Iraq Campaign Military Medal & Military Ribbon

a. Authorization. E.O. 13363 of 29 November 2004.

b. Iraq Campaign Medal Eligibility Requirements

(1) Service by military personnel in direct support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) in the designated area of eligibility (AOE), which encompasses all land area of the country of Iraq, the contiguous waters of Iraq out to 12 nautical miles, and all air space above these waters and land area. The period of eligibility is 19 March 2003 to December 31, 2011. Effective 1 May 2005, the Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM) is the only award authorized for service in the Iraq AOE. See paragraph 14(f) below for guidelines to determine eligibility for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOTEM) and ICM prior to 1 May 2005. Personnel who deployed in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH and subsequently transitioned into OIF on or after 19 March 2003, must elect to receive either the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the GWOTEM, or the ICM. Personnel may not be authorized more than one of these medals for a single deployment.

(2) Service members must have been assigned, attached, or mobilized to units operating in the AOE for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days, or meet one of the following criteria:

(a) Be engaged in actual combat during an armed engagement, regardless of time in the AOE.

(b) Be wounded, killed, or injured requiring medical evacuation from the AOE, while participating in an operation or on official duties. Non-combat medical evacuation does meet the qualification criteria.

(c) Participate as a regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the AOE in direct support of military operations. Each day that one or more sorties are flown, into, out of, within, or over the AOE shall count as one day towards the 30 or 60-day requirement.

c. Subsequent Awards. There will be no subsequent awards of the Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM); therefore, service stars are not authorized.

d. Awarding Authority

(1) Navy Personnel. Commanding officers exercising Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal authority are authorized to award the Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM). Commands shall make the appropriate service record entries and issue the medals. The miniature bronze Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation emblem may be authorized for qualified Navy personnel who have engaged in actual combat; see Chapter 1, Article 123.

(2) Marine Corps Personnel. Unit commanders are authorized to issue the Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM) to personnel assigned to their command who meet the eligibility criteria.

(3) Navy personnel attached to DoD, Joint, or other non- DON commands who believe they meet the eligibility criteria should have their command confirm eligibility and submit the appropriate service record documentation. Marines shall submit confirming documentation to their administrative chain of command for recording in MCTFS and entry into their Official Military Personnel File.