Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon

On 18 Jun 2003, the Secretary of the Air Force approved the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (AFESR) as recognition for deployed status. The AFESR is awarded to Air Force Active Duty, AFRes, and ANG personnel who complete a contingency deployment/Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) after 1 Oct 1999. "Deployed Status" is defined as either deployment on contingency, exercise, deployment (CED) orders or members sourced in direct support (in-theater or out) of expeditionary operations with an overnight away from home station. To qualify for the AFESR, individuals must have deployed for 45 consecutive days or 90 nonconsecutive days on a deployed status. Any contingency deployment qualifies (overseas or stateside), regardless of the duty, destination, or laction of the TDY. There is no time limit to accumulate the 90 nonconsecutive days. (Example: Members keep accumulating contingency TDY days untilt hey reach 90 days). Only one AFESR per deployment is authorized, regardless of number of consecutive days over 45 days the individual is deployed, and only one AFESR is authorized after accumulating a total of 90 nonconsecutive days. The intent of the ribbon is one AFESR for each deployment, provided the required number of deployment days are met.

In Apr 2004, the Secretary of the Air Force authorized the Gold Border (a device) to be worn on the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (AFESR) to represent participation in combat operations who were engaged in conducting or support combat operations in a designated combat zone. A "Combat Zone" is defined as a geographic area designated by the President via executive order, or a qualified hazardous duty area in which a member is receiving imminent danger/ hostile fire pay (IDP/HFP). "Combat Action" is defined as when a member is subject to hostile fire, explosion, or is engaged in employing lethal weapons (kinetic/non-kinetic). To be awarded the AFESR with Gold Border (AFESR w/GB), members must be/have been assigned to an Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) Plan Identification (PID) or on contingency exercise deployment (CED) orders and have been receiving IDP/HFP. Aircrew members who engage in combat action must be assigned on aeronautical orders in direct support of a combat zone.

Authorized Device: Oak Leaf Cluster.

This Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon is manufactured by the same government contractor that supplies the U.S. Army, Air Force and Army/Air Force Post Exchanges, it's quality is guaranteed.