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f) Be recommended, or attached to a unit recommended, by the chief of a service or the commander of unified or specified command for award of the medal, although the criteria above have not been fulfilled. Such recommendations may be made to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) for duty of such value to the operation as to warrant particular recognition.

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Originally posted by K_T_F:
What is the contact information for the inquiry that you made to the U.S. Army Reserve Personnel Center? I have seen a number of posts here that lead me to believe that there may be some updates that were made after my ETS, especially some of the activities that my unit in Thailand was involved in during 1975.

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7th RRFS

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7th Radio Research Field Station

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JAN 75 to JAN 76

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C6.5. ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL (AFEM)
C6.5.1. Eligibility Requirements
C6.5.1.1. Personnel Eligible. The AFEM, authorized by E.O. 10977
(reference (u)), may be awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States
who after July 1, 1958:
C6.5.1.1.1. Participate, or have participated, as members of U.S. military
units in a U.S. military operation in which Service members of any Military Department
participate, in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in significant numbers.
C6.5.1.1.2. Encounter during such participation foreign armed opposition,
or are otherwise placed, or have been placed, in such position that, in the opinion of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, hostile action by foreign armed forces was imminent even though
it did not materialize.
C6.5.1.2. Categories of Operations. The AFEM may be authorized for the
following three categories of operations:
C6.5.1.2.1. U.S. military operations.
C6.5.1.2.2. U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations (U.N.).
C6.5.1.2.3. U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations.
C6.5.1.3. Definitions
C6.5.1.3.1. The "area of operations" is defined as follows:
C6.5.1.3.1.1. The foreign territory on which troops have actually
landed or are present and specifically deployed for the direct support of the designated
military operation.
C6.5.1.3.1.2. Adjacent water areas in which ships are operating,
patrolling, or providing direct support of operations.
C6.5.1.3.1.3. The air space above and adjacent to the area in which
operations are being conducted.
C6.5.1.3.2. "Direct support" is defined as services being supplied to the
combat forces in the area of operations by ground units, ships, and aircraft provided it
involves actually entering the designated area. That includes ships and aircraft providing
fire, patrol, guard, reconnaissance, or other military support.
C6.5.1.4. Degree of Participation. Service members must be bona fide
members of a unit engaged in the operation or meet one or more of the following
criteria:
C6.5.1.4.1. Be engaged in direct support for 30 consecutive days in the
area of operations (or for the full period when an operation is less than 30 days
duration) or for 60 nonconsecutive days provided this support involves entering the area
of operations.
C6.5.1.4.2. Be engaged in actual combat, or duty that is equally as
hazardous as combat duty, during the operation with armed opposition, regardless of
time in the area.
C6.5.1.4.3. Participate as a regularly assigned crew member of an aircraft
flying into, out of, within, or over the area in support of the military operations.
C6.5.1.5. Limitations on Awarding Medals. The medal shall be awarded only
for operations for which no other U.S. campaign medal is approved. However, this
does not prevent award eligibility for subsequent on-going operations if the associated
campaign medal has been terminated. No individual shall be eligible for both the
AFEM and a campaign medal awarded during a single tour in the designated operation.
For operations in which personnel of only one Military Department participate, the
medal shall be awarded only if there is no other suitable award available to that Department. The military service of the Service member on which qualification for the
award of the AFEM is based shall have been honorable.
C6.5.1.6. Election of the AFEM or Vietnam Service Medal. Service members
who earned the AFEM for service in Vietnam between July 1, 1958 and July 3, 1965,
may elect to receive the Vietnam Service Medal instead of the AFEM. However, no
Service member may be issued both medals for service in Vietnam.
C6.5.1.7. Wear of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) and
Southwest Asia Service Medal (SWASM). Service members who earned the SWASM
and subsequently become eligible at any time for the Operation SOUTHERN WATCH
AFEM may wear both awards, with the exception of those who become eligible for both
awards during one tour in Southwest Asia (SWA). Service members who become
eligible for both awards during their initial tour in SWA may elect to receive either the
SWASM or the AFEM, but may not be issued both medals for a single tour in SWA.
Service members who become eligible for both awards during their initial tour in SWA
and elect to receive the SWASM may be awarded the AFEM for participation in
Operation SOUTHERN WATCH during a subsequent tour in SWA under the Under
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Memorandum (reference (v)).
C6.5.2. Approval of Operations. Subsequent to July 1, 1958, the Joint Chiefs of
Staff shall designate U.S. military operations that qualify for the AFEM, and they shall
specify the degree of participation in designated operations warranting award of the
medal. Appendix 5 identifies those operations that have been approved by the Joint
Chiefs of Staff for award of the AFEM.
C6.5.3. Subsequent Awards. No more than one medal shall be awarded to any one
Service member. For each succeeding operation justifying such awards, a service star
shall be awarded and worn on the suspension and service ribbon of the medal.
C6.5.4. Manner of Wearing. The AFEM shall take precedence immediately after
the Antarctica Service Medal.
C6.5.5. Posthumous Awards. The AFEM may be awarded posthumously and, when
so awarded, may be presented to such representative of the deceased, as may be deemed
appropriate by the Secretary concerned.

