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
18.
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
19.
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
20.
Humanitarian Service Medal
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The Humanitarian Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created on January 19,1977 by President Gerald Ford under Executive Order 11965. This medal is awarded to any member of the United States military who distinguish themselves by meritorious participation in specified military acts or operations of a humanitarian nature and this medal is presented as an individual service medal. The activities in which the Humanitarian Service Medal may be authorized are designated by the United States Department of Defense, such activities include natural disaster relief, evacuation of non-combatants from a hostile area, or humanitarian support to refugees. This medal may not be awarded for services rendered in domestic disturbances involving law enforcement, riots and this medal may also not be presented if either the Armed Forces Service Medal or Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was presented for the same period of service. The Humanitarian Service Medal is retroactive to April 1,1975, multiple awards of the medal are authorized with service stars denoting additional awards. The Department of the Army awards the Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service for similar service by Army civilian employees, as well as private American, centered on the obverse of the medal within a circle, is a right hand pointing diagonally upward with open palm. At the top of the reverse of the medal is the inscription, below this is an oak branch, with three leaves and three acorns, and below this, around the outside edge of the medal, is the inscription, United States Armed Forces
21.
Air and Space Campaign Medal
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The Air and Space Campaign Medal is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created on April 24,2002 by order of Secretary of the Air Force James G. Roche. To be eligible for the Air and Space Campaign Medal a service member must perform direct support of an operation for at least thirty consecutive days or for sixty non-consecutive days. Which due to technological advances are no longer constrained by geographic location and this includes, but is not limited to, sortie generation, intelligence, surveillance, targeting, computer network attack operations, etc. Squadron Commanders may determine other functions that meet the intent of this award, members who provided direct support for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days to one of these operations, at home station, or from outside of the geographic area of combat qualify for the ASCM. Air and Space Campaign Medal takes precedence immediately after the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, additional awards are denoted by service stars
22.
Armed Forces Service Medal
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The Armed Forces Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created on January 11,1996 by President Bill Clinton under Executive Order 12985. The medal is a service award which is presented to those service members who engage in significant activity for which no other campaign or service medal is authorized. Actions to be considered include peacekeeping operations, prolonged humanitarian actions, the primary difference between the two is that the Armed Forces Service Medal is awarded for actions through which no foreign armed opposition or imminent threat of hostile action was encountered. This definition separates the two medals in that the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is normally awarded for operations and other combat support missions. Participate as an assigned crew member of an aircraft flying into, out of, within. The Armed Forces Service Medal is round bronze medal 1 1⁄4 in in diameter, the obverse of the medal bears a demi-torch, as held by the Statue of Liberty, with rays radiating from behind the torch. Encircling at the top is the inscription ARMED FORCES SERVICE MEDAL, the reverse bears the eagle found on the United States Department of Defense seal. Below is a wreath with the inscription IN PURSUIT OF DEMOCRACY at the top. The center stripe is 1⁄4 in wide in bluebird, additional awards of the Armed Forces Service Medal are denoted by service stars
23.
Sea Service Ribbon
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The Army Sea Duty Ribbon was established April 17,2006. It may be awarded to active duty soldiers who complete two years of sea duty on a Class A or B United States Army Vessel. Duty aboard U. S. Navy, U. S. Coast Guard, the Chief of the Marine Qualification Division is the approval authority for award of the ASDR to eligible service members. The ASDR may be awarded retroactively to those personnel who were credited with qualifying service, as defined in regulations, subsequent awards are authorized upon completion of an additional two years of cumulative sea duty under qualifying conditions. U. S. Army Reserve and U. S. Army National Guard soldiers must have two years in a U. S. Subsequent awards are authorized upon the completion of additional qualifying periods of sea duty, for mobilized soldiers, one year of sea duty as a mobilized soldier will be credited toward one creditable year as long as minimum underway requirements are met. The Army Sea Duty Ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide, composed of vertical stripes, subsequent awards are denoted by bronze and silver service stars. It was the first type of sea service ribbon established in the U. S, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon is granted to any member of the U. S. Navy or U. S. A 3/16 inch bronze star is awarded for the second through the award of the ribbon. The Navy Reserve Sea Service Ribbon was created in May 1986 and is awarded to any member of the U. S. S, Navy Reserve Force surface ship or assigned to a deployable/regularly deploying U. S. Navy Reserve Force Aviation Squadron. The term “Navy Reserve Force Ship” refers to any U. S, the Navy Reserve Sea Service Ribbon is also granted to members of embarked Navy Reserve staffs, provided that at least half of the embarked reserve drills qualified as underway drills. The Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon is a United States Coast Guard decoration that was created in 1984, additional awards, displayed as service stars, may be awarded for a further three years of sea service. The NOAA Corps Sea Service Deployment Ribbon is a NOAA Commissioned Corps award established retroactive to 1 January 2002, subsequent awards may be earned for additional twelve-month accumulations of sea duty, so long as they also include an additional 90 consecutive-day deployment. Previously, the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon was awarded and those NOAA Corps members who previously earned the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with replace it with the NOAA version, unless they earned the Navy version while serving in the Navy. Awards and decorations of the United States military Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual
24.
