UNCLASSIFIED
081615Z MAR 96
CDRPERSCOM ALEXANDRIA VA//TAPC-PDA//
MILPER MESSAGE NR 96-098
SUBJECT: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ARMED FORCES SERVICE MEDAL AND AWARD FOR OPERATIONS RELATING
TO THE FORMER REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
A. AR 600-8-22, MILITARY AWARDS, 25 FEB 95.
B. AR 600-8-104, MILITARY PERSONNEL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT/RECORDS.
C. AR 680-29, MILITARY PERSONNEL, ORGANIZATION, AND TYPE OF TRANSACTION CODE, 1 MAR 89.
1. THIS MILPER MESSAGE WILL EXPIRE 31 MAR 98.
2. THIS MESSAGE ANNOUNCES ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ARMED FORCES SERVICE MEDAL (AFSM) ; POLICY FOR AWARD OF THE MEDAL; AND THE APPROVED DESIGNATED OPERATION(S) FOR AWARD OF THE AFSM.
3. ESTABLISHMENT. THE AFSM WAS ESTABLISHED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER 12985, 11 JANUARY 1996. THE POLICY, AWARD, AND DESIGN OF THE AFSM WAS APPROVED BY THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ON 26 FEBRUARY 1996.
4. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
A. THE AFSM MAY BE AWARDED TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES WHO, AFTER 1 JUN 92:
(1) PARTICIPATE, OR HAVE PARTICIPATED, AS MEMBERS OF U.S. MILITARY UNITS, IN A U.S. MILITARY OPERATION THAT IS DEEMED TO BE A SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY; AND (2) ENCOUNTER NO FOREIGN ARMED OPPOSITION OR IMMINENT THREAT OF HOSTILE ACTION.
B. TO QUALIFY FOR AWARD OF THE AFSM, SERVICE MEMBERS MUST BE BONA FIDE MEMBERS OF A UNIT PARTICIPATING FOR ONE OR MORE DAYS IN THE OPERATION WITHIN THE DESIGNATED AREA OF ELIGIBILITY, OR MEET ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
(1) BE ENGAGED IN DIRECT SUPPORT FOR 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN THE AREA OF ELIGIBILITY (OR FOR THE FULL PERIOD WHEN AN OPERATION IS OF LESS THAN 30 DAYS DURATION) OR FOR 60 NONCONSECUTIVE DAYS PROVIDED THIS SUPPORT INVOLVES ENTERING THE AREA OF ELIGIBILITY.
(2) PARTICIPATE AS A REGULARLY ASSIGNED CREW MEMBER OF AN AIRCRAFT FLYING INTO, OUT OF, WITHIN, OR OVER THE AREA OF ELIGIBILITY IN SUPPORT OF THE OPERATION.
C. REQUIREMENTS FOR A QUALIFYING OPERATION.
(1) THE AFSM MAY BE AUTHORIZED FOR SIGNIFICANT U.S. MILITARY ACTIVITIES FOR WHICH NO OTHER U.S. CAMPAIGN OR SERVICE MEDAL IS APPROPRIATE, SUCH AS:
(A) PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS.
(B) PROLONGED HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS.
(2) THE AFSM MAY BE AWARDED FOR U.S. MILITARY OPERATIONS IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS (UN) OR THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO), AND FOR OPERATIONS OF ASSISTANCE TO FRIENDLY FOREIGN NATIONS.
D. GENERAL CRITERIA.
(1) THE AFSM PROVIDES RECOGNITION TO PARTICIPANTS WHO DEPLOY TO THE DESIGNATED AREA OF ELIGIBILITY FOR THE QUALIFYING OPERATION. OUTSTANDING OR MERITORIOUS PERFORMANCE OF NONDEPLOYED OR REMOTELY LOCATED SUPPORT UNITS AND INDIVIDUALS IS NOT JUSTIFICATION FOR AWARD OF THE AFSM. SUCH PERFORMANCE MAY BE RECOGNIZED BY APPROPRIATE UNIT AND/OR INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS.
