§ 578.25 - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

(a) Criteria. The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) was established by Executive Order 10977, dated December 4, 1961 (DA Bulletin. 1, 1962) and Executive Order 11231, July 8, 1965. This medal is authorized for:

(1) U.S. military operations.

(2) U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations.

(3) U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations.

(b) Requirements. The AFEM is awarded for services after July 1, 1958, meeting the following qualifications:

(1) Personnel must be a bona fide member of a unit and engaged in the operation, or meet one or more of the following criteria:

(i) Have served not less than 30 consecutive days in the area of operations.

(ii) Be engaged in direct support of the operation for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days, provided this support involves entering the area of operations. The qualifying criteria for non-unit direct support personnel in Grenada is 6 consecutive days or 12 non-consecutive days.

(iii) Serve for the full period where an operation is of less than 30 days duration.

(iv) Be engaged in actual combat, or duty which is equally as hazardous as combat, during the operation with armed opposition, regardless of time in the area.

(v) Participate as a regularly assigned crewmember of an aircraft flying into, out of, within, or over the area in support of the military operation.

(2) If the criteria above have not been fulfilled the individual must be recommended, or attached to a unit recommended, by the chief of a service or the commander of a unified or specified command for award of the medal. Such recommendations may be made to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) for duty of such value to the operation as to warrant particular recognition.

(c) The designated U.S. military operations, areas, and dates are provided in Table 4 below:

Table 4AreaDatesExplanationQuemoy and Matsu IslandsAugust 23, 1956 to June 1, 1963LebanonJuly 1, 1958 to November 1, 1958Taiwan StraitsAugust 23, 1958 to January 1, 1959BerlinAugust 14, 1961 to June 1, 1963CubaOctober 24, 1962 to June 1, 1963CongoNovember 23 to 27, 1964Dominican RepublicApril 28, 1965 to September 21, 1966KoreaOctober 1, 1966 to June 30, 1974Cambodia—Operation EAGLE PULLApril 11 to 13, 1975Evacuation of Cambodia.Vietnam—Operation FREQUENT WINDApril 29 to 30, 1975Evacuation of Vietnam (see § 578.26(e) for conversion of AFEM to VSM).Mayaguez OperationMay 15, 1975Grenada—Operation URGENT FURYOctober 23, 1983 to November 21, 1983The qualifying criteria for non-unit direct support personnel in Grenada is 6 consecutive days or 12 nonconsecutive days.Libya—Operation ELDORADO CANYONApril 12, 1986 to April 17, 1986Panama—Operation JUST CAUSEDecember 20, 1989 to January 31, 1990Haiti—Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACYSeptember 16, 1994 to March 31, 1995

(d) Designated U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations are provided in Table 5 below:

Table 5AreaDatesExplanationCongoJuly 14, 1960 to September 1, 1962Somalia—Operations RESTORE HOPE and UNITED SHIELDDecember 5, 1992 to March 31, 1995Former Republic of Yugoslavia—Operations JOINT ENDEAVOR and JOINT GUARDJune 1, 1992 to June 20, 1998Only for participants deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.Former Republic of Yugoslavia—Operation JOINT FORGEJune 21, 1998 to a date to be determined

(e) Designated U.S. operations of assistance for a friendly foreign nation are provided in Table 6 below:

Table 6AreaDatesExplanationVietnamJuly 1, 1958 to July 3, 1965LaosApril 19, 1961 to October 7, 1962CambodiaMarch 29, 1973 to August 15, 1973ThailandMarch, 29 1973 to August 15, 1973Only those in direct support of Cambodia operations.El SalvadorJanuary 1, 1981 to February 1, 1992LebanonJune 1, 1983 to December 1, 1987Persian Gulf—Operation EARNEST WILLJuly 24, 1987 (the date of the Bridgeton incident) to August 1, 1990The area of operations is the area from 20 degrees north latitude northward to 30 degrees, 30 minutes, north latitude and from 46 degrees, 36 minutes, east longitude eastward to 63 degrees east longitude. These geographical limits include the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Kuwait, the Gulf of Oman and most of Saudi Arabia.Southwest Asia:—Operation SOUTHERN WATCHDecember 1, 1995 to a date to be determined—Maritime Intercept OperationDecember 1, 1995 to a date to be determined—Vigilant SentinelDecember 1, 1995 to February 15, 1997—Operation NORTHERN WATCHJanuary 1, 1997 to a date to be determined—Operation DESERT THUNDERNovember 11, 1998 to December 22, 1998—Operation DESERT FOXDecember 16, 1998 to December 22, 1998—Operation DESERT SPRINGDecember 31, 1998 to a date to be determined

(f) One bronze service star is worn to denote subsequent award of the AFEM. To be eligible for additional awards, service must be rendered in more than one of the designated areas and dates specified in paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this section. No two awards will be made for service in the same designated area.

(g) Arrowhead device. The arrowhead device is a bronze replica of an Indian arrowhead 1/4-inch high. It denotes participation in a combat parachute jump, helicopter assault landing, combat glider landing, or amphibious assault landing, while assigned or attached as a member of an organized force carrying out an assigned tactical mission. A soldier must actually exit the aircraft or watercraft, as appropriate, to receive assault landing credit. Individual assault credit is tied directly to the combat assault credit decision for the unit to which the soldier is attached or assigned at the time of the assault. It is worn on the service and suspension ribbons of the AFEM when the unit is credited with assault landing credit. Only one arrowhead device will be worn on the ribbon.

(h) Description. The medal is bronze, 11/4 inches in diameter, an eagle, with wings addorsed and inverted, standing on a sword loosened in its scabbard, and super-imposed on a radiant compass rose of eight points, all within the circumscription “ARMED FORCES” above and “EXPEDITIONARY SERVICE” below with a sprig of laurel on each side. On the reverse 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”. The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: 3/32 inch Green 67129; 3/32 inch Golden Yellow 67104; 3/32 inch Spicebrown 67196; 3/32 inch Black 67138; 7/32 inch Bluebird 67117; 1/16 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118; 1/16 inch White 67101; 1/16 inch Scarlet; 7/32 inch Bluebird; 3/32 inch Black; 3/32 inch Spicebrown; 3/32 inch Golden Yellow; and 3/32 inch Green.