Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary

In March 2003, the President approved the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-E) for award to Active Duty, ANG, and AFRes personnel as recognition for their service in the Global War on Terrorism.

Individuals must have served in one of the following designated, specific geographical areas of eligibility (AOE) to be eligible for the GWOT-E: The land area, airspace, or waters of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria (Bourgas), Crete, Cyprus, Diego Garcia, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo (only specified GWOT operations not associated with operations qualifying for the Kosovo Campaign Medal), Kuwait, Kyrgystan, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Romania (Constanta), Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey (entire country), Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen, that portion of the Arabian Sea North of 10 Degrees N Latitude and West of 68 Degrees Longitude, Bab El Mandeb, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Aqaba, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Suez, the Mediterranean Sea ("boarding and searching" vessel operations), Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz, and Suez Canal. Under no conditions will units or personnel within the US be eligible for the GWOT-E.

Eligibility - Individuals must have deployed abroad, on or after 11 September 2001 to a date to be determined, for service in Operations ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) or IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) and meet one of the following criteria:

Assigned, attached, or mobilized to a unit participating in OEF/OIF and serving for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days (there is no time limit required for nonconsecutive days to be accumulated).

Be engaged in actual combat against the enemy and under circumstances involving grave danger or death or serious bodily injury from enemy action, regardless of time served in OEF/OIF.

Killed, wounded or injured requiring medical evacuation from OEF/OIF.

Service as a regularly assigned crew member flying sorties into, out of, within or over the AOE in direct support of OEF/OIF are eligible to qualify for award of the GWOT-E. Each day that one or more sorties are flow shall count as one day toward the 30 consecutive/60 nonconsecutive day requirement.

Service Members who were awarded the GWOT-E for deploying in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM to Afghanistan or Operation IRAQI FREEDOM to Iraq may be authorized to exhange the GWOT-E for the either the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (AFGM) or the Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM) during the following inclusive periods:

AFGM: 24 October 2001 to 30 April 2005.

ICM: 19 March 2003 to 30 April 2005.

Effective 1 May 2005, Service Members will no longer receive the GWOT-E for deployments in support of OEF to Afghanistan, or OIF to Iraq. All other OEF/OIF deployments to areas listed above will be authorized the GWOT-E.

This Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Ribbon is manufactured by the same government contractor that supplies the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and the Armed Forces Exchanges, it's quality is guaranteed.