalia (Operation Restore Hope,Operation United Shield) | 5 December 1992 | 31 March 1995 |
The medal is also authorized forNATO peacekeeping operations inBosnia and Herzegovina andCroatia.[2]
| Area or operation | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Former Republic of Yugoslavia (Operation Joint Endeavor)[d][e] | 1 June 1992 | 19 December 1996 |
| Former Republic of Yugoslavia (Operation Joint Guard)[d][e] | 20 December 1996 | 20 June 1998 |
| Former Republic of Yugoslavia (Operation Joint Forge) | 21 June 1998 | 2 December 2004 |
| Former Republic of Yugoslavia (Operation Joint Guardian)[d][e] | 11 June 1999 | TBD |
The AFEM has been issued for numerous operations in thePersian Gulf, most notablyOperation Earnest Will, which began in 1987 and lasted until the eve ofOperation Desert Shield.[6] Following the close of Desert Storm,[7] and the engagement in peacekeeping and sanction missions against Iraq, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was issued again for several operations such asOperation Northern Watch,Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Vigilant Sentinel.[2]
| Area or operation | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam (General Service) | 1 July 1958 | 3 July 1965 |
| Laos | 19 April 1961 | 7 October 1962 |
| Cambodia (Vietnam Support Operations) | 29 March 1973 | 15 August 1973 |
| Thailand (Cambodia Support Operations) | 29 March 1973 | 15 August 1973 |
| El Salvador | 1 January 1981 | 1 February 1992 |
| Lebanon | 1 June 1983 | 1 December 1987 |
| Persian Gulf (Operation Earnest Will) | 24 July 1987 | 1 August 1990 |
| Southwest Asia (Operation Southern Watch) | 1 December 1995 | 18 March 2003 |
| Southwest Asia (Maritime Intercept Operations) | 1 December 1995 | 18 March 2003 |
| Southwest Asia (Operation Vigilant Sentinel) | 1 December 1995 | 15 February 1997 |
| Southwest Asia (Operation Northern Watch) | 1 January 1997 | 18 March 2003 |
| Southwest Asia (Operation Desert Thunder) | 11 November 1998 | 22 December 1998 |
| Southwest Asia (Operation Desert Fox) | 16 December 1998 | 22 December 1998 |
| Southwest Asia (Operation Desert Spring) | 31 December 1998 | 18 March 2003 |
Similar awards of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal:
TheGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (the AFEM is no longer issued for operations in theMiddle East, but may be reactivated for future campaigns which may not qualify for either the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, and Afghanistan Campaign Medal). Similar in nature to the AFEM, the GWOTEM is awarded for deploying abroad on or after Sept. 11, 2001 (and a future date to be determined), for service inOperation Enduring Freedom (OEF) orOperation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Service stars are also authorized for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal effective February 9, 2015, retroactive to September, 11, 2001.[8] Each service star represents a deployment in support of an approved GWOT operation. Only one GWOT-EM is awarded for each operation (five bronze service stars are authorized for six approved deployment operations). The GWOT-EM approved operations by inclusive dates are:[8]
TheNavy Expeditionary Medal and theMarine Corps Expeditionary Medal. In the modern era, service members who were authorized one of these medals are occasionally permitted to choose between receipt of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or the service specific expeditionary medal. The AFEM and the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Medal cannot be bestowed simultaneously for the same action.
TheAir and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon. Although similar in name, this award is unrelated to the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and is presented for duty performed on U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force deployments.
United States campaign, expeditionary, and service medals | |
|---|---|
| 1862–1906 | |
| 1905–1921 | |
| 1911–1941 | |
| 1936–1945 | |
| 1942–1949 | |
| 1953–1999 |
|
| 2003–present | |
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