1.
General Campaign Star
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It is, within the Canadian system of honours, the sixth highest of the war and operational service medals. Edwards Crown, evoking the sovereigns roles as both fount of honour and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces, on the reverse is a space for engraving the recipients name and rank between the reigning monarchs Royal Cypher topped by another crown above and a sprig of three maple leaves below. For wear on undress, a silver, gold, or red maple leaf is pinned to the bar, denoting, respectively. To qualify for the medal, individuals had to have served in a theatre of war the presence of an armed enemy, as with the General Service Medal, the General Campaign Star was initially only awarded with one ribbon. Bars were to be attached to denote the area or mission which qualified for recognition, in 2009, the system of bars was revised such that ribbons denoted specific theatres or services and bars recognized multiple rotations. As a result, recipients of the original GCS with the Allied Force bar remounted their medals without the bar, recipients of the medal with the ISAF+FIAS bar needed only to have the medal remounted without the bar on the same ribbon. For some recipients, it might have been necessary for them to return their NATO Medal before accepting the Allied Force bar and this was presented in addition to the more generally applicable South-West Asia Service Medal. Canadian order of precedence Gulf War military awards
2.
CIA Memorial Wall
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The Memorial Wall is a memorial at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia. It honors CIA employees who died in the line of service, the Memorial Wall is located in the Original Headquarters Building lobby on the north wall. There are 117 stars carved into the white Alabama marble wall, paramilitary officers of the CIAs Special Activities Division comprise the majority of those memorialized. Inside it shows the stars, arranged by year of death and, the identities of the unnamed stars remain secret, even in death. In 1997, there were 70 stars,29 of which had names, there were 79 stars in 2002,83 in 2004,90 in 2009,107 in 2013,111 in 2014 and 117 in 2016. 84 of the 117 entries in the book contain names, while the employees are represented only by a gold star followed by a blank space. The Wall bears the inscription IN HONOR OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY in gold block letters. The Wall is flanked by the flag of the United States on the left and a flag bearing the CIA seal on the right. The wall was first conceived as a plaque to recognize those from the CIA who died in Southeast Asia. The process used by Johnston to add a new star is as follows, each star measures 2¼ inches tall by 2¼ inches wide and half an inch deep, all the stars are six inches apart from each other, as are all the rows. Johnston uses both an air hammer and a chisel to carve out the traced pattern. After he finishes carving the star, he cleans the dust and sprays the star black, the Honor and Merit Awards Board recommends approval of candidates to be listed on the wall to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA states that Inclusion on the Memorial Wall is awarded posthumously to employees who lose their lives serving their country in the field of intelligence. Death may occur in the field or in the United States. After approval by the director, the Office of Protocol arranges for a new star to be placed on the Wall, on May 6,1954, during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, two CIA pilots, James B. McGovern, Jr. and Wallace Buford, were killed when their C-119 Flying Boxcar cargo plane was shot down while on a mission for the French military. They worked for Civil Air Transport, which was reorganized as Air America. Neither of them has a star on the Memorial Wall and she died only 110 days after the CIA was officially established the previous September
3.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
4.
United States military award devices
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The United States Armed Forces authorizes certain medal and ribbon devices that may be worn if authorized on a defined set of United States military decorations and awards. The devices vary between 3⁄16 inch to 11⁄32 inch in size and are attached to suspension and service ribbons of medals. The devices are made of brass or metal alloys that appear gold, silver. These are sometimes referred to as award devices, but are most commonly referred to in service regulations and Department of Defense instructions simply as devices for awards, the R device is to be a bronze letter R, 1⁄4 inch in size. Both of the devices will be worn if authorized for wear, the services have a year to implement these changes. The following is a list of U. S. military service devices for medals and ribbons, The following are examples of various devices affixed to different service ribbons
5.
