Afghanistan Campaign Medal

The Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by Executive Order 13363 of President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004, and became available for general distribution in June 2005. The medal was designed by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry.

The Afghanistan Campaign Medal is awarded to any member of the United States military who has performed duty within the borders of Afghanistan (or its airspace) for a period of thirty consecutive days or sixty non-consecutive days. The medal is retroactive to October 24, 2001, and was active until the conclusion of Operation Allies Refuge on August 31, 2021. Personnel who have been engaged in combat with an enemy force, or personnel who have been wounded in combat within Afghanistan, may receive the ACM regardless of the number of days spent within the country. The medal was also awarded posthumously to any service member who died in the line of duty within Afghanistan, including from non-combat injuries such as accidents and mishaps.

Campaign phases and devices

The following are the approved campaign phases and respective dates for the Afghanistan Campaign Medal:{{cite web, title=Afghanistan Campaign Medal or Iraq Campaign Medal , url=https://www.hrc.army.mil/TAGD/Afghanistan%20Campaign%20Medal%20or%20Iraq%20Campaign%20Medal , work=Awards and Decorations Branch Article , publisher=Army Human Resource Command , access-date=3 December 2012 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911070806/https://www.hrc.army.mil/TAGD/Afghanistan%20Campaign%20Medal%20or%20Iraq%20Campaign%20Medal , archive-date=11 September 2015
{, class="wikitable"
, -
!Phase
!From
!To
, -
, Liberation of Afghanistan
, September 11, 2001
, November 30, 2001
, -
, Consolidation I
, December 1, 2001
, September 30, 2006
, -
, Consolidation II
, October 1, 2006
, November 30, 2009
, -
, Consolidation III
, December 1, 2009
, June 30, 2011
, -
, Transition I
, July 1, 2011
, December 31, 2014
, -
, Transition II (Note 1)
, January 1, 2015
, August 31, 2021
, -
, align="left" colspan="3", Note 1: For Operation FREEDOM's SENTINEL pursuant to USD(P&R)
memorandum dated February 13, 2015, titled, "Afghanistan Campaign Medal –
Operation FREEDOM’s SENTINEL and Transition II Campaign Phase."

Examples of campaign stars worn on the Afghanistan Campaign Medal service ribbon:
{, class="wikitable"
, -
, {{ribbon devices, number=1, type=service-star, ribbon=Afghanistan Campaign Medal ribbon.svg, width=106 , , One of the six phases
, -
, {{ribbon devices, number=2, type=service-star, ribbon=Afghanistan Campaign Medal ribbon.svg, width=106 , , Two of the six phases
, -
, {{ribbon devices, number=3, type=service-star, ribbon=Afghanistan Campaign Medal ribbon.svg, width=106 , , Three of the six phases
, -
, {{ribbon devices, number=4, type=service-star, ribbon=Afghanistan Campaign Medal ribbon.svg, width=106 , , Four of the six phases
, -
, {{ribbon devices, number=5, type=service-star, ribbon=Afghanistan Campaign Medal ribbon.svg, width=106 , , Five of the six phases
, -
, {{ribbon devices, number=6, type=service-star, ribbon=Afghanistan Campaign Medal ribbon.svg, width=106 , , All six phases

The following ribbon devices are authorized for wear on the Afghanistan Campaign Medal:{{cite web, title=Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 3 , url=http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134833vol3.pdf , publisher=Defense Technical Information Center , access-date=16 October 2012 , page=51 , date=23 November 2010 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130226205442/http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134833vol3.pdf , archive-date=26 February 2013 Army Regulation 600-8-22
{{webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722181345/http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r600_8_22.pdf , date=2011-07-22 Air Force Instruction 36-2803
{{webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216113644/http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFI36-2803.pdf , date=2013-02-16 {{cite web, title=NAVADMIN 141/08, url=http://www.public.navy.mil/ia/Documents/NAV08141.txt, access-date=21 May 2008{{cite web, last=Two Bulls, first=Richard, title=Campaign Stars Established to Recognize Multiple Deployments, url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=37650, publisher=Naval Media Center Public Affairs, access-date=5 June 2008Coast Guard Commandant Instruction 1650.25D
/ref>

* Campaign stars (all branches)
* Arrowhead device (Army and Air Force)
* Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia (Navy personnel assigned to a Marine Corps unit in combat)

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

The Afghanistan Campaign Medal replaces the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) for service in Afghanistan and personnel who previously received the GWOT-EM for Afghanistan service may elect to exchange the medal for the ACM.{{cite web, title=Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 2, url=http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/134833v2_dodm_2016.pdf, publisher=Defense Technical Information Center, access-date=14 September 2017, pages=32–35, date=21 December 2016, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912013545/http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/134833v2_dodm_2016.pdf, archive-date=12 September 2017, url-status=dead Both medals may not be received for the same period of service in Afghanistan and any current Afghanistan service will only be recognized with the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.{{cite web, url=http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/julqtr/32cfr578.29.htm, title=Afghanistan Campaign Medal., website=edocket.access.gpo.gov

See also

*Awards and decorations of the United States military
* United Kingdom Afghanistan medal

References

{{Reflist

{{US interservice decorations
{{United States Campaign Medals
{{Portal bar, Heraldry, United States, War
{{Authority control

2004 establishments in the United States
Awards established in 2004
United States campaign medals