The Army has defined the requirements for the wearing of bronze service stars with the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
As previously reported, the Defense Department announced Feb. 13 that Operation Freedom Sentinel is a qualifying operation for the award of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2015.
Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan, which began Sept. 1, 2001, was terminated Dec. 31, 2014, along with the Transition I campaign phase of that operation.
Transition II began Jan. 1 as a new campaign phase for the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Under guidance to be provided in the Army's military awards regulation, AR 600-8-22, one bronze service star should be worn on the suspension and campaign ribbon of the ACM to denote participation in each designated campaign.
Should a soldier's initial period of deployment overlap one or more of the approved campaign phases listed below, the soldier will be credited with participation in each campaign phase, and be entitled to a bronze service star for each campaign phase.
Bronze service stars are not authorized for periods when the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal was awarded in lieu of the ACM.
The changes are effective immediately, and will be included in the next revision of AR 600-8-22, according to information released March 4 by the Human Resources Command.
Operations
Enduring Freedom: Sept. 11, 2001-Dec. 31, 2014
Freedom's Sentinel: Jan. 1, 2015- to be determined
Campaign Phases
Liberation of Afghanistan: Sept. 1, 2001-Nov. 30, 2001
Consolidation I: Dec. 1, 2001-Sept. 30, 2006
Consolidation II: Oct. 1, 2006-Nov. 30, 2009
Consolidation III: Dec. 1, 2009-June 30, 2011
Transition I: July 1, 2011-Dec. 31, 2014
Transition II: Jan. 1, 2015- to be determined