Five-pointed star
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A five-pointed star is a common ideogram used throughout the world. If the colinear edges are joined together a pentagram is produced and it has also become a symbol of fame or stardom in Western culture. Five-pointed stars are found on flags, generally in solid form, although some. The pentagram appears on two national flags, those of Ethiopia and Morocco. Five-pointed stars appear on the flag and in the symbolism of the United States. In the U. S. context, the stars allegedly symbolize the heavens, the five-pointed star is known as a symbol of fame or stardom. The Red Star is a star, coloured solidly in red. It is used to symbolize socialism and in particular communism and they live mainly in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. The five-pointed star is part of the symbol of the Ottoman Empire, in the Baháí Faith a five-pointed star referred to as a haykal represents the Manifestation of God, as described in the Súriy-i-Haykal. Strictly speaking the 5-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb, the five pointed star is a Serer religious, and symbolizes the Serer people of West Africa. In the Serer language, it is called Yoonir and it is regarded as symbol of the universe in the Serer creation myth, the Five pointed star has been a Muslim symbol for multiple Muslim works, most notably on flags. This might be a feature as part of the star and crescent to represent the caliphate, Five pointed stars are also used on various elevators to indicate the ground level or lobby of a building. Five pointed stars are used on various police, fire. The five pointed star may also be used to symbolize the human body as well as the five senses of human perception, the symbol of the Italian Marxist-Leninist terrorist group Brigate Rosse is a slightly modified five-pointed star. The Order of the Eastern Star, an organization associated with Freemasonry, employs a downward-pointing star as its symbol, with the five points colored blue, yellow, white, green. This emblem sometimes appears in the form of a pentagram, the Star and Crescent are the official symbols of Kappa Sigma comprising the fraternity badge. A green five-pointed star is a symbol of Esperanto
6.
Uniformed services of the United States
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Department of Defense is set by DOD Directive 1005.8 and is not dependent on the date of creation by the U. S. Congress. United States Coast Guard,4 August 1790 Note, The U. S. Coast Guard was a part of the U. S. Department of Transportation from 1967 to 2002. Prior to 1967, it was a part of the U. S. Department of the Treasury, United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps,4 January 1889 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps,22 May 1917. The NOAA Corps was created as the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps, the ESSA Corps became the NOAA Corps as a component of NOAA when ESSA was abolished and NOAA simultaneously was created on 3 October 1970. Under all three names, the Corps has been an element of the Department of Commerce throughout its existence, the seven uniformed services are defined by 10 U. S. C. §101, The five uniformed services make up the United States Armed Forces are defined in the previous clause 10 U. S. C. §101, The term armed forces means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, five of the uniformed services make up the U. S. Armed Forces, four of which are within the U. S. Department of Defense, the Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security and has both military and law enforcement duties. Title 14 states that the Coast Guard is part of the military at all times, during a declared state of war, however, the President or Congress may direct that the Coast Guard operate as part of the Navy. Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces are all members of the military, the National Guard was first formed in the Colony of Virginia in 1607 and is the oldest uniformed military force founded in the New World. The National Guard can also be mobilized by the President to operate under Federal authority through Title 10, however, in Federal service command and control of National Guard organizations will fall under the designated Geographic or Functional Combatant Commander. The National Guard of the United States serves as a component for both the Army and the Air Force and can be called up for federal active duty in times of war or national emergencies. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps is a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is the personnel system of the United States Public Health Service. Commissioned officers of NOAA and PHS wear uniforms that are derived from U. S. Navy uniforms, except that the devices, buttons. Uniformed officers of NOAA and PHS are paid on the scale as members of the armed services with respective rank. Additionally, PHS Officers are covered by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act, furthermore, all seven uniformed services are subject to the provisions of 10 USC1408, the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act. PHS and NOAA consist of commissioned officers only and have no warrant ranks or enlisted ranks, Commissioned officers of the PHS and NOAA may be militarized by the President
7.
