CDRPERSCOM ALEXANDRIA VA//TAPC-PDO-PA// MILPER MESSAGE NO. 99-101 EXPANSION OF THE AREA OF ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARD OF THE AFEM FOR OPERATIONS IN SOUTHWEST ASIA
A. MILPER MESSAGE 98-161, DTG 291530Z, JUL 98, SUBJ: AWARD OF THE AFEM FOR OPERATIONS IN SOUTHWEST ASIA.
B. HQ, PERSCOM MESSAGE, DTG 121828Z, JUN 96, SUBJ: AFEM FOR U.S. ARMY FORCES CENTRAL COMMAND-QATAR IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH.
C. MILPER MESSAGE 96-027, DTG 131205Z, NOV 95, SUBJ: TERMINATION DATE FOR THE SOUTHWEST ASIA SERVICE MEDAL AND THE NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL AND AWARD OF THE ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL FOR OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH.
D. AR 600-8-22, MILITARY AWARDS, 25 FEB 98.
E. AR 600-8-104, MILITARY PERSONNEL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT/RECORDS, 27 APR 92.
F. AR 670-1, WEAR AND APPEARANCE OF THE ARMY UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA, 1 SEP 92.
G. AR 680-29, MILITARY PERSONNEL, ORGANIZATION, AND TYPE OF TRANSACTION CODE, 1 MAR 89.
1. THIS MESSAGE WILL EXPIRE 31 MARCH 2001.
2. THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE APPROVED EXPANSION OF THE AREA OF ELIGIBILITY (AOE) FOR AWARD OF THE ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL (AFEM) FOR PERSONNEL PARTICIPATING IN SOUTHWEST ASIA OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH (OSW) (FROM 1 DEC 95 TO A DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED) AND MARITIME INTERCEPT OPERATIONS (MIO) (FROM 1 DEC 95 TO A DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED). THE EFFECTIVE DATE IS 1 DEC 95 TO A DATE TO BE DETERMINED.
3. THE PREVIOUS AOE INCLUDED THE TOTAL LAND AREA AND AIR SPACE OF COUNTRIES IN SAUDI ARABIA AND KUWAIT, OR THAT PORTION OF THE ARABIAN GULF (PERSIAN GULF) THAT LIES WEST OF 56 DEGREES EAST LONGITUDE, AND INDIVIDUALS SERVING ABOARD US NAVAL VESSELS IN THE RED SEA IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF MIO. THE AOE EXPANSION IS EXTENDED TO THE TOTAL LAND AREA AND AIR SPACE OF THE COUNTRIES OF BAHRAIN, QATAR, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, OMAN, YEMAN, EGYPT, AND JORDAN; THE WATERS AND AIRSPACE ABOVE THE ARABIAN GULF (PERSIAN GULF) AND GULF OF OMAN THAT LIE WEST OF 62 DEGREES EAST LONGITUDE.
4. RULES. THE GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR AWARD OF THE AFEM ARE AS FOLLOWS:
A. SERVICE MEMBER MUST BE A BONAFIDE MEMBER 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 OPERATION/ELIGIBILITY (OR FOR THE FULL PERIOD WHEN AN OPERATION IS LESS THAN 30 DAYS IN DURATION), OR FOR 60 NONCONSECUTIVE DAYS PROVIDED THE SUPPORT INVOLVES ENTERING THE AREA OF OPERATION.
(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 OF THE MILITARY OPERATION.
B. DIRECT SUPPORT IS DEFINED AS SERVICES BEING SUPPLIED TO THE COMBAT FORCES IN THE AOE BY GROUND, SEA, AND AIR UNITS PROVIDED IT ACTUALLY INVOLVES ENTERING THE AOE.
5. SERVICE MEMBERS WHO QUALIFIED FOR THE SOUTHWEST ASIA SERVICE MEDAL (SWASM) DURING THEIR INITIAL TOUR IN SWA, BETWEEN 2 AUG 90 AND 30 NOV 95, AND SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME ELIGIBLE FOR THE AFEM FOR OSW OR MIO DURING THE SAME TOUR/ASSIGNMENT MAY ELECT TO RECEIVE THE AFEM INSTEAD OF THE SWASM. SERVICE MEMBERS WHO SERVED IN AN ASSIGNMENT THAT OVERLAPPED MAY NOT BE ISSUED OR WEAR BOTH MEDALS (SWASM/AFEM) FOR SERVICE IN SWA TO INCLUDE MIO AND OSW. THIS RULE DOES NOT APPLY TO OPERATION NORTHERN WATCH (ONW) WHICH BEGAN ON 1 JAN 97.
6. SUBSEQUENT AWARDS. A SUBSEQUENT AWARD OF THE AFEM IS ONLY AUTHORIZED FOR INDIVIDUALS FOR NONCONSECUTIVE AND NONCURRENT ASSIGNMENTS IN SEPARATE AREAS OF ELIGIBILITY FOR WHICH THE AFEM HAS BEEN APPROVED, FOR EXAMPLE, OPERATION JUST CAUSE, PANAMA; OPERATION RESTORE HOPE, SOMALIA; OPERATION UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, HAITI; AND OPERATIONS JOINT ENDEAVOR AND JOINT GUARD, BOSNIA. BRONZE SERVICE STARS ARE WORN TO DENOTE SUBSEQUENT AWARDS OF THE AFEM. MULTIPLE AWARDS OF THE AFEM FOR A RETURN ASSIGNMENT/ROTATION TO AN APPROVED OPERATION IS NOT AUTHORIZED (E.G., SOMALIA'S TWO OPERATIONS AND SWA'S FOUR OPERATIONS). SEE REF F (FOXTROT) FOR PROPER WEAR OF THE AFEM AND BRONZE SERVICE STARS.
7. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, COMMANDERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO AWARD THE AFEM TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. PERMANENT ORDERS ARE NOT REQUIRED. MILITARY PERSONNEL DIVISIONS/PERSONNEL SERVICE BATTALIONS 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-EXP-MDL
SIDPERS CODE: AE 01-99
8. VETERANS MAY REQUEST AWARD OF THE AFEM FOR SERVICE IN MARITIME INTERCEPT OPERATIONS (MIO) OR OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH (OSW)BY WRITING TO THE NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER, ATTN: ARMY REFERENCE BRANCH, 9700 PAGE AVENUE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63132-5100.
9. ONLY MACOMS AND PRINCIPAL HQDA AGENCIES MAY CONTACT HQ, PERSCOM FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE. INSTALLATION/FIELD AGENCIES AND SOLDIERS MUST CONTACT THEIR RESPECTIVE MACOM OR PERSONNEL SERVICE BATTALION FOR ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. MACOMS AND PRINCIPAL HQDA AGENCIES MAY CONTACT HQ, PERSCOM AT DSN 221-8700, COMM (703) 325-8700.