(2) BECAUSE THE AFSM MAY BE AWARDED FOR A PROLONGED HUMANITARIAN OPERATION, DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE AFSM AND THE HUMANITARIAN SERVICE MEDAL (HSM) MUST BE MAINTAINED. THE FOLLOWING RULES APPLY:
(A) THE HSM IS AN INDIVIDUAL U.S. SERVICE MEDAL, PRESENTED TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT THE SITE OF IMMEDIATE RELIEF AND WHO DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE TO AND INFLUENCE THE HUMANITARIAN ACTION. THE HSM IS ONLY AWARDED FOR SERVICE DURING THE IDENTIFIED "PERIOD OF IMMEDIATE RELIEF"; ELIGIBILITY FOR THE HSM TERMINATES ONCE (IF) THE HUMANITARIAN ACTION EVOLVES INTO AN "ESTABLISHED ONGOING OPERATION BEYOND THE INITIAL EMERGENCY CONDITION."
(B) THE AFSM IS A THEATER AWARD, AUTHORIZED FOR PRESENTATION TO ALL PARTICIPANTS WHO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED FOR A DESIGNATED OPERATION.
(C) FOR OPERATIONS IN WHICH ALL DEPLOYED PARTICIPANTS ARE AWARDED THE HSM AND FOR WHICH THE "PERIOD OF IMMEDIATE RELIEF" COINCIDES WITH THE DURATION OF SIGNIFICANT DEPLOYED OPERATIONS, AWARD OF THE AFSM IS NOT AUTHORIZED.
(D) HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS FOR WHICH SOME (OR ALL) PARTICIPANTS ARE AWARDED THE HSM, WHICH CONTINUE BEYOND THE "PERIOD OF IMMEDIATE RELIEF", MAY BE RECOGNIZED BY AWARD OF THE AFSM. THE AFSM MAY BE AWARDED FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF THE OPERATION; INDIVIDUALS AWARDED THE HSM FOR DIRECT PARTICIPATION DURING THE "PERIOD OF IMMEDIATE RELIEF" ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR THE AFSM IF AWARDED.
5. LIMITATIONS ON AWARDING THE AFSM. THE FOLLOWING LIMITATIONS APPLY WHEN DETERMINING WHETHER THE AFSM SHOULD BE AWARDED FOR A PARTICULAR MISSION OR OPERATION OR WHEN DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARD TO AN INDIVIDUAL:
A. THE AFSM SHALL BE AWARDED ONLY FOR OPERATIONS FOR WHICH NO OTHER U.S. CAMPAIGN OR SERVICE MEDAL IS APPROVED.
B. FOR OPERATIONS IN WHICH PERSONNEL FROM ONLY ONE SERVICE PARTICIPATES, THE AFSM SHALL BE AWARDED ONLY IF THERE IS NO OTHER SUITABLE AWARD AVAILABLE TO THAT SERVICE.
C. THE MILITARY SERVICE OF THE INDIVIDUAL ON WHICH QUALIFICATION FOR THE AWARD OF THE AFSM IS BASED SHALL HAVE BEEN HONORABLE.
D. AWARD OF THE AFSM IS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL EXERCISES.
E. THE AFSM WILL NOT BE AWARDED FOR NATO OR UNITED NATIONS OPERATIONS NOT INVOLVING SIGNIFICANT, CONCURRENT U.S. MILITARY SUPPORT OPERATIONS.
6. APPROVAL AND DESIGNATION OF AREA OF ELIGIBILITY.
A. APPROVAL OF OPERATIONS. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (CJCS) SHALL DESIGNATE U.S. MILITARY OPERATIONS SUBSEQUENT TO 1 JUNE 1992 THAT QUALIFY FOR THE AFSM.
B. DESIGNATION OF AREA OF ELIGIBILITY.
(1) THE CJCS SHALL SPECIFY THE QUALIFYING AREA OF ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARD OF THE AFSM.
