Eligibility for GWOT medals expands

[thedrifter]

Eligibility for GWOT medals expands

By Jim Tice - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jan 11, 2007 23:18:12 EST

Six countries have been added to the list of designated areas of eligibility for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. All but one of them are in Africa.

Soldiers serving in Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Tanzania or Tunisia on or after Sept. 11, 2001, in support of anti-terrorist actions or operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom may be awarded the medal if they meet the criteria of the Army’s newly revised military awards regulation, AR 600-8-22.

The list of eligible areas now totals 60.

To earn the award, soldiers must meet one of the following criteria:

-- Be assigned, attached or mobilized to a unit participating in anti-terrorist operations for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days in a designated area of operations.

-- Be engaged in combat under circumstances of grave danger of death or bodily injury from enemy action, regardless of time served in the area of operations.

-- Be killed, wounded or injured, and require medical evacuation from the area of operation, while serving in an anti-terrorist operation, regardless of time spent there.

-- Be assigned as a regular aircrew member flying support sorties out of, within or over the area of operation.

Only one award of the medal is authorized per soldier. However, bronze battle stars may be awarded for combat actions at the request of the senior combatant commander and with approval from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Areas of eligibility for the award of the medal are:

-- Algeria

-- Azerbaijan

-- Bahrain

-- Bosnia-Herzegovina

--Bulgaria (Bourgas)

--Chad

--Colombia

--Crete

--Cyprus

--Diego Garcia

--Djibouti

--Egypt

--Eritrea

--Ethiopia

--Georgia

--Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

--Hungary

--Iran

--Israel

--Jordan

--Kazakhstan

--Kenya

--Kosovo, but only specific anti-terrorist operations not associated with operations that qualify for the Kosovo Campaign Medal

--Kuwait

--Kyrgyzstan

--Lebanon

--Mali

--Mauritania

--Niger

--Nigeria

--Oman

--Pakistan

--Philippines

--Qatar

--Romania (Constanta)

--Saudi Arabia

--Senegal

--Sierra Leone

--Somalia

--Syria

--Tajikistan

--Tanzania

--Tunisia

--Turkey

--Turkmenistan

--Uganda

--United Arab Emirates

--Uzbekistan

--Yeman

--The Arabian Sea north of 10 degrees north latitude and west of 68 degrees longitude

--Bab el Mandeb

--Gulf of Aden

--Gulf of Aqaba

--Gulf of Oman

--Gulf of Suez

--The Mediterranean Sea east of 28 degrees east longitude, as well as boarding and searching vessel operations

--Persian Gulf

--Red Sea

--Strait of Hormuz

--Suez Canal

Ellie