Service ribbon
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Service ribbons or ribbon bars are small ribbons mounted on small metal bars equipped with attaching devices, and are generally issued for wear in place of medals. Each countrys government has its own rules on what ribbons can be worn in what circumstances and this is usually defined in an official document and is called the order of precedence or the order of wearing. In some countries, some awards are only, having no associated medal. According to the Defense Logistics Agency, the U. S. militarys standard size for a bar is 35mm wide, 3/8 inches tall. The service ribbon for a medal is usually identical to the suspension ribbon on the medal. For example, the suspension and service ribbon for the U. S. governments Purple Heart medal is purple with a vertical stripe at each end. However, there are some military awards that do not have a suspension ribbon, the Soviet Order of Victory is a badge that was worn on the military parade uniform. However, a ribbon bar representing the Order of Victory was worn on a field uniform. There is a variety of constructions of service ribbons, in some countries, service ribbons are mounted on a pin backing, which can be pushed through the fabric of a uniform and secured, with fasteners, on the inside edge. These ribbons can be secured and then lined up, or they can be all mounted on to a single fastener. After the Second World War, it was common for all ribbons to be mounted on a metal bar. Other methods of wearing have included physically sewing each service ribbon onto the uniform garments, orders of wearing define which ribbons may be worn on which types of uniform in which positions under which circumstances. For example, miniature medals on dinner dress, full medals on parade dress, ribbons on dress shirts, some countries maintain a standard practice of wearing full service ribbons on combat utility clothing. These regulations are similar to the regulations regarding display of rank insignia. In times of war, it is not uncommon for commanders and other high value individuals to wear no markings on their uniforms, service medals and ribbons are generally worn in rows on the left side of the chest. In certain commemorative and/ or memorial circumstances, a relative may wear the medals or ribbons of a relative on the right side of the chest. Medals and ribbons not specifically mentioned in the Order of wear are also worn on the right side of the chest. Sequencing of the ribbons depends on each countrys regulations, the study, history and collection of ribbons, among other military decorations, is known as phaleristics
8.
Bronze Star Medal
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Civilians serving with U. S. military forces in combat are also eligible for the award. For example, UPI reporter Joe Galloway was awarded the Bronze Star with V Device during the Vietnam War for rescuing a wounded soldier under fire in the Battle of la Drang. The Bronze Star Medal was established by Executive Order 9419,4 February 1944, the acts of heroism are of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star. The acts of merit or acts of valor must be less than required for the Legion of Merit but must nevertheless have been meritorious. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded only to members in combat zones who are receiving imminent danger pay. For this purpose, the US Armys Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge award is considered as a citation in orders, effective 11 September 2001, the Meritorious Service Medal may also be bestowed in lieu of the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement in a designated combat theater. The Bronze Star Medal was designed by Rudolf Freund of the jewelry firm Bailey, the medal is a bronze star 1 1⁄2 inches in circumscribing diameter. In the center is a 3⁄16 inch diameter superimposed bronze star, the reverse bears the inscription HEROIC OR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT with a space for the name of the recipient to be engraved. The star hangs from its ribbon by a metal loop with rounded corners. The Bronze Star Medal with the V device to denote heroism is the fourth highest military decoration for valor, 5/16 Inch Star – In the Navy and Marine Corps and Coast Guard, the 5/16 inch star is worn to denote additional awards. V Device – In the Army, the V is worn solely to denote participation in acts of heroism involving conflict with an armed enemy, in the Air Force, the V is worn to denote heroism in combat. Red Reeder conceived the idea of the Bronze Star Medal in 1943, Reeder felt another medal was needed as a ground equivalent of the Air Medal, and suggested calling the proposed new award the Ground Medal. The idea eventually rose through the bureaucracy and gained supporters. Marshall, in a memorandum to President Franklin D, the Air Medal had been adopted two years earlier to raise airmens morale. President Roosevelt authorized the Bronze Star Medal by Executive Order 9419 dated 4 February 1944 and this authorization was announced in War Department Bulletin No. President John F. Kennedy amended Executive Order 9419 per Executive Order 11046 dated 24 August 1962 to expand the authorization to include serving with friendly forces. This allowed for awards where US service members become involved in a conflict where the United States was not a belligerent. At the time of the Executive Order, for example, the US was not a belligerent in Vietnam, since the award criteria state that the Bronze Star Medal may be awarded to any person
9.
