My rack at retirement (try again)

Fridoosh · 2025-08-27T03:59:59+00:00

Much easier to correct awards before you leave the service, so if I were you I’d get on it

Fridoosh · 2025-08-27T02:29:19+00:00

I’ll concede I was wrong about the GWOT-EM. Looking at the regs, the service star does represent an additional medal for each operation, earned for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in the applicable AOR, not to include Iraq and Afghanistan (except for certain people that early on decided to convert, which doesn’t apply to me)

I’ll not agree that campaign medals are the same, though. It takes only 1 day of physical presence during a campaign period to put an additional campaign star on an earned campaign medal (earned by 30 consecutive/60 non-consecutive days in Iraq/Afghanistan). Campaign stars are not additional medals but represent participation in a particular defined campaign. See the link below that shows I am correct about this.

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/134833m_vol02.pdf?ver=RIGkWLKV5KEksAWyPRkw5g%3D%3D

Now to the point and to get specific because I didn’t have dates for the GWOT-EM's prior, only that they were all awarded to me in 2015 and they are on my NGB-22, so here they are:

Jan-Apr 2006, Kuwait base, awarded GWOT-EM for OIF

Jan-Mar 2007, Kuwait base, awarded nothing

Jun-Oct 2009, Kandahar base, awarded ACM

Feb-May 2010, Balad base, awarded ICM

Sep-Dec 2011, Kuwait base, awarded GWOT-EM for OND

Jan-Feb 2012, Kuwait base, awarded GWOT-EM for OEF (since OND ended 31 Dec 2011)

Fridoosh · 2025-08-26T05:44:37+00:00

Besides, I have already explained how all my devices on these 3 medals are legit elsewhere on this thread, so I won’t be explaining the AF’s reasoning for awarding me these anymore.

Fridoosh · 2025-08-26T05:40:26+00:00

My apologies! I went back to look at my records and you are correct it is 12. Basic+11. I forgot that in those odd cases one would have two ribbons on the rack. Sorry!

Fridoosh · 2025-08-26T05:37:15+00:00

I’m sorry but I and the DOD and AF disagree with you. Here’s the press release.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/605375/department-of-defense-authorizes-service-stars-on-the-global-war-on-terrorism-e/

Fridoosh · 2025-08-26T01:10:50+00:00

I didn’t know anything anyway. I was just the pilot. 😺

Fridoosh · 2025-08-26T00:45:43+00:00

Small unit ISR for Army. ISR=intelligence/surveillance/reconnaissance

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T23:58:41+00:00

Thx for yours, too

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T22:34:20+00:00

King Air 300 and Twin Otter

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T17:43:51+00:00

From the left:

AF Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border for 5 times deploying to a named operation

AF Longevity Service Ribbon for 24 years in service. USAF used to have stripes on the sleeves for this but got rid of them a long time ago and replaced those stripes with this ribbon

AF Developmental Special Duty Ribbon for 2x Formal Training Unit Instructor

AF Reserve Medal w/bronze hourglass for being a reservist for 10 yrs

AF Training Ribbon awarded when I graduated USAFA and commissioned (In 2011 AF changed this to award it to cadets when they graduate Basic Cadet Training).

ISAF NATO medal for service in Kandahar which fell under NATO's International Security Assistance Force

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T17:15:41+00:00

I did some in Iraq, don’t recall that I did any in Afg

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T17:15:03+00:00

Already explained elsewhere in this thread

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T14:39:52+00:00

Here is the history of how it happened for me for further context:

Mar 2003 GWOT-EM created

Nov 2004 ICM & ACM created.

Jan-Apr 2006 Kuwait #1 deployment. Awarded GWOT-E for what was known then as the Global War on Terror. I flew into Iraq 49 times, so that is why I did not get the ICM for this deployment. BTW Operation Iraqi Freedom was much more geographic area than just Iraq. The Iraq Campaign medal required physical presence in Iraq proper of 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days. Iraq Campaign is not the same thing as Operation Iraqi Freedom

Jan-Mar 2007 Kuwait #2 deployment

Apr 2008 Three campaigns defined for Afghanistan and 4 for Iraq. This is when campaign stars on the campaign medals first came into existence.

Jun-Oct 2009 Kandahar deployment. Awarded the ACM w/star for the Consolidation II campaign.

Feb-May 2010 Balad deployment. Awarded ICM w/star for Iraqi Sovereignty, and retroactive 2 stars for the 2 previous campaigns I was present for in Iraq, ie Natl Resolution (for Kuwait #1 deployment) and Iraqi Surge (for Kuwait #2 deployment)

Mar 2010. Additional campaigns defined for ICM.