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
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The Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal is a military award which was created under Executive Order 12830 by George H. W. Bush on January 9,1993. The medal was designed by the Institute of Heraldry and was first issued in December 1993, the MOVSM recognizes those members of the military who perform substantial volunteer service to the local community above and beyond the duties required as a member of the United States Armed Forces. Typical volunteer work includes Volunteer Emergency Services, Habitat for Humanity, soup kitchen work, there is no time limit required for the MOVSM however, most awarding authorities require that the volunteer service must exceed 3 years in length and/or 500 hours of service. Multiple awards of the MOVSM are denoted by service stars, the authority governing this award is DoD Manual 1348.33, Vol.2 November 23,2010, Incorporating Change 2, May 15,2015. The MOVSM is a medal,1 1/4 inches in diameter. The obverse bears five interlaced annulets behind a five-pointed star, surrounded by a laurel wreath, on the reverse is an oak sprig with three leaves and two acorns between the inscription OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER SERVICE above and UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES below
25.
Korean War
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The Korean War began when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations, with the United States as the principal force, China came to the aid of North Korea, and the Soviet Union gave some assistance. Korea was ruled by Japan from 1910 until the days of World War II. In August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, as a result of an agreement with the United States, U. S. forces subsequently moved into the south. By 1948, as a product of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, Korea was split into two regions, with separate governments, both governments claimed to be the legitimate government of all of Korea, and neither side accepted the border as permanent. The conflict escalated into open warfare when North Korean forces—supported by the Soviet Union, on that day, the United Nations Security Council recognized this North Korean act as invasion and called for an immediate ceasefire. On 27 June, the Security Council adopted S/RES/83, Complaint of aggression upon the Republic of Korea and decided the formation, twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force, with the United States providing 88% of the UNs military personnel. After the first two months of war, South Korean forces were on the point of defeat, forced back to the Pusan Perimeter, in September 1950, an amphibious UN counter-offensive was launched at Inchon, and cut off many North Korean troops. Those who escaped envelopment and capture were rapidly forced back north all the way to the border with China at the Yalu River, at this point, in October 1950, Chinese forces crossed the Yalu and entered the war. Chinese intervention triggered a retreat of UN forces which continued until mid-1951, after these reversals of fortune, which saw Seoul change hands four times, the last two years of fighting became a war of attrition, with the front line close to the 38th parallel. The war in the air, however, was never a stalemate, North Korea was subject to a massive bombing campaign. Jet fighters confronted each other in combat for the first time in history. The fighting ended on 27 July 1953, when an armistice was signed, the agreement created the Korean Demilitarized Zone to separate North and South Korea, and allowed the return of prisoners. However, no treaty has been signed, and the two Koreas are technically still at war. Periodic clashes, many of which are deadly, continue to the present, in the U. S. the war was initially described by President Harry S. Truman as a police action as it was an undeclared military action, conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. In South Korea, the war is referred to as 625 or the 6–2–5 Upheaval. In North Korea, the war is referred to as the Fatherland Liberation War or alternatively the Chosǒn War. In China, the war is called the War to Resist U. S
26.
