The Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) is a military award of the United States military that was created on January 11, 1996, by President Bill Clinton under . The AFSM is a deployed service medal that is presented to those service members who engage in "significant activity" for which no other U.S. campaign or service medal is authorized.

Appearance The Armed Forces Service Medal is a round bronze medal in diameter. The obverse of the medal bears a demi-torch, as held by the Statue of Liberty, with rays radiating from behind the torch. Encircling at the top is the inscription ARMED FORCES SERVICE MEDAL. The reverse bears the eagle found on the United States Department of Defense seal. Below is a laurel wreath with the inscription IN PURSUIT OF DEMOCRACY at the top.

The suspension and ribbon of the medal are wide and consists of the following edge stripes from outside edge to the center: goldenlight, jungle green, green, mosstone green, and goldenlight. The center stripe is wide in bluebird.

Criteria The Armed Forces Service Medal is the non-combat parallel of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal which is normally awarded for combat operations and other combat support missions.

The AFSM may be awarded to service members who, on or after June 1, 1992:

Participate, or have participated, as members of U.S. military units, in a designated U.S. military operation deemed to be a significant activity. Encounter no foreign armed opposition or imminent hostile action.

The term "significant activity" is determined by theater commanders and is normally deemed to be participation in a U.S. military operation considered to hold a high degree of scope, impact, and international significance that the operation warrants the presentation of a permanent service medal.

Service members must have been permanently assigned, attached, or detailed to a unit that deployed to participate in a designated U.S. operation within the area of eligibility for 30 consecutive days (or for the full period when an operation is less than 30 days) or for 60 non-consecutive days.

Aircrew members must have participated as a regular assigned crew member on an aircraft flying into, out of, within, or over the area of eligibility in direct support of the designated military operation for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days. One day of service is credited for the first sortie flown on any day. Additional sorties flown on the same day receive no further credit.

The AFSM may be authorized for U.S. military operations for which no other U.S. campaign or service medal is appropriate such as: Peacekeeping operations Prolonged humanitarian operations U.S. military operations in direct support of the United Nations (UN) or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and for operations of assistance to friendly foreign nations. The award is only appropriate if the NATO, UN, or foreign operation involves a concurrent U.S. military support operation.

The AFSM is not authorized for participation in national or international exercises. For operations in which personnel of only one military department participate, the AFSM will be awarded only if there is no other suitable award available to the department.

Additional awards and devices One award of the Armed Forces Service Medal is authorized for each designated military operation. Only one AFSM is awarded for multiple deployments for the same designated operation. Subsequent awards are denoted by wearing a bronze service star on the AFSM suspension and service ribbon. A silver service star is worn in lieu of five bronze service stars.

Approved operations Approved U.S. Military Operations for the Armed Forces Service Medal Area or Operation Start date End dateOperation Maritime Monitor1 June 19921 December 1992Operation Provide Promise2 June 199215 February 1996Operation Deny Flight12 April 19932 December 1995Operation Sharp Guard15 June 199320 September 1996Task Force Able Sentry in support of United Nations Preventive Deployment Force12 July 199331 March 1999Operation Uphold Democracy1 April 199531 January 2000Operation Joint Endeavor20 November 199519 December 1996Operation Provide Comfort1 December 199531 December 1996Operation Joint Guard20 December 199620 June 1998Operation Joint Forge21 June 19982 December 2004Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita relief efforts27 August 2005 27 February 2006Operation Jump Start15 May 200615 July 2008Operation Unified Response14 January 20101 June 2010Operation United Assistance16 September 201430 June 2015Operation Oaken Steel12 July 201626 January 2017DoD Support to Customs and Border Protection including Operation Faithful Patriot7 April 2018TBDCOVID-19 response31 January 20201 June 2023Capital Response I & II and the Presidential Inauguration6 January 202123 May 2021Operation Allies Refuge (OAR) & Allies Welcome (OAW) army.mil] Approval of the AFSM- OAR issued 16 March 202331 August 20211 April 2022Israeli Defense in 12-Day War (USS Arleigh Burke)15 August 202416 December 2024Operation Rising Lion (USS Arleigh Burke)12 June 202524 June 2025 As an exception to Department of Defense policy, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Armed Forces Service Medal may be awarded concurrently for Operations Joint Guard and Joint Endeavor. While Operation Sharp Guard was conducted during the Bosnia War, the Veterans of Foreign Wars refuses to accept Veterans of the Bosnian War who received the Armed Forces Service Medal.

See also Humanitarian Service Medal

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