Silver Star
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The Silver Star, officially the Silver Star Medal, is the United States militarys third-highest decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. The Silver Star is the award to the Citation Star which was established by an Act of Congress on July 9,1918 during World War I. On July 19,1932, the Secretary of War approved the conversion of the Citation Star to the Silver Star Medal with the original Citation Star incorporated into the center of the medal. Authorization for the Silver Star Medal was placed into law by an Act of Congress for the U. S. Navy on August 7,1942, the U. S. Army and Air Force award the medal as the Silver Star. The U. S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard continue to award the medal as the Silver Star Medal, however, during the Vietnam War, the last conflict to produce U. S. The pendant is suspended from a shaped metal loop with rounded corners. The reverse has the inscription FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION, the Department of Defense does not keep extensive records the Silver Star. Independent groups estimate that between 100,000 and 150,000 Silver Stars have been awarded since the decoration was established. Colonel David Hackworth who was awarded ten Silver Stars while serving in the Army during the Korean War, three Army nurses who served in World War I were cited with Citation Stars for their service in July 1918. In 2007, it was discovered that they had never been awarded their Citation Stars, an unknown number of servicewomen received the award in World War II. Later that same year, Corporal Magdalena Leones, a Filipino American, notable recipients include, List of Australian Silver Star recipients Silver Star database at MilitaryTimes. com Awards and Decorations Air Force Personnel Center
10.
5/16 inch star
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A gold star indicates one additional award, while a silver star is worn in lieu of five gold stars. A 5⁄16 inch silver star is not to be confused with representing a Silver Star medal, 5⁄16 inch stars are worn on a medal suspension and service ribbon with one point of the star pointing up. Up to five stars can be worn on a ribbon, there are no higher degrees of 5⁄16 inch stars authorized after five silver 5⁄16 inch stars. On miniature medals, a special 1⁄8 inch star is worn on the suspension ribbon in lieu of a 5⁄16 inch star. If the number of authorized 5⁄16 inch stars exceeds five, a service ribbon is worn after the first service ribbon. The second service ribbon counts as one additional award, after which more stars may be added to the second ribbon. The US Army and US Air Force uses an oak leaf cluster to indicate a subsequent decoration, a bronze oak leaf cluster is equivalent to a gold 5⁄16 inch star and a silver oak leaf cluster is equivalent to a silver 5⁄16 inch star. Awards and decorations of the United States military United States military award devices Oak leaf cluster Service star Campaign star Battle star Army Awards, archived from the original on June 4,2004
11.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
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The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U. S. Armed Forces who, after July 1,1958, participated in U. S. military operations, U. S. operations in support of the United Nations. The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is issued as a bronze medal, on the reverse side of the medal is the shield from the United States Coat of Arms above two laurel branches separated by a bullet, all within the circumscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Ribbon devices The bronze service star is authorized for participation in subsequent U. S, military operations authorized for award of the AFEM. A silver service star is worn in lieu of five bronze service stars, the arrowhead device is authorized for United States Army personnel who are awarded the medal through participation in an airborne or amphibious assault. The Fleet Marine Force combat operation insignia is authorized for U. S. Navy service members assigned to Marine Corps units that participate in combat during the assignment. The medal shall be awarded only for operations for which no other U. S. campaign medal is approved, since its original conception in 1961, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal has been awarded for United States participation in over forty five designated military campaigns. The first campaign of the AFEM was the Cuban Missile Crisis, during the early years of the Vietnam War, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was issued for initial operations in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was intended to replace the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, in 1965, with the creation of the Vietnam Service Medal, the AFEM was discontinued for Vietnam War service. Because of these awards during the Vietnam war period, some personnel have been awarded both the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal & the Vietnam Service Medal. In 2003, with the creation of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the AFEM was discontinued for Iraq, Saudi Arabia, after 18 March 2003, some personnel became eligible for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, as well as the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Beginning in 1992 an effort was begun to phase out the AFEM in favor of campaign specific medals, the primary difference between the two is that the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is normally awarded for combat operations and combat support missions. After the close of the Vietnam War, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was issued for military operations in Panama, Grenada. The medal is authorized for several United Nations actions, such as peacekeeping efforts in Somalia. The medal is authorized for NATO peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Croatia. The AFEM has been issued for numerous operations in the Persian Gulf, most notably Operation Earnest Will, similar awards of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Similar in nature to the AFEM, the GWOTEM is awarded for deploying abroad on or after Sept.11,2001, Service stars are also authorized for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal effective February 9,2015 retroactive to September,11,2001
12.