Vietnam War
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It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam. The war is considered a Cold War-era proxy war. As the war continued, the actions of the Viet Cong decreased as the role. U. S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations, involving ground forces, artillery, in the course of the war, the U. S. conducted a large-scale strategic bombing campaign against North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese government and the Viet Cong were fighting to reunify Vietnam and they viewed the conflict as a colonial war and a continuation of the First Indochina War against forces from France and later on the United States. The U. S. government viewed its involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and this was part the domino theory of a wider containment policy, with the stated aim of stopping the spread of communism. Beginning in 1950, American military advisors arrived in what was then French Indochina, U. S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with troop levels tripling in 1961 and again in 1962. Regular U. S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965, despite the Paris Peace Accord, which was signed by all parties in January 1973, the fighting continued. In the U. S. and the Western world, a large anti-Vietnam War movement developed as part of a larger counterculture, the war changed the dynamics between the Eastern and Western Blocs, and altered North–South relations. Direct U. S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973, the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese Army in April 1975 marked the end of the war, and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year. The war exacted a huge human cost in terms of fatalities, estimates of the number of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed vary from 966,000 to 3.8 million. Some 240, 000–300,000 Cambodians,20, 000–62,000 Laotians, and 58,220 U. S. service members died in the conflict. Various names have applied to the conflict. Vietnam War is the most commonly used name in English and it has also been called the Second Indochina War and the Vietnam Conflict. As there have been several conflicts in Indochina, this conflict is known by the names of its primary protagonists to distinguish it from others. In Vietnamese, the war is known as Kháng chiến chống Mỹ. It is also called Chiến tranh Việt Nam, France began its conquest of Indochina in the late 1850s, and completed pacification by 1893. The 1884 Treaty of Huế formed the basis for French colonial rule in Vietnam for the seven decades
27.
Gulf War
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The Iraqi Armys occupation of Kuwait that began 2 August 1990 was met with international condemnation, and brought immediate economic sanctions against Iraq by members of the UN Security Council. US President George H. W. Bush deployed US forces into Saudi Arabia, an array of nations joined the coalition, the largest military alliance since World War II. The great majority of the military forces were from the US, with Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia paid around US$32 billion of the US$60 billion cost, the war was marked by the introduction of live news broadcasts from the front lines of the battle, principally by the US network CNN. The war has also earned the nickname Video Game War after the daily broadcast of images from cameras on board US bombers during Operation Desert Storm. The initial conflict to expel Iraqi troops from Kuwait began with an aerial and naval bombardment on 17 January 1991 and this was followed by a ground assault on 24 February. This was a victory for the coalition forces, who liberated Kuwait. The coalition ceased its advance, and declared a ceasefire 100 hours after the campaign started. Aerial and ground combat was confined to Iraq, Kuwait, Iraq launched Scud missiles against coalition military targets in Saudi Arabia and against Israel. The following names have been used to describe the conflict itself, Gulf War, a problem with these terms is that the usage is ambiguous, having now been applied to at least three conflicts, see Gulf War. The use of the term Persian Gulf is also disputed, see Persian Gulf naming dispute, with no consensus of naming, various publications have attempted to refine the name. Other language terms include French, la Guerre du Golfe and German, Golfkrieg, German, Zweiter Golfkrieg, French, most of the coalition states used various names for their operations and the wars operational phases. Operation Desert Storm was the US name of the conflict from 17 January 1991. Operation Desert Sabre was the US name for the offensive against the Iraqi Army in the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations from 24–28 February 1991, in itself. Operation Desert Farewell was the given to the return of US units and equipment to the US in 1991 after Kuwaits liberation. Operation Granby was the British name for British military activities during the operations, Opération Daguet was the French name for French military activities in the conflict. Operation Friction was the name of the Canadian operations Operazione Locusta was the Italian name for the operations, in addition, various phases of each operation may have a unique operational name. The US divided the conflict into three campaigns, Defense of Saudi Arabian country for the period 2 August 1990, through 16 January 1991
28.
