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Department of Defense Authorizes Service Stars on the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
DOD News 9 February 2015
The Department of Defense announced today that effective immediately, service members are authorized to wear
Service Stars on their Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medals (GWOT-EM) to represent deployments in
support of approved GWOT operations.
Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jessica Wright signed a memorandum authorizing the new
policy change retroactive to Sept. 11, 2001.
Only one GWOT-EM is awarded for each approved operation. For example, a service member who was awarded
the medal for an Operation Enduring Freedom deployment, and is subsequently authorized a second award for an
Operation Inherent Resolve deployment would wear a single Service Star on the GWOT-EM to denote both awards.
The five GWOT-EM approved operations are:
Operation Inclusive Dates
ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) Sep 11, 2001 – TBD
IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) Mar 19, 2003 – Aug 31, 2010
NOMAD SHADOW (ONS) Nov 5, 2007 – TBD
NEW DAWN (OND) Sep 1, 2010 – Dec 31, 2011
INHERENT RESOLVE (OIR) June 15, 2014 – TBD
This policy change does not adjust criteria for award of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal or the Iraq Campaign
Medal (ICM).
Full eligibility criteria for the GWOT-EM are contained in Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 2, Manual
of Military Decorations and Awards: DoD Service Awards – Campaign, Expeditionary, and Service Medals.
Additionally, each military department will prescribe procedures for service members’ requests for award of GWOT-
EM Service Stars.
The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is positioned above the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
in precedence, and directly follows the Kosovo Campaign Medal.
See Also the list of associated areas of eligibility for each approved GWOT-EM operationDoD Memorandum