Navy Expeditionary Medal
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The Navy Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States Navy which was established in August 1936. The Navy Expeditionary Medal is retroactively authorized to February 12,1874, the medal was designed by A. A. Weinman and features a sailor beaching a craft carrying Marines, an officer, and a US flag with the word Expeditions above. The eagle is grasping sprigs of laurel, which extend beyond the anchor in both directions, above the eagle are the words UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS or UNITED STATES NAVY presented as an arch. Above the laurel are the words FOR SERVICE presented horizontally, the eagle is the American bald eagle and represents the United States, the anchor alludes to Marine Corps or Navy service, and the laurel is symbolic of victory and achievement. Both awards may not be bestowed simultaneously for the same action, additional awards of the Navy Expeditionary Medal are denoted by service stars. The Wake Island Device is authorized for service members who were awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal through the defense of Wake Island. As the vast majority of the defenders of Wake Island were U. S. Marines and it has been widely reported that L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, fraudulently claimed being awarded the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal. The issuance of military awards is available via a public records search and from lists of authorized recipients available online
13.
Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
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The Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States Marine Corps. It was established on 8 May 1919 as the Marine Corps Expeditionary Ribbon, a full-sized medal was authorized on 1 March 1921 by Presidential Order of Warren G. Harding. The Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal is therefore one of the oldest medals of the United States military which is issued to active duty personnel. The eagle is grasping sprigs of laurel, which extend beyond the anchor in both directions, above the eagle are the words UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS or UNITED STATES NAVY presented as an arch. Above the laurel are the words FOR SERVICE presented horizontally, the eagle is the American bald eagle and represents the United States, the anchor alludes to Marine Corps or Navy service, and the laurel is symbolic of victory and achievement. Subsequent awards of the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal were originally denoted by award numerals, after 1921, multiple awards were denoted by bronze service stars. The Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia is also authorized for personnel who were on duty with. The Wake Island Device is authorized for any personnel who were awarded the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal as part of the defense of Wake Island during the days of the World War II. ”The SECNAV INSTRUCTION1650. 1H - NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AWARDS MANUAL details the process via the Special Awards Board for issuing classified awards. It has been reported that L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. The issuance of military awards is available via a public records search, Awards and decorations of the United States military
14.
