UNCLASSIFIED
261524Z MAY 93

CDRPERSCOM ALEXANDRIA VA//TAPC-PDA//
MILPER MSG NR. 93-202
AWARD OF THE ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL - SOMALIA

A. AR 672-5-1, MILITARY AWARDS.

B. AR 600-8-10H, MILITARY PERSONNEL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT/RECORDS.

1. WORK ANALYSIS AND INTEGRATION.

A. FUNCTION: AWARDS AND DECORATIONS.

B. WORK CENTER: PLANS AND ACTIONS.

C. TASKS: 8.1.3 PROCESS AWARD OF ARMY SERVICE MEDALS AND RIBBONS. EXPIRATION: THIS MESSAGE WILL EXPIRE NLT JUN 95.

2. POLICY.

A. ON 17 MAY 93, THE CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF APPROVED AWARD OF THE ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL (AFEM) FOR MEMBERS OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES UNITS THAT PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION RESTORE HOPE IN SOMALIA BEGINNING 5 DECEMBER 1992 TO A DATE TO BE DETERMINED. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN THE FOLLOWING GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS ARE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR THE AFEM: THE TOTAL LAND AREA AND AIRSPACE OF SOMALIA, THAT PORTION OF KENYAN LAND AREA AND AIRSPACE EAST OF 38 DEGREES EAST LONGITUDE, THE GULF OF ADEN, AND THAT PORTION OF THE INDIAN OCEAN NORTH OF 5 DEGREES SOUTH LATITUDE AND WEST OF 55 DEGREES EAST LONGITUDE.

B. RULES - TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AFEM, SERVICE MEMBERS MUST BE BONA FIDE MEMBERS OF A UNIT ENGAGED IN THE OPERATION, OR MEET ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING, CRITERIA:

(1) BE ENGAGED IN DIRECT SUPPORT FOR 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN THE AREA OF OPERATIONS (OR FOR THE FULL PERIOD WHEN AN OPERATION IS LESS THAN 30 DAYS DURATION), OR FOR 60 NONCONSECUTIVE DAYS PROVIDED THE SUPPORT INVOLVES ENTERING THE AREA OF OPERATIONS.

(2) BE ENGAGED IN ACTUAL COMBAT, OR DUTY WHICH IS EQUALLY AS HAZARDOUS AS COMBAT, DURING THE OPERATION WITH ARMED OPPOSITION, REGARDLESS OF TIME IN THE AREA.

3) PARTICIPATE AS A REGULARLY ASSIGNED CREW MEMBER OF AN AIRCRAFT FLYING INTO, OUT OF, WITHIN, OR OVER THE AREA IN SUPPORT 0F THE MILITARY OPERATION.

4) BE RECOMMENDED, OR ATTACHED TO A UNIT RECOMMENDED, BY THE CHIEF OF A SERVICE OR THE COMMANDER OF UNIFIED OR SPECIFIED COMMAND FOR AWARD OF THE MEDAL, ALTHOUGH THE PRECEDING CRITERIA HAVE NOT BEEN FULFILLED. SUCH RECOMMENDATION MAY BE MADE TO THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF FOR DUTY OF SUCH VALUE TO THE OPERATION AS TO WARRANT PARTICULAR RECOGNITION.

C. IN ADDITION TO US MILITARY FORCES WHO PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION RESTORE HOPE IN THE AREA OF OPERATIONS DEFINED IN A ABOVE, DEPLOYED MEMBERS OF OTHER SERVICE-DESIGNATED UNITS WHICH SERVED UNDER COMMANDER, UNIFIED TASK FORCE, SOMALIA, IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS IN THE AREA OF OPERATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED AWARD OF THE AFEM.

D. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, COMMANDERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO AWARD THE AFEM TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. PERMANENT ORDERS ARE NOT, REPEAT, ARE NOT, REQUIRED. MILITARY PERSONNEL DIVISIONS/PERSONNEL SERVICE COMPANIES WILL UPDATE PERSONNEL QUALIFICATION RECORDS USING THIS MESSAGE AS THE AUTHORITY. THE AUTHORIZED ABBREVIATION USED TO ANNOTATE SECTION VIII OF THE ORB AND ITEM 9 OF THE DA FORM 2-1, AND THE SIDPERS SUBMISSION CODE TO UPDATE THE OMF ARE AS FOLLOWS:

ITEM 9, 2-1/ORB: SIDPERS CODE:  ARMED-FCS-EXP-MDL AE 01-99

3. POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ACTION IS MRS. WHITE, AV 221-8700, COMM (703) 325-8700.