Product Details
Armed Forces Expeditionary Award box set consist of the large medal, ribbon, and lapel pin mounted inside the presentation box.
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. The medal is awarded for participation in "any military campaign of the United States for which no other service medal is authorized." Additional awards of the medal are denoted by service stars, with the arrowhead device also authorized for United States Army personnel who are awarded the medal through participation in an airborne or amphibious assault. The Fleet Marine Force combat operation insignia is also authorized for certain sailors.
Since its original conception over forty years ago, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal has been awarded for United States participation in over forty five designated military campaigns. The first campaign of the AFEM was the Cuban Missile Crisis and the award was issued for military service between October 1962 and June 1963. Following this original issuance, the AFEM was made retroactive to 1958 and issued for actions in Lebanon, Taiwan, Republic of the Congo, Quemoy and Matsu, and for duty in Berlin between 1961 and 1963.
During the early years of the Vietnam War, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was issued for initial operations in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was intended to replace the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal and Navy Expeditionary Medal. In 1965, with the creation of the Vietnam Service Medal, the AFEM was discontinued for Vietnam War service. As the Vietnam Service Medal was retroactively authorized, those personnel who had previously received the AFEM were granted the option to exchange the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for the Vietnam Service Medal. In 1968, the AFEM was awarded for Naval operations in defense of the USS Pueblo, which was seized by North Korea, as well as for Korean Service, and awarded for Thailand and Cambodia operations in 1973. Because of these awards during the Vietnam war period, some military personnel have been awarded both the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal & the Vietnam Service Medal. After the close of the Vietnam War, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was issued for various military operations in Panama, Grenada, and Libya Operation El Dorado Canyon. The AFEM has been issued for numerous operations in the Persian Gulf, most notably Operation Earnest Will, which began in 1987 and lasted until the eve of Operation Desert Storm.[4] Following the close of Desert Storm,[5] and the engagement in peacekeeping and sanction missions against Iraq, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was issued again for several operations such as Operation Northern Watch, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Vigilant Sentinel. The medal is also authorized for several United Nations actions, such as peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia and Somalia. In 2003, with the creation of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the AFEM was discontinued for Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. After 18 March 2003, some personnel became eligible for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, as well as the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Only one medal may be awarded, however, and individuals or units that deployed to the Gulf for Operation Southern Watch, and then immediately transitioned to Operation Iraqi Freedom, are not eligible for both medals.
Beginning in 1992 an effort was begun to phase out the AFEM in favor of campaign specific medals and the newly created Armed Forces Service Medal. To date, however, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is still listed on official precedence charts and the award is still considered an active service medal.
A complete listing of approved operations for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is as follows:
Quemoy and Matsu Islands: 23 August 1956 - 1 June 1963
Lebanon: 1 July - 1 November 1958
Taiwan Straits: 23 August 1958 - 1 January 1959
Vietnam (General Service): 1 July 1958 - 3 July 1965
Democratic Republic of the Congo: 14 July 1960 - 1 September 1962
Laos: 19 April 1961 - 7 October 1962
Berlin: 14 August 1961 - 1 June 1963
Cuba: 24 October 1962 - 1 June 1963
Congo: 23 - 27 November 1964
Dominican Republic: 28 April 1965 - 21 September 1966
Korea: 1 October 1966 - 30 June 1974; also eligible for the Korean Defense Service Medal for same timeframe as a DOD exception to policy
Cambodia (Vietnam Support Operations): 29 March - 15 August 1973
Cambodia (Evacuation-Operation Eagle Pull): 11 - 13 April 1975
Thailand (Cambodia Support Operations): 29 March - 15 August 1973
Vietnam (Evacuation Operation Frequent Wind): 29 - 30 April 1975; may exchange AFEM for Vietnam Service Medal
Mayaga Operation: 15 May 1975
El Salvador: 1 January 1981 - 1 February 1992
Lebanon: 1 June 1983 - 1 December 1987
Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury): 23 October - 21 November 1983
Libya (Operation El Dorado Canyon): 12 - 17 April 1986
Persian Gulf (Operation Earnest Will): 24 July 1987 - 1 August 1990
Panama (Operation Just Cause): 20 December 1989 - 31 January 1990
Somalia (Operation Restore Hope, Operation United Shield): 5 December 1992 - 31 March 1995
Haiti (Operation Uphold Democracy): 16 September 1994 - 31 March 1995
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia: 1 June 1992 - 20 June 1998
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia, and Hungary (Operation Joint Guard): 20 December 1996 - 20 June 1998; also entitled to Armed Forces Service Medal for above same timeframe as an exception to policy
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, former Yugoslavia, (Operation Joint Endeavor): 20 November 1995 - 19 December 1998; also entitled to Armed Forces Service Medal for same timeframe as a DOD exception to policy
Southwest Asia (Operation Southern Watch): 1 December 1995 - 18 March 2003
Southwest Asia (Maritime Intercept Operation): 1 December 1995 - 18 March 2003
Southwest Asia (Operation Vigilant Sentinel): 1 December 1995 - 15 February 1997
Southwest Asia (Operation Northern Watch): 1 January 1997 - 18 March 2003
Southwest Asia (Operation Desert Thunder): 11 November - 22 December 1998
Southwest Asia (Operation Desert Fox): 16 - 22 December 1998
Southwest Asia (Operation Desert Spring): 31 December 1998 - 18 March 2003
Yugoslavia (Operation Joint Forge): 21 June 1998 - 2 December 2004
Haiti (Operation Secure Tomorrow): 29 February - 15 June 2004