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
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The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is a United States armed forces military award created by George W. Bush on March 12,2003 by Executive Order 13289. It recognizes those service members who have deployed overseas in direct service to the War on Terror from September 11,2001 to a date to be determined. In a similar fashion the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal is now issued instead for service in the fight against ISIS, the following are the established operations for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, The GWOT-E is a Defense Department campaign medal. Award of this medal does not prevent award of other types of recognition normally associated with deployment and this medal may be awarded posthumously. Effective February 9,2015, 3⁄16 inch service stars are authorized for wear to recognize participation in each of the authorized operations. For those who were engaged in combat, killed, or wounded in the line of duty, personnel who received the GWOTEM for previous service in these two regions may elect to exchange the GWOTEM or retain the original award. The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal may be awarded with the Arrowhead device and/or the combat operation insignia for qualified sailors assigned to Marine Corps units, the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal was designed by John Sproston of the Armys Institute of Heraldry. A similar medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, was created under the same Presidential Order that authorized the GWOT Expeditionary Medal, the only exception is for service personnel who served in Iraq or Afghanistan prior to April 30,2005. These personnel were awarded both the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Arrowhead device Awards and decorations of the United States military Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
15.
Operation Enduring Freedom
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Operation Enduring Freedom comprises several subordinate operations, Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, lasted from October 2001 to 31 December 2014. Government used the term Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan to officially describe the War in Afghanistan, continued operations in Afghanistan by the United States military forces, both non-combat and combat, now occur under the name Operation Freedoms Sentinel. In September 2001, U. S. President George W, the term OEF-A typically refers to the phase of the War in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. Other operations, such as the Georgia Train and Equip Program, are loosely or nominally connected. All the operations, however, have a focus on counterterrorism activities, Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, which was a joint U. S. U. K. and Afghan operation, was separate from the International Security Assistance Force, which was an operation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations including the U. S. and the U. K. The two operations ran in parallel, although it had suggested that they merge. S. and British ships. The initial military objectives of OEF-A, as articulated by President George W, of those groups included are Abu Sayyaf Group, al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah. The operation consisted of training the AFP in counter-terrorist operations as well as supporting the people with humanitarian aid in Operation Smiles. In October 2002, the Combined Task Force 150 and United States military Special Forces established themselves in Djibouti at Camp Lemonnier, the stated goals of the operation were to provide humanitarian aid and patrol the Horn of Africa to reduce the abilities of terrorist organizations in the region. The military aspect involves coalition forces searching and boarding ships entering the region for illegal cargo as well as providing training, the humanitarian aspect involves building schools, clinics and water wells to enforce the confidence of the local people. Since 2001, the expenditure by the U. S. government on Operation Enduring Freedom has exceeded $150 billion. The operation continues, with military direction mostly coming from United States Central Command, seizing upon a power vacuum after the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan after their invasion, the Taliban assumed the role of government from 1996–2001. Their extreme interpretation of Islamic law prompted them to ban music, television, sports, and dancing, amputation was an accepted form of punishment for stealing, and public executions could often be seen at the Kabul football stadium. Womens rights groups around the world were frequently critical as the Taliban banned women from appearing in public or holding many jobs outside the home and they drew further criticism when they destroyed the Buddhas of Bamyan, historical statues nearly 1500 years old, because the Buddhas were considered idols. In 1996, Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden moved to Afghanistan upon the invitation of the Northern Alliance leader Abdur Rabb ur Rasool Sayyaf, when the Taliban came to power, bin Laden was able to forge an alliance between the Taliban and his al-Qaeda organization. It is understood that al-Qaeda-trained fighters known as the 055 Brigade were integrated with the Taliban army between 1997 and 2001 and it has been suggested that the Taliban and bin Laden had very close connections. On 20 September 2001, the U. S. stated that Osama bin Laden was behind the 11 September attacks in 2001, the US made a five-point ultimatum to the Taliban, Deliver to the U. S
16.