War on Terror
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The War on Terror, also known as the Global War on Terrorism, is a metaphor of war referring to the international military campaign that started after the September 11th attacks on the United States. U. S. President George W. Bush first used the term War on Terror on 20 September 2001 and it was originally used with a particular focus on countries associated with Islamic terrorist organizations including al-Qaeda and like-minded organizations. In 2013, President Barack Obama announced that the United States was no longer pursuing a War on Terror, in 2017 Donald Trump assumed presidency of the United States and vowed that the fight against ISIL is his number one priority. Trump has also agreed to work together and carry joint operations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the war on terror. The phrase War on Terror has been used to refer to the ongoing military campaign led by the U. S. The conflict has also referred to by names other than the War on Terror. Author Shane Harris asserts this was a reaction to the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, Bush later apologized for this remark due to the negative connotations the term crusade has to people, e. g. of the Muslim faith. The word crusade was not used again, on 20 September 2001, during a televised address to a joint session of Congress, Bush stated that ur war on terror begins with al-Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, in April 2007, the British government announced publicly that it was abandoning the use of the phrase War on Terror as they found it to be less than helpful. This was explained more recently by Lady Eliza Manningham-Buller, in her 2011 Reith lecture, the former head of MI5 said that the 9/11 attacks were a crime, not an act of war. So I never felt it helpful to refer to a war on terror. U. S. President Barack Obama has rarely used the term, in March 2009 the Defense Department officially changed the name of operations from Global War on Terror to Overseas Contingency Operation. In March 2009, the Obama administration requested that Pentagon staff members avoid the use of the term, basic objectives of the Bush administration war on terror, such as targeting al Qaeda and building international counterterrorism alliances, remain in place. Because the actions involved in the war on terrorism are diffuse, jackson cites among many examples a statement by John Ashcroft that the attacks of September 11 drew a bright line of demarcation between the civil and the savage. Administration officials also described terrorists as hateful, treacherous, barbarous, mad, twisted, perverted, without faith, parasitical, inhuman, Americans, in contrast, were described as brave, loving, generous, strong, resourceful, heroic, and respectful of human rights. The origins of al-Qaeda can be traced to the Soviet war in Afghanistan, a small number of Afghan Arab volunteers joined the fight against the Soviets, including Osama bin Laden, but there is no evidence they received any external assistance. On 7 August 1998, al-Qaeda struck the U. S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 people, the plant produced much of the regions antimalarial drugs and around 50% of Sudans pharmaceutical needs. The strikes failed to kill any leaders of WIFJAJC or the Taliban, next came the 2000 millennium attack plots, which included an attempted bombing of Los Angeles International Airport
29.
Presidential Unit Citation (United States)
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The unit with the most Presidential Unit Citations is the USS Parche with 9 citations. The Army citation was established by Executive Order 9075 on 26 February 1942, superseded by Executive Order 9396 on Dec.2,1943, as with other Army unit citations, the PUC is in a larger frame than other ribbons, and is worn above the right pocket. All members of the unit may wear the decoration, whether or not they participated in the acts for which the unit was cited. Only those assigned to the unit at the time of the action cited may wear the decoration as a permanent award, for both the Army and Air Force, the emblem is a solid blue ribbon enclosed in a gold frame. The Air Force PUC was adopted from the Army Distinguished Unit Citation after the Air Force became a military branch in 1947. By Executive Order 10694, dated Jan,10,1957 the Air Force redesignated the Distinguished Unit Citation as the Presidential Unit Citation. The Air Force PUC is the color and design as the Army PUC but slightly smaller. The Citation is carried on the units colors in the form of a blue streamer,4 ft long and 2.75 in wide. For the Army, only on rare occasions will a larger than battalion qualify for award of this decoration. The Navy citation was established by Executive Order 9050 on 6 February 1942, the Navy version has blue, yellow, and red horizontal stripes, and is the only Navy ribbon having horizontal stripes. These are only worn by persons who meet the criteria at the time it is awarded to the unit, unlike the Army, those who later join the unit do not wear it on a temporary basis. The current decoration is known as the Department of Homeland Security Presidential Unit Citation. A Coast Guard version of the award was awarded to all U. S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel responding to Hurricane Katrina by President George W. Bush for rescue, the United States Public Health Service Presidential Citation was established in 2015. The design was finalized by the Army Institute of Heraldry on 17 August 2015, two units of the Free French Forces were awarded Presidential Unit Citations during World War II. On April 22,1986, the 1st Fighter Group Força Aérea Brasileira was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions in the Po Valley region of Italy in World War II. The Brazilians, operating in Italy in support of Allied forces, destroyed in one day over 45 vehicles, strafed pontoon bridges on the River Po, eleven missions of 44 sorties were flown destroying nine motor transports and damaging 17. One Belgian-Luxembourgian battalion of the Belgian United Nations Command was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation once for actions during the Battle of the Imjin River, the Colombia Battalion received the citation while attached to the American 21st Infantry Regiment in 1951. One Dutch unit, the Netherlands Detachment United Nations, part of the Regiment Van Heutsz, was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation twice for actions during the Korean War, the first citation was awarded after the battle near Wonju and Hoengson in February 1951
30.
