| Armed Forces Service Medal | |
|---|---|
 Armed Forces Service Medal |
|
| Awarded by All Branches of the United States Military | |
| Type | Medal |
| Eligibility | All personnel |
| Awarded for | Presented to those service members who engage in "significant activity" for which no other campaign or service medal is authorized. |
| Statistics | |
| First awarded | 1996 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Korea Defense Service Medal |
| Next (lower) | Humanitarian Service Medal |
 Ribbon for the Armed Forces Service Medal |
|
The Armed Forces Service Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created on January 11, 1996 by President Bill Clinton under Executive Order 12985. The medal is a theater service award which is presented to those service members who engage in "significant activity" for which no other campaign or service medal is authorized.
The term "significant activity" is determined by theater commanders and is normally deemed to be participation in a U.S. military operation considered to hold a high degree of scope, impact, and international significance that the operation warrants the presentation of a permanent service medal. Actions to be considered include peacekeeping operations, prolonged humanitarian actions, or military operations in support (or as a member of) NATO or United Nations forces.
The Armed Forces Service Medal was originally intended to be a replacement for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, however the two decorations are considered separate awards with different award criteria. The primary difference between the two is that the Armed Forces Service Medal is awarded for actions "through which no foreign armed opposition or imminent threat of hostile action was encountered". This definition separates the two medals in that the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is normally awarded for combat operations and other combat support missions.
The individual criteria for the Armed Forces Service Medal specify that a service member must perform at least thirty consecutive days in a geographical theater region to qualify for the decoration. Aircrew members may earn the award if a total of thirty mission days was performed flying into and out of the given area.
Additional awards of the Armed Forces Service Medal are denoted by service stars.
Contents |
Designated U.S. military operations
The following U.S. military operations are approved for award of the AFSM:
- Operations PROVIDE PROMISE, JOINT ENDEAVOR, ABLE SENTRY, DENY FLIGHT, MARITIME MONITOR and SHARP GUARD from 16 July 1992 to 19 December 1996.
- Operation PROVIDE COMFORT from 1 December 1995 to 31 December 1996.
- Operation JOINT GUARD (successor of Operation Joint Endeavor) from 20 December 1996 to 20 June 1998.
- Operation JOINT FORGE from 21 June 1998 to a date to be determined.
- Operation UNITED NATIONS MISSION in Haiti; U.S. FORCES in Haiti; and U.S. SUPPORT GROUP-Haiti from 1 April 1995 to 31 January 2000.
As an official DOD exception to policy the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Armed Forces Service Medal may be awarded concurrently for the following Operations in Yugoslavia:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, and Hungary (Operation Joint Guard) 20 December 1996 - 20 June 1998
- Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, Italy, Hungary (Operation Joint Endeavor) 20 November 1995 - 19 December 1998
- Operation Jump Start 15 May 2006 - 15 Jul 2008, National Guard forces deployed to Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California to assist the Department of Homeland Security with securing the southwest U.S. border.
This medal was also awarded to U.S. Forces in relation to Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Rita relief efforts for 30 consecutive or 60 accumulated days from 27 August 2005 - 27 February 2006
Legal
Any false written or verbal claim to a decoration or medal or any wear, purchase, attempt to purchase, solicitation for purchase, mailing, shipping, import, export, manufacture, sale, attempt to sell, advertising for sale, trade, or barter of a decoration or medal authorized for wear by authorized military members or veterans is a federal offense punishable by up to six months in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.
See also
Awards and decorations of the United States military
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Armed Forces Service Medal |
External links
|
|||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