Iraq War
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The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict that began in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition that toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the occupying forces. An estimated 151,000 to 600,000 or more Iraqis were killed in the first 3–4 years of conflict and it became re-involved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition, the insurgency and many dimensions of the civil armed conflict continue. The invasion began on 20 March 2003, with the U. S. joined by the United Kingdom and several allies, launching a shock. Iraqi forces were overwhelmed as U. S. forces swept through the country. The invasion led to the collapse of the Baathist government, President Hussein was captured during Operation Red Dawn in December of that same year, the United States responded with a troop surge in 2007. The winding down of U. S. involvement in Iraq accelerated under President Barack Obama, the U. S. formally withdrew all combat troops from Iraq by December 2011. Select U. S. officials accused Saddam of harboring and supporting al-Qaeda, while others cited the desire to end a repressive dictatorship, after the invasion, no substantial evidence was found to verify the initial claims about WMDs. The rationale and misrepresentation of pre-war intelligence faced heavy criticism within the U. S. in the aftermath of the invasion, Iraq held multi-party elections in 2005. Nouri al-Maliki became Prime Minister in 2006 and remained in office until 2014, the al-Maliki government enacted policies that were widely seen as having the effect of alienating the countrys Sunni minority and worsening sectarian tensions. The Iraq War caused hundreds of thousands of civilian, and thousands of military casualties, the majority of casualties occurred as a result of the insurgency and civil conflicts between 2004 and 2007. A1990 Frontline report on The arming of Iraq said, Officially, most Western nations participated in an arms embargo against Iraq during the 1980s. Western companies, primarily in Germany and Great Britain, but also in the United States, sold Iraq the key technology for its chemical, missile, any Western governments seemed remarkably indifferent, if not enthusiastic, about those deals. N Washington, the government consistently followed a policy which allowed and perhaps encouraged the growth of Saddam Husseins arsenal. The Western arming of Iraq took place in the context of the Iran-Iraq War, prior to September 2002, the CIA was the George W. Bush administrations main provider of intelligence on Iraq. The agency was out to disprove linkage between Iraq and terrorism the Pentagon adviser told me, the U. N. had prohibited Iraq from developing or possessing such weapons after the Gulf War and required Iraq to permit inspections confirming compliance. This was confirmed by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, during 2002, Bush repeatedly warned of military action against Iraq unless inspections were allowed to progress unfettered. In accordance with U. N. Security Council Resolution 1441, Iraq agreed to new inspections under United Nations Monitoring, as part of its weapons inspection obligations, Iraq was required to supply a full declaration of its current weapons capabilities and manufacturing
17.
Operation Inherent Resolve
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Since 21 August 2016, the U. S. Armys XVIII Airborne Corps has been responsible for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. Unlike their coalition partners, and unlike previous combat operations, no name was given to the conflict against ISIS by the U. S. government. The decision to keep the conflict nameless drew considerable media criticism, the U. S. decided in October 2014 to name its military efforts against ISIS as Operation Inherent Resolve, the U. S. The medal is approved retroactively beginning 15 June, the Pentagon said, by 4 December 2014, three U. S. service members had died from accidents or non-combat injuries. On 22 October 2015, a U. S, the Kurdistan Regional Government said after the raid that none of the 15 prisoners it was intended to rescue were found. Approximately 80% of these airstrikes have been conducted by American forces, with the remaining 20% being launched by members of the coalition, such as the United Kingdom. 7,268 strikes hit targets in Iraq, while 3,602 hit targets in Syria, on 12 June 2016, it was reported that 120 Islamic State leaders, commanders, propagandists, recruiters and other high-value individuals were killed so far this year. Until March 2016, U. S. military members were ineligible for Campaign Medals, however, on 30 March 2016, U. S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced the creation of a new medal, named Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal. Of the 26,374 targets hit, nearly 8,000 were against ISIS fighting positions, while approximately 6,500 hit buildings, ISIS staging areas and oil infrastructure were each hit around 1,600 times. On 15 December 2016, the UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said that more than 25,000 Daesh fighters have now been killed, when asked about this discrepancy, the UKs Ministry of Defense said that it stood by his estimate. Since the first U. S. airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq on 8 August 2014, the air strikes occurred in the period between 22 September 2014 and 23 January 2017. The deployment marks a new escalation in the U. S. war in Syria, as of Feb.28,2017, the Coalition has conducted 3,271 sorties in 2017,2,129 of which have resulted in at least one weapon released. In total, the coalition released 7,040 weapons in Iraq, United States Air Force, United States Navy & United States Marine Corps units that are participating in this operations can be found in the Military intervention against ISIL order of battle. 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
