Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

BACKGROUND

In March 2003, President Bush approved the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for award to Air Force active duty, Reserve and Guard personnel as recognition for their service in the Global War on Terrorism. For eligibility of the GWOT-E, individuals must have deployed abroad, on or after September 11, 2001 and a future date to be determined, for service in Operations Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom, and meet one of the following:

 

-Assigned, attached, or mobilized to a unit participating in OEF/OIF and serving for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days (there is no time limit required for nonconsecutive days to be accumulated)

-Be engaged in actual combat against the enemy and under circumstances involving grave danger or death or serious bodily injury from enemy action, regardless of time served in OEF/OIF

-Killed, wounded or injured requiring medical evacuation from Operations OEF/OIF

 

Service members who, as a regularly assigned crew member flying sorties into, out of, within or over the area of eligibility in direct support of OEF or OIF, are eligible to qualify for award of the expeditionary medal. Each day that one or more sorties are flown shall count as one day toward the 30 or 60 day requirement.

 

Under no conditions will units or personnel within the United States be eligible for the GWOT-E.

 

CRITERIA

Refer to Department of Defense 1348.33 Vol 2 and/or the DOD Personnel and Readiness webpage for specific individual eligibility requirements and announced operations.

 

Individuals must have served in one of the following designated, specific geographic areas (land area, airspace, or waters) of eligibility and supporting Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and/or IRAQI FREEDOM (unless otherwise annotated) to be eligible for the GWOT Expeditionary Medal. Termination date for Operation ODYSSEY LIGHTING is now Jan. 17, 2017 instead of Dec. 19, 2016.

 

The following initial locations are eligible effective Feb.13, 2004:

Afghanistan (see Note 1)

Bab el Mandeb

Bulgaria (Bourgas)

Crete

Cyprus

Diego Garcia

Djibouti

Egypt

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gulf of Aqaba

Gulf of Suez

Iran

Iraq (see Note 1)

Israel

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Lebanon

Mediterranean Sea (East of 28 degrees E longitude)

Pakistan

Philippines

Romania (Constanta)

Somalia

Strait of Hormuz

Suez Canal

Syria

Turkey (East of 35 degrees E Longitude)

Turkmenistan

Yemen

 

The following countries were added effective March 21, 2005:

Algeria

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Chad

Georgia

Hungary

Kosovo (see Note 2)

Mali

Mauritania

Mediterranean Sea ("Boarding and Searching" Vessel Operations)

Niger

Turkey

Uganda

 

The following countries were added effective July 14, 2005:

Colombia

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

 

The following countries were added effective Dec. 1, 2006:

Azerbaijan

Nigeria

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Tanzania

Tunisia

 

The following countries were added effective Oct. 8, 2008:

Burkina Faso

Northern Iraq (North of 36 degrees N latitude - Operation NOMAD SHADOW / see Note 3)

Morocco

Turkey (Operation NOMAD SHADOW)

 

The following locations are eligible effective Feb. 13, 2004 – June 1, 2014:

Arabian Sea (North of 10 degree N latitude and west of 68 degree E longitude)

Bahrain (land and airspace)

East Timor

Gulf of Aden

Gulf of Oman

Haiti

Kuwait (land and airspace)

Kyrgyzstan

Liberia

Malaysia (any area not certified within)

Montenegro (land and airspace)

Oman

Persian Gulf

Qatar (land and airspace)

Rwanda

Red Sea

Saudi Arabia (land and airspace)

Serbia (land and airspace)

Tajikistan

United Arab Emirates

Uzbekistan

 

Note 1: Service members serving in the qualifying AOE for which the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and/or the Iraq Campaign Medal were subsequently authorized are no longer qualified to receive the GWOT-EM after April 30, 2005.

 

Note 2: Applies only to specified GWOT operations not associated with operations qualifying for the Kosovo Campaign Medal.

 

Note 3: Service members who qualify for both the ICM and the GWOT-EM for the same Operation NOMAD SHADOW deployment shall be awarded either the ICM or the GWOT-EM, but not both. No service member shall be entitled to more than one campaign or expeditionary medal for the same period of service.

 

(Listing is current via myPers as of April 9, 2014)

 

MEDAL DESCRIPTION

The GWOT-E is a Defense Department campaign medal. Award of this medal does not prevent award of other types of recognition (such as decorations) normally associated with deployment. This medal may be awarded posthumously. Since there are no service star devices authorized at this time, members may only wear the medal. Also, there are no promotion points associated with this medal.

 

WEIGHTED AIRMAN PROMOTED SYSTEM POINT VALUE: 0