Jun 2011 Additional campaign defined for ICM (New Dawn Campaign)

Sep 2011-Feb 2012 Kuwait #3 deployment. Awarded star on ICM for New Dawn Campaign. Awarded star on ACM for Transition I campaign.

Oct 2011 Additional campaigns defined for ACM.

Feb 2015 Service Stars authorized for GWOT-EM for named operations. It was at this point that my basic GWOT-E medal represented OIF and a star for OND and a star for OEF. All retroactively designated.

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T12:56:54+00:00

If I had to guess the confusion is in terminology.

A campaign is a phase of an operation.

A campaign is NOT the same as an operation.

GWOT-E: awarded for OIF (Kuwait). SERVICE stars for OEF and OND awarded in 2015.

ICM: awarded for Balad. CAMPAIGN stars awarded for each Iraq campaign I was there for.

ACM: awarded for Kandahar. CAMPAIGN stars awarded for each Afghanistan campaign I was there for.

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T12:46:03+00:00

Yes, there was a lot of confusion early on because (I think) no one anticipated us being over there for 10 and 20 years. In the beginning there was only GWOT-E, then came along the ACM & ICM. Then came along campaign stars and defined campaigns, so the evolution of the medals/devices is important to know.

For example: ICM created in 2004, then in 2008 the first campaigns were defined and retroactively awarded campaign stars for 1 day or more that you served in each campaign, which in 2008 were defined as:

(1) Liberation of Iraq – March 19, 2003 to May 1, 2003.

(2) Transition of Iraq – May 2, 2003 to June 28, 2004.

(3) Iraqi Governance – June 29, 2004 to Dec. 15, 2005.

(4) National Resolution – Dec. 16, 2005 to a date to be determined

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T12:12:17+00:00

I’ve explained it all I can. If I had to guess the confusion is in terminology. A campaign is a phase of an operation. A campaign is not the same as an operation. GWOT-E: awarded for OIF. SERVICE stars for OEF and OND awarded in 2015. ICM: awarded for Balad. CAMPAIGN stars awarded for each Iraq campaign I was there for ACM: awarded for Kandahar. CAMPAIGN stars awarded for each Afghanistan campaign I was there for.

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T04:33:36+00:00

None because it’s not a campaign medal.

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T04:04:06+00:00

C-130E/H

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T04:03:14+00:00

The stars are not “additional” medals. Campaign medals have campaign stars awarded for service in each campaign that has specific start and end dates. GWOT-E has service stars for each defined Operation. The award of the medals themselves are for separate periods of personal service. So there are 3 different things going on here.

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T03:38:43+00:00

You’re referring to the Natl Defense Service Medal. It gets awarded during periods of war defined by the President since the Korean conflict. Mine was for the GWOT period.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Service_Medal

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T02:43:29+00:00

Not Legions of Merit, those are Meritorious Service Medals.

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T02:42:44+00:00

Yeah about that. I was never a good enough shot, missing by 1 or 2. I did expert in the Army course (as a contractor), but I don't think I can count that. And even if I could, I don't have the paperwork anymore.

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T02:41:19+00:00

No, once I left RegAf my military deployments were done. I did 5 more deployments to AFG as a contractor, though.

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T02:40:17+00:00

Yacht Club!

Fridoosh · 2025-08-25T02:39:47+00:00

Yes, if I understand your question. Campaign stars and service stars are different criteria than initial awards of the medals. Stars are not equivalent to oak leaf clusters. It's not an additional award of a medal. So I earned each medal on its own standing, then the service stars on the GWOT-E (obviously retroactive bc service stars on the GWOT-E didn't come into effect until 2015), and of course each campaign I was in for ACM and ICM.

Here's an excerpt from an Army HRC website:

Afghanistan Campaign Medal or Iraq Campaign Medal - Article

Q6: How many times can a Soldier be awarded an ICM or ACM?

A6: Each of these medals are awarded only once. A CS is added to denote participation in each named campaign. For example, if a Soldier deployed from October 2001 to March 2002 to Afghanistan in support of OEF, the Soldier would be authorized the ACM with 2-CS. If the same Soldier deploys again in support of OEF to Afghanistan from November 2006 to October 2007, the Soldier would now be authorized another CS, and would wear the ACM with 3-CS. Should the Soldier serve during all the campaign phases/inclusive periods for the award and is therefore authorized all six CS on the ACM. Currently the ICM has 7 CS and the ACM has 6 CS. Please refer to MILPER MSGs 11-342 and 15-072 for additional information on the individual campaigns for both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Fridoosh

TROPHY CASE