Navy Unit Commendation
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The Navy Unit Commendation is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. Normal performance of duty or participation in a number of combat missions does not, in itself. An award will not be made to a unit for actions of one or more of its component parts, unless the unit performed uniformly as a team, the NUC may be conferred upon the armed forces of friendly foreign nations serving with the U. S. Armed Forces, provided such units meet the established for Navy. Additional awards of the Navy Unit Commendation are denoted by 3⁄16 inch bronze stars, Military awards of the United States Armed Forces Military awards of the United States Department of the Navy An official Navy Unit Commendation, 2004-2005
31.
World War I Victory Medal (United States)
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The World War I Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was first created in 1919, designed by James Earle Fraser. The United States Army published orders authorizing the World War I Victory Medal in April 1919, the back of the bronze medal features The Great War For Civilization in all capital letters curved along the top of the medal. Curved along the bottom of the back of the medal are six stars, the top of the staff has a round ball on top and is winged on the side. The staff is on top of a shield that says U on the side of the staff. On left side of the staff it lists one World War I Allied country per line, France, Italy, Serbia, Japan, Montenegro, Russia, and Greece. On the right side of the staff the Allied country names read, Great Britain, Belgium, Brazil, Portugal, Rumania, to denote battle participation and campaign credit, the World War I Victory Medal was authorized with a large variety of devices to denote specific accomplishments. A silver star was authorized to be worn on the ribbon of the Victory Medal for any member of the U. S. Army who had been cited for gallantry in action between 1917 and 1920. The 3/16 inch Navy Commendation Star was authorized to any person who had been commended by the Secretary of the Navy for performance of duty during the First World War. The Navy Commendation Star was worn as a star on the World War I Victory Medal, identical in appearance to the Army’s Silver Citation Star. Unlike the Army’s version, however, the Navy Commendation Star could not be upgraded to the Silver Star medal, the following battle clasps, inscribed with a battles name, were worn on the medal to denote participation in major ground conflicts. For general defense service, not involving a battle, the Defensive Sector Battle Clasp was authorized. The clasp was awarded for any battle which was not already recognized by its own battle clasp. The World War I Victory Medal bears the clasps of the battles the U. S. Army participated in across the ribbon, not all battles are shown on the bar clasps. Only the battles designated as battles that would have bars issued were shown on the medal. The famous Battle of Chateau Thierry to hold the Chateau and the bridge as a joint effort between the US Army and the US Marines against the German machine gunners did not get awarded clasps. Navy battle clasps were issued for service in support of Army operations and had identical names to the Army battle clasps. There was a variation of the criteria dates for the Navy battle clasps. The Defensive Sector Clasp was also authorized for Navy personnel who had participated in combat but were not authorized a particular battle clasp
32.
American Defense Service Medal
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The American Defense Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces, established by Executive Order 8808, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on June 28,1941. The medal was intended to recognize military service members who had served on active duty between September 8,1939 and December 7,1941. A similar medal, known as the American Campaign Medal, was established in 1942, the American Defense Service Medal was established by Executive Order 8808, on 28 June 1941, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and announced in War Department Bulletin 17,1941. The criteria for the medal was announced in Department of the Army Circular 44, the service ribbon design was approved by the Secretary of War and the Secretary of Navy on January 7,1942. The medal was designed by Mr. Lee Lawrie, a sculptor from Easton. The model was approved by the Commission of Fine Arts on May 5,1942, the medal is authorized to military members who served on active duty between September 8,1939 and December 7,1941. The bronze medal is 1 1/4 inches in width, around the top is the lettering AMERICAN DEFENSE. The golden yellow color was symbolic of the opportunity of the youth of the United States to serve the National colors, represented by the blue, white. The foreign service clasp is a bronze bar 1/8 inch in width and 1-1/2 inches in length with the words FOREIGN SERVICE, base Clasp, Issued by the U. S. Navy and United States Marine Corps for service outside the continental limits of the United States. The Fleet clasp is a bronze bar 1/8 inch in width, sea Clasp, Issued by the Coast Guard for all other vessels and aircraft, not qualifying for the Fleet Clasp, which regularly conducted patrols at sea. A Device, Awarded to any member of the Navy who served duty in actual or potential belligerent contact with Axis Powers in the Atlantic Ocean between June 22 and December 7,1941. Service star, Worn in lieu of clasps when wearing the American Defense Service Medal as a ribbon on a military uniform, code of Federal Regulations National Defense Service Medal Foster, Frank C. A complete guide to all United States military medals,1939 to present, robles, Philip K. United States military medals and ribbons
33.
