This medal was established on Dec. 4, 1961, to be awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who, after July 1, 1958, have participated in a United States military operation and encountered foreign armed opposition, or were in danger of hostile action by foreign Armed Forces.
The obverse has an eagle with wings raised, perched on a sword. In back of this is a compass rose, with rays coming from the angles of the compass points. This design is encircled by the inscription Armed Forces at the top and Expeditionary Service below. Between these words, completing the circle is a sprig of laurel on each side.
The reverse has the shield as it appears on the President's seal. Below this are branches of laurel to right and left, joined in the center by a knot. At the top, in a semicircle, is the inscription United States of America.
The ribbon has three narrow stripes of blue, white, and red in the center, flanked by wide stripes of light blue and, on each side, four equal stripes of black, brown, yellow, and green. The center stripes symbolize the United States, and the many colors at the edges symbolize other areas of the world.
The medal was awarded for service in South Vietnam, before the Vietnam Service Medal was issued.
Refer to DOD 1348.33-M for operations which qualify for this award. Also, a listing of Department of Defense recognized military campaigns associated with eligibility for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is provided at the AFPC Unit Awards Database.
Authorized Device: Service Star