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AP5. APPENDIX 5
OPERATIONS APPROVED FOR AWARD OF THE AFEM
U.S. MILITARY OPERATIONS
Lebanon 1 Jul 58 - 1 Nov 58
Taiwan Straits 23 Aug 58 - 1 Jan 59
Quemoy and Matsu Islands 23 Aug 58 - 1 Jun 63
Berlin 14 Aug 61 - 1 Jun 63
Cuba 24 Oct 62 - 1 Jun 63
Congo 23 Nov 64 - 27 Nov 64
Dominican Republic 28 Apr 65 - 21 Sep 66
Korea 1 Oct 66 - 30 Jun 74
Cambodia1 11 Apr 75 - 13 Apr 75
Vietnam2 29 Apr 75 - 30 Apr 75
Mayaquez Operation 15 May 75
Grenada Operation (URGENT FURY) 23 Oct 83 - 21 Nov 83
Eldorado Canyon (Attacks against forces in Libya) 12 Apr 86 - 17 Apr 86
Panama (Operation JUST CAUSE)3 20 Dec 89 - 31 Jan 90
Haiti (Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY) 16 Sep 94 - 31 Mar 95
U.S. OPERATIONS IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF THE U.N.
Congo 14 Jul 60 - 1 Sep 62
Somalia (Operation RESTORE HOPE)4 5 Dec 92 - 31 Mar 95
Somalia (UNITED SHIELD) 5 Dec 92 - 31 Mar 95
Iraq (SOUTHERN WATCH) 1 Dec 95 - TBD
U.S. OPERATIONS OF ASSISTANCE FOR FRIENDLY FOREIGN NATIONS
Vietnam 1 Jul 58 - 3 Jul 65
Laos 19 Apr 61 - 7 Oct 62
Cambodia 29 Mar 73 - 15 Aug 73
Thailand4 29 Mar 73 - 15 Aug 73
Lebanon5 1 Jun 83 - 1 Dec 87
Persian Gulf6 24 Jul 87 - 1 Aug 90
Persian Gulf (Operation SOUTHERN WATCH) 1 Dec 95 - TBD

1 Evacuation of Cambodia - Operation EAGLE PULL.
2 Evacuation of Vietnam - Operation FREQUENT WIND.
3 Besides the U.S. military forces who participated in Operation JUST CAUSE in the area of
operations, as defined by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the U.S.S. Vreeland (FF 1068),
and other Service-designated aircrew members who participated in actual air operations outside
of the CONUS including aerial refueling, combat air patrol, and airborne warning and control in
direct support of the military Operation JUST CAUSE, are also authorized award of the AFEM.
4 Only those in direct support of Cambodia and Somalia operations.
5 Department of the Navy Service members awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Expeditionary
Medals since June 1, 1983, and who meet the degree of participation criteria for the AFEM have the
option of accepting either their Service Expeditionary Medal or the AFEM.
6 Only those participating in, or in direct support of, Operation EARNEST WILL.
DoD 1348.33-M, September 1996
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