American Campaign Medal
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The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6,1942 by Executive Order 9265 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had performed military service in the American Theater of Operations during World War II. A similar medal, known as the American Defense Service Medal was awarded for active duty prior to the United States entry into World War II. The American Campaign Medal was established per Executive Order 9265,6 November 1942, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and announced in War Department Bulletin 56,1942. The criteria was initially announced in Department of the Army Circular 1, dated 1 January 1943, the criteria for the medal was announced in DA Circular 84, dated 25 March 1948 and subsequently published in Army Regulation 600-65, dated 22 September 1948. The American Campaign Medal was issued as a ribbon only during the Second World War. The first recipient of the American Campaign Medal was General of the Army George C, marshall, Jr. Permanently assigned as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean waters for a period of 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days. Outside the continental limits of the United States in a status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days. Within the continental limits of the United States for a period of 1 year. The medal, made of bronze, is 1 1/4 inches wide, the obverse was designed by Thomas Hudson Jones. It shows a Navy cruiser underway with a B-24 Liberator bomber flying overhead, in the foreground is a sinking enemy submarine, and in the background is the skyline of a city. At the top of the medal are the words AMERICAN CAMPAIGN and it depicts an American bald eagle between the dates 1941 -1945 and the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide in oriental blue in the center is a 1/8 inch center stripe divided into thirds of old glory blue, white, between the center and the edges are stripes of 1/16 inch in white, black, scarlet and white. 3/16 inch service stars were authorized to service members who participated in combat with Axis forces within the American Theater and this primarily applied to those service members whose units participated in anti-U-Boat patrols in the Atlantic. To qualify individuals must have been assigned to or attached to, and present for duty with, a complete guide to all United States military medals,1939 to present. Robles, Philip K. United States military medals and ribbons
34.
Korean Service Medal
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The Korean Service Medal is a military award for service in the United States Armed Forces and was created in November 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The United States Department of Defense declared thirteen official campaigns of the Korean War, some campaigns apply to all branches of the U. S. military, while others are branch specific. After 1954, the Korean Service Medal was no longer issued although the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was authorized for Korean service in the 1960s. As of 2004, a new medal known as the Korea Defense Service Medal was authorized for all post-Korean War service in the Republic of Korea, the KSM was designed by the Army Heraldic Section. The color scheme of the ribbon is derived from the Flag of the United Nations, the medal itself features a Korean gateway, most likely an iljumun, on the front, and a taegeuk on the reverse. The United Nations Service Medal for Korea was usually issued alongside the Korean Service Medal, beginning in 1999, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal was also awarded to United States service members who received the Korean Service Medal. The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is retroactively authorized to any United States Army veteran who served in Korea during the War
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Vietnam Service Medal
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The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to service during the Vietnam War by all members of the United States Armed Forces provided they meet the award requirements. The distinctive design has been attributed to both sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, an employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry and Mercedes Lee who created the design. The Vietnam Service Medal was awarded to all members of the United States Armed Forces serving in Vietnam, be attached to or regularly serve for 1 or more days aboard a U. S. naval vessel directly supporting military operations. Actually participating as a crewmember in one or more flights into airspace above Vietnam. No person will be entitled to more than one award of the VSM, individuals qualified for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for reason of service in Vietnam between 1 July 1958 and 3 July 1965 will remain qualified for that medal. Upon request any such individual may be awarded the VSM instead of the AFEM, in such instances, the AFEM will be deleted from the list of authorized medals in personnel records. No person will be entitled to awards for Vietnam service. Service members who earned the AFEM for Operation Frequent Wind between 29 and 30 April 1975, may elect to receive the VSM instead of the AFEM, no service member may be issued both medals for service in Vietnam. The VSM may be awarded posthumously, one 3⁄16 inch bronze service star is authorized for each campaign under the following conditions,1. Assigned or attached to and present for duty with a unit during the period in which it participated in combat, under orders in a combat zone and in addition meets any of the following requirements, a. Furnished a certificate by a Commanding General of a corps, higher unit, served at a normal post of duty. Aboard a vessel other than in a status and furnished a certificate by the home port commander of the vessel that he or she served in the combat zone. Was an evadee or escapee in the zone or recovered from a POW status in the combat zone during the time limitations of the campaign. POWs will not be accorded credit for the spent in confinement or while otherwise in restraint under enemy control. Though the Mayaguez incident is referred to as the last battle of the Vietnam War. Instead of the VSM, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is authorized for members who participated in that battle. A congressional bill was introduced in 2016 to award veterans of the Mayaguez battle the VSM, South Vietnam also issued its own service medal for the Vietnam War, known as the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
