Afghanistan Campaign Medal

Establishing Authority
The Afghanistan Campaign Medal was established by Public Law 108-234, signed into law by President George W. Bush on May 28, 2004 and implemented by Executive Order 13363, signed by President Bush on November 29, 2004.

Effective Dates
The Afghanistan Campaign Medal may be awarded to members of the Uniformed Services of the United States who serve or who have served in Afghanistan (or its contiguous air space) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 24 October 2001 to a date to be announced.

Criteria
To be eligible for the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, a servicemember must be assigned or attached to a unit participating in Operation Enduring Freedom for 30 consecutive days or for 60 nonconsecutive days in Afghanistan or meet one of the following criteria:

• Be engaged in actual combat against the enemy and under circumstances involving grave danger of death or serious bodily injury from enemy action, regardless of the time in Afghanistan
• While participating in Operation Enduring Freedom or on official duties, regardless of time, is killed, wounded, or injured requiring medical evacuation from Afghanistan
• While participating as a regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over Afghanistan in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom; each day that one or more sorties are flown in accordance with these criteria shall count as one day towards the 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive day requirement.
• Servicemembers who qualified for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal by reason of service in Afghanistan between October 24, 2001 and April 30, 2005 shall remain qualified for that medal. However, any Service member who wishes to do so may be awarded the Afghanistan Campaign Medal in lieu of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for that service. Additionally, any Army soldier authorized the arrowhead device may be awarded the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with arrowhead device in lieu of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with arrowhead device
• No servicemember shall be entitled to both the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal for the same act, achievement, or period of serivce
• Only one award of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal may be authorized for any individual


Order of Precedence
The Afghanistan Campaign Medal is worn after the Kosovo Campaign Medal and before the Iraq Campaign Medal.

Devices
Service Stars are not authorized for the Aghanistan Campaign Medal.

Description and Symbolism

Obverse
In the lower half of a bronze medallion, a range of mountains; in the upper half of the medallion, a map of Afghanistan. Following the contour of the medal is the inscription, Afghanistan Campaign.

Reverse
In the center of a bronze medallion, a radiating demi-sun superimposed by an eagle's head facing to the viewer's left. Across the bottom half of the reverse is the three-line inscription For Service in Afghanistan.

Ribbon
The color combination of the ribbon represents the colors of the new Afghanistan flag as well as the United States and its Allies. The ribbon as central pinstripes of red/white/blue/white/red, bordered by larger stripes of white, which are in turn bordered by black, red, and green.