CDRPERSCOM ALEXANDRIA VA//TAPC-PDO-PA// MILPER MESSAGE NR.99-218 AWARD OF THE ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL FOR SOUTHWEST ASIA OPERATIONS DESERT THUNDER AND DESERT FOX, AND INCLUSION OF OPERATION VIGILANT SENTINEL IN THE EXPANDED AREA OF ELIGIBILITY FOR OPERATIONS IN SOUTHWEST ASIA
A. MILPER MESSAGE 99-101, DTG 121618 MAR 99, SUBJ: EXPANSION OF THE AREA OF ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARD OF THE AFEM FOR OPERATIONS IN SOUTHWEST ASIA.
B. MILPER MESSAGE 98-161, DTG 291530Z JUL 98, SUBJ: AWARD OF THE AFEM FOR OPERATIONS IN SOUTHWEST ASIA.
C. HQ, PERSCOM MESSAGE, DTG 121828Z JUN 96, SUBJ: AFEM FOR U.S. ARMY FORCES CENTRAL COMMAND-QATAR IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH.
D. 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.
E. AR 600-8-22, MILITARY AWARDS, 25 FEB 98.
F. AR 600-8-104, MILITARY PERSONNEL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT/RECORDS, 27 APR 92.
G. AR 670-1, WEAR AND APPEARANCE OF THE ARMY UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA, 1 SEP 92.
H. AR 680-29, MILITARY PERSONNEL, ORGANIZATION, AND TYPE OF TRANSACTION CODE, 1 MAR 89.
1. THIS MESSAGE WILL EXPIRE 31 AUGUST 2001 OR UPON RELEASE OF REVISION TO AR 600-8-22.
2. THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE APPROVED AWARD OF THE ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL (AFEM) FOR OPERATION DESERT THUNDER (ODT) (11 NOV 98 TO 22 DEC 98) AND OPERATION DESERT FOX (ODF) (16 DEC 98 TO 22 DEC 98). THE SECDEF ALSO APPROVED INCLUSION OF OPERATION VIGILANT SENTINEL (OVS) (1 DEC 95 TO 1 SEP 97) IN THE EXPANDED AREA OF ELIGIBILITY (AOE) FOR AWARD OF THE AFEM FOR OPERATIONS IN SOUTHWEST ASIA (SWA).
3. AS PROVIDED IN REF A, 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 MARITIME INTERCEPT OPERATION (MIO). THE EXPANDED AOE 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 HAARDOUS 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.
5. 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.
6. SERVICE MEMBERS WHO QUALIFIED FOR THE SOUTHWEST ASIA SERIVCE MEDAL (SWASM) DURING THEIR INITIAL TOUR IN SWA, BETWEEN 2 AUG 90 AND 30 NOV 95, AND SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME ELIGIBLE FOR THE AFEM FOR OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH (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 NOTHERN WATCH (ONW) WHICH BEGAN ON 1 JAN 97.
7. SUBSEQUENT AWARDS. A SUBSEQUENT AWARD OF THE AFEM IS ONLY AUTHORIZED FOR INDIVIDUALS FOR NONCONSECUTIVE AND NONCONCURRENT 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 OPERATION JOINT ENDEAVOR, JOINT GUARD, JOINT FORGE, BOSNIA. BRONZE SERVICE STARS ARE WORN TO DENOTE SUBSEQUENT AWARDS OF THE AFEM. MUTIPLE AWARDS OF THE AFEM FOR A RETURN ASSIGNMENT/ROTATION TO AN APPROVED OPERATION ARE NOT AUTHORIZED (E.G., SOMALIA'S TWO OPERATIONS AND SWA'S SIX OPERATIONS). SEE REF G FOR PROPER WEAR OF THE AFEM AND BRONZE SERVICE STARS.
8. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, COMMANDERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO AWARD THE AFEM TO QUALIFED PERSONNEL. PERMANENT ORDERS ARE NOT REQUIRED. MILITARY PERSONNEL DIVISIONS/PERSONNEL SERVICES 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 (PLEASE NOTE TO USE APPLICABLE CODE FOR SIDPERS 2.75 AND 3.0)
9. VETERANS AND RETIREES MAY REQUEST AWARD OF THE AFEM BY WRITING TO THE NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER, ATTN: ARMY REFERENCE BRANCH, 9700 PAGE AVENUE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63132-5100.
10. FOR ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE PLEASE CALL HQ, PERSCOM (TAPC-PDO-PA), AT DSN 221-8700, COMM (703) 325-8700.