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Southwest Asia Service Medal
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The Southwest Asia Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by order of President George H. W. Bush on March 12,1991. The award is intended to recognize military service members who performed duty during the years of the Persian Gulf War. The medal was designed by Nadine Russell of the Armys Institute of Heraldry, the colors of the ribbon are tan, representing sand, with the black, white, red, blue, and green colors symbolizing the colors of coalition countries national flags. Individuals awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal must have participated in or supported military operations in Southwest Asia between August 2,1990 and November 30,1995. For those service members who performed service during the Persian Gulf War, such as support personnel in the United States. The award is not authorized for those who performed support of the Persian Gulf War from European or Pacific bases. Ribbon devices Bronze service star, for participation in each designated campaign, each recipient of the medal should wear at least one campaign star. Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia, for personnel on duty with. Service in Operations that extended beyond the final date of November 30,1995 were recognized by awards of either the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or the Armed Forces Service Medal. Thus, the number of bronze service stars that are authorized to be worn for the Southwest Asia Service Medals ribbon or streamer is three. In April 2016, the appearance of the suspension and service ribbon of the SASM was slightly modified by the United States Department of Defense through its Defense Logistics Agency. The DLA made the two vertical bars and one vertical black bar in the middle wider than in the original 1991 version
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Kosovo Campaign Medal
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The Kosovo Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces established by Executive Order 13154 of President Bill Clinton on May 3,2000. The medal recognizes service performed in Kosovo from March 24,1999 through December 31,2013. Kosovo Defense Campaign June 11,1999 to a date to be determined, while participating as a regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the area of operations in direct support of the military operations. Any one of the two campaigns Both campaigns Service stars are awarded for participation in either the Air Campaign or the Defense Campaign, two service stars may be awarded provided that two separate tours, exceeding the 30/60 day requirement, were performed in both the Defense and Air Campaigns. The Kosovo Campaign Medal is always awarded with at least one service star, the Fleet Marine Force combat operation insignia is also authorized for certain sailors. Behind the mountains a rising sun, and superimposed over the rays are the words. The stylized wreath of grain reflects the character of the area and its economy and symbolizes basic human rights while high-lighting the desire of all for peace. The rocky terrain, fertile valley, and mountain pass refer to the Dinartic Alps, the sunrise denotes the dawning of a new age of unity and hope, the right to forge a future of freedom, progress, and harmony, thus fulfilling the goal of the Alliance. Reverse In the center of a medallion, the outline of a map of the Yugoslavian Province of Kosovo. Beneath the map is a three-pointed star, in a circle surrounding the map and star are the words IN DEFENSE OF HUMANITY. The inscription reinforces the objective of the military action conducted during the campaign, the red, white, and blue were suggested by the NATO Alliances colors, and the red, white, and blue pinstripes represent the colors of the United States flag. Combat Zones Q-1, What geographic areas are considered combat zones, a-1, Combat zones are designated by an Executive Order from the President as areas in which the U. S. Armed Forces are engaging or have engaged in combat, there are currently three such combat zones, Arabian Peninsula Areas, beginning Jan. Kosovo area, beginning Mar.24, 1999—Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Albania, the Adriatic Sea, the AFEM area of eligibility mirrors that of the KCM, Wright explained, with the addition of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Hungary. The eligible area also encompasses Serbian land and airspace including Vojvodina, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, the Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 2, “Manual of Military Decorations and Awards” contains specific eligibility criteria
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Afghanistan Campaign Medal
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The medal was designed by the U. S. Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is retroactive to October 24,2001, and is active until a date to be determined, the medal is also awarded posthumously to any service member who dies in the line of duty within Afghanistan, including from non-combat injuries such as accidents and mishaps. The medal is bronze in appearance,1 1⁄4 inches in diameter and it depicts above a range of mountains a map of Afghanistan. Around the top is the inscription AFGHANISTAN CAMPAIGN, on the reverse, a radiating demi-sun superimposed by an eagle’s head couped. Inscribed across the half of the reserve side are the three lines FOR SERVICE IN AFGHANISTAN, enclosed by a laurel wreath. Both medals may not be received for the period of service in Afghanistan. Arrowhead device Awards and decorations of the United States military United Kingdom Afghanistan medal
