Iraq Campaign Medal

The medal is bronze in appearance, {{convert|1+1/4|in|mm}} in diameter. The obverse depicts a north-oriented relief of the map of Iraq, surmounted by two lines representing the Tigris and Euphrates rivers throughout, superimposed over a palm wreath. Above is the inscription "IRAQ CAMPAIGN." On the reverse, the Statue of Freedom surmounts a sunburst, encircled by two scimitars pointing down with the blades crossing at the tips. Below is the inscription "FOR SERVICE IN IRAQ." The medal is suspended from a ribbon {{convert|1+3/8|in|mm}} wide. The stripes of the ribbon invoke the colors of the Iraqi flag and are: {{frac|5|32}} inch scarlet at the edges, followed by {{frac|1|16}} inch white, {{frac|1|32}} inch green, and {{frac|1|16}} inch white. The white is separated by a {{frac|5|32}} inch black with a {{frac|7|16}} inch stripe in chamois in the center.

The Iraq Campaign Medal was awarded to any member of the U.S. military who performed duty within the borders of Iraq (or its territorial waters) for a period of thirty consecutive days or sixty non-consecutive days. The medal was awarded retroactively from 19 March 2003 until the end of Operation New Dawn on 31 December 2011.{{cite web |url=https://www.hrc.army.mil/TAGD/Afghanistan%20Campaign%20Medal%20or%20Iraq%20Campaign%20Medal |title=MILPER Message 12-148 |publisher=United States Army|access-date=2 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911070806/https://www.hrc.army.mil/TAGD/Afghanistan%20Campaign%20Medal%20or%20Iraq%20Campaign%20Medal |archive-date=11 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}

Personnel who engaged in combat with an enemy force, or personnel wounded in combat or wounded as a result of a terrorist attack within Iraq received the Iraq Campaign Medal regardless of the number of days spent within the country.

In addition, each day participating in aerial missions as a "regularly assigned air crewmember of an aircraft flying sorties into, out of, within or over Iraq and in direct support of the military operations" established a single day of eligibility. When the required minimum days of eligibility were accrued, the medal was then awarded.{{cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2005-11-02/html/05-21519.htm|title=Federal Register, Volume 70 Issue 211 (Wednesday, November 2, 2005)|website=gpo.gov|access-date=2 April 2018}}

The medal was also awarded posthumously to any service member who died in the line of duty within Iraq, including from non-combat injuries such as accidents and mishaps.[http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=8371 "DoD Announces Criteria for Two New Campaign Medals"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110530074418/http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=8371 |date=30 May 2011 }} United States Department of Defense 7 April 2005[https://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=11848 Campaign Stars to Adorn Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110530062007/http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=11848 |date=30 May 2011 }} United States Department of Defense 7 April 2005

On 23 April 2012, an order terminating the award of the Iraq Campaign Medal was issued by the Department of Defense. The order is effective to 31 December 2011, the day Operation New Dawn ended. U.S. military personnel serving inside the borders of Iraq after December 2011 will not be eligible to receive the ICM.{{cite web|title=Afghanistan Campaign Medal or Iraq Campaign Medal |url=https://www.hrc.army.mil/TAGD/Afghanistan%20Campaign%20Medal%20or%20Iraq%20Campaign%20Medal |work=Awards and Decorations Branch Article |publisher=Army Human Resource Command |access-date=3 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911070806/https://www.hrc.army.mil/TAGD/Afghanistan%20Campaign%20Medal%20or%20Iraq%20Campaign%20Medal |archive-date=11 September 2015 }}

The Iraq Campaign Medal replaced the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) for service in Iraq from 19 March 2003, through 30 April 2005. Personnel who previously received the GWOT-EM for Iraq service were given the option to exchange the medal for the Iraq Campaign Medal. The medals were not authorized for the same period of service in Iraq, and any Iraq service which followed the Iraq Campaign Medal's creation was recognized only with the ICM.{{cite web|url=http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/05/army-iraq-campaign-medal-ended-053112/ |title=DoD terminates Iraq Campaign Medal – Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq |publisher=