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Prisoner of War Medal
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The Prisoner of War Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was authorized by Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on 8 November 1985. The United States Code citation for the POW Medal statute is 10 U. S. C, the Prisoner of War Medal may be awarded to any person who was a prisoner of war after April 5,1917. The persons conduct, while in captivity, must have been honorable and this medal may be awarded posthumously to the surviving next of kin of the recipient. No more than one Prisoner of War Medal may be awarded, for any subsequent award of the medal, service stars will be awarded and worn on the suspension and service ribbon of the medal. The medal was designed by Jay C. Morris of the United States Army Institute of Heraldry, the idea of creating a military award to recognize prisoners of war was first put forth in 1944. However, the military services opposed the idea, claiming that other medals could be awarded in such cases, Congressman F. Edward Herbert submitted a bill to create a POW lapel button in 1971, but the bill was defeated. The first Senate bill to create a POW Medal was submitted by Senator John G. Tower in the same year, the Iran hostage crisis in 1979 changed the attitudes of many Americans toward POWs, and helped convince Congress to authorize a POW Medal. In April 1981, only months after the Iran hostages were released, only in 1985 did Congress pass legislation creating the POW Medal, notably over the Pentagons objections. The statute that established the POW Medal was Public Law 99-145, Title V, Sec.532, the public law in question, which began as S.1160, was the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1986, sponsored by Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona. It was first amended on May 21,1985 by Senator William V. Roth, Jr. to include the language that first established eligibility criteria for the POW Medal in Title 10, §1128. The House version of amendment was submitted on June 21. According to Lagomarsino, Official recognition of American prisoners of war is long overdue, Mr. Chairman. ”Accordingly, DoD policy articulated in 1988 concluded that only military captives taken prisoner by enemy or opposing states during active armed conflict were eligible for the award. Specifically, DoD policy stated that hostages of terrorists and persons detained by governments with which the US is not actively engaged in armed conflict are not eligible for the medal. In 1963 Congress drew these three permutations of combat from President Kennedys executive order of April 25,1962, which added the same criteria to the Purple Heart, kennedy had also added similar criteria for the Bronze Star prior to the 1963 act. Requiring conflict with an enemy was problematic since the United States had not formally declared war since World War II as a result of the provisions of the United Nations Charter and these were all areas where the DoD authorized the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. A congressional inquiry on behalf of the crew of USS Pueblo. The general counsel argued that the Pueblos passive type of activity hardly qualifies, as an action, a term that denotes violence in the employment of weapons. Commander Lloyd Bucher, the commanding officer of the Pueblo, responded to the review and petitioned directly to the Chief of Naval Operations
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National Defense Service Medal
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The National Defense Service Medal is a service medal of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It may also be issued to military members for any other period that the Secretary of Defense designates. Currently, the National Defense Service Medal is the oldest service medal in use by the United States Armed Forces, the oldest continuously issued combat medal is the Medal of Honor. For service in the Global War on Terrorism, Selected Reserve and National Guard members need only to have been in good standing to receive the NDSM, inactive Ready Reserve and Retired Reserve are not eligible to be awarded the NDSM unless called to active duty. S. The NDSM ranks eleventh out of twenty-nine in the order of precedence of service medals and this accounts for the medals omission from a large number of uncharacterized and entry level separation documents. Veterans who have this medal so omitted may apply to the service departments to have the NDSM added to records via a DD Form 215. A second award of the medal is not granted for reenlisting during the time period or transferring between branches of service. Korean Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Media related to National Defense Service Medal at Wikimedia Commons
First award: any one of four conflicts