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Iraq Campaign Medal
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The medal was designed by the U. S. Army Institute of Heraldry and was awarded during the Iraq War, from 29 November 2004 to 31 December 2011. The medal is bronze in appearance,1 1⁄4 inches in diameter, the obverse depicts a relief of the map of Iraq, surmounted by two lines representing the Tigris and Euphrates rivers throughout, superimposed over a palm wreath. Above is the inscription IRAQ CAMPAIGN, on the reverse, the Statue of Freedom surmounts a sunburst, encircled by two scimitars pointing down with the blades crossing at the tips. Below is the inscription FOR SERVICE IN IRAQ, the medal is suspended from a ribbon 1 3⁄8 inches wide. The stripes of the ribbon are, 5⁄32 inch scarlet at the edges, followed by 1⁄16 inch white, 1⁄32 inch green, the white is separated by a 5⁄32 inch black with a 7⁄16 inch stripe in chamois in the center. The Iraq Campaign Medal was awarded to any member of the U. S. military who performed duty within the borders of Iraq for a period of thirty days or sixty non-consecutive days. The medal was awarded retroactively from 19 March 2003 until the end of Operation New Dawn on 31 December 2011, the medal was also awarded posthumously to any service member who died in the line of duty within Iraq, including from non-combat injuries such as accidents and mishaps. On 23 April 2012, an order terminating the award of the Iraq Campaign Medal was issued by the Department of Defense, the order is effective to 31 December 2011, the day Operation New Dawn ended. U. S. military personnel serving inside the borders of Iraq after December 2011 will not be eligible to receive the ICM. U. S. However, the U. S. government dubbed their operations in Iraq post-2014 as Operation Inherent Resolve, and in March 2016, the IRCM is now awarded to those who have served in missions in Iraq against ISIS from June 2014 to the present. Those who were awarded the GWOTEM for serving in Iraq from June 2014 to March 2016 can put in a request for the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal instead. The Iraq Campaign Medal replaced the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for service in Iraq from 19 March 2003, personnel who previously received the GWOTEM for Iraq service were given the option to exchange the medal for the Iraq Campaign Medal. Both medals were not authorized for the period of service in Iraq. The Decorations and Medals of Operation Iraqi Freedom, claymont, DE, Orders and Medals Society of America
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Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
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The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by Executive Order 13289 on March 12,2003 by President George W. Bush. The award recognizes military service members who have supported operations to counter terrorism in the War on Terror from September 11,2001. In September 2002, the U. S. Department of Defense sent a request to the U. S. Army Institute of Heraldry to provide a design for a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. In January 2003, a design was completed, which was then approved, the following are the seven established operations for the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal recognized by the Department of Defense, The Coast Guard awards the medal for different operations. For those who were engaged in combat, killed, or wounded in the line of duty the time requirement is waived. The initial authorized operation for the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal was the so-called Airport Security Operation which occurred between September 27,2001 and May 31,2002, future operations are at the discretion of United States component commanders upon approval from the United States Department of Defense. The primary difference between the NDSM and the GWOTSM is that the NDSM is automatic as soon as a person joins the military whereas the GWOTSM may only be presented after thirty days of active duty. The GWOTSM was awarded automatically to all members on Active Duty between September 11,2001 and March 31,2004. While the award is no longer automatic, the date to be determined has not been set. The Battalion Commander is the authority for the GWOTSM. Service members are eligible for the medal provided they meet the criteria in AR 600-8-22. U. S. Army soldiers serving on active duty primarily in a training status are not authorized award of the GWOTSM for the duty time they are in training. The criteria for the awards specifically states that a Soldier has to serve on duty in support of a designated GWOT operation for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days. Army soldiers in a training status are “not” supporting these designated operations, regulations for rating the GWOTSM are the same in both the Navy, the Marine Corps, and Military Sealift Command for those who serve on both active duty, reserve duty, and support. Essentially,30 days of duty or 60 days of non-consecutive duty in support of approved organizations. Personnel who are still in their initial training are not eligible. Eligibility begins when they reach their first permanent duty station, Civilian Mariners attached to Military Sealift Commands supply ships may be eligible for the Global War on Terrorism Civilian Service Medal. Air Force service members were first awarded the GWOTSM for conducting airport security operations in the fall and it was subsequently awarded for participation or support of Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom
First award: any one of four conflicts