(2) PRIOR TO SUBMISSION TO THE CJCS FOR CONSIDERATION, THE PROPOSED QUALIFYING AREA OF ELIGIBILITY WILL BE COORDINATED WITH THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF AND THE COMMANDER IN CHIEFS (CINC) TO ENSURE ALL APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS ARE INCLUDED.
(3) UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF A CINC AND IN COORDINATION WITH THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, THE CJCS MAY ADJUST THE AREA OF ELIGIBILITY TO REFLECT CHANGES IN THE LOCATION, SCOPE AND DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION OF FORCES DEPLOYED TO AND IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF AN OPERATION FOR WHICH THE AFSM HAS BEEN AWARDED.
7. SUBSEQUENT AWARDS. NO MORE THAN ONE MEDAL SHALL BE AWARDED TO ANY ONE SERVICE MEMBER. ONE BRONZE SERVICE STAR IS WORN TO DENOTE SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT AWARDS OF THE AFSM. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL AWARDS, SERVICE MUST BE RENDERED IN MORE THAN ONE DESIGNATED AREA AND PERIOD OF SERVICE. NO TWO AWARDS WILL BE MADE FOR SERVICE IN THE SAME DESIGNATED AREA. (SERVICE STARS ARE DESCRIBED IN CHAP 6 OF REF A).
8. MANNER OF WEARING. THE AFSM SHALL TAKE PRECEDENCE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SOUTHWEST ASIA SERVICE MEDAL.
9. POSTHUMOUS AWARDS. THE AFSM MAY BE AWARDED POSTHUMOUSLY TO ELIGIBLE SOLDIERS' PRIMARY NEXT OF KIN. (PRIMARY NEXT OF KIN IS DEFINED IN THE GLOSSARY OF REF A.)
10. THE CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF HAS APPROVED AWARD OF THE AFSM TO U.S. MILITARY PARTICIPANTS IN OPERATIONS RELATING TO THE FORMER REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA FROM 1 JUNE 1992 TO A FUTURE DATE TO BE DETERMINED.
A. THE AFSM FOR OPERATIONS RELATING TO FRY IS AWARDED TO U.S. MILITARY FORCES DEPLOYED IN, OR IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF, OPERATIONS PROVIDE PROMISE, JOINT ENDEAVOR, ABLE SENTRY, DENY FLIGHT, MARITIME MONITOR, AND SHARP GUARD WITHIN THE TOTAL LAND AREA AND AIR SPACE OF THE FORMER REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA; AVIANO, ANCONA, AND BRINDISI, ITALY; AND HUNGARY; AND THE WATERS AND AIR SPACE ABOVE THAT PORTION OF THE ADRIATIC SEA THAT LIES NORTH OF FORTY DEGREES NORTH LATITUDE.
B. SERVICE MEMBERS MUST MEET THE CRITERIA OUTLINED IN PARA 4B (1) AND (2) ABOVE.
11. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, COMMANDERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO AWARD THE AFSM TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. PERMANENT ORDERS ARE NOT REQUIRED. MILITARY PERSONNEL DIVISIONS/PERSONNEL SERVICE BATTALIONS (MPD/PSB) 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: ARMED-FCS-SVC-MDL
SIDPERS CODE: AH 01-99
12. SUPPLY. THE MEDAL SETS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE NORMAL SUPPLY CHANNELS, BUT MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH COMMERCIAL SOURCES (ARMY AIR FORCE EXCHANGE SERVICE OR PX) . THE ESTIMATED DELIVERY DATE FOR THE MEDALS SETS IS MARCH 1997.
13. ONLY MACOMS AND PRINCIPAL HQDA AGENCIES MAY CONTACT HQ, PERSCOM FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE. INSTALLATIONS/FIELD AGENCIES AND SOLDIERS MUST CONTACT THEIR RESPECTIVE MACOMS OR PERSONNEL SERVICE BATTALIONS FOR ANSWERS TO THEIR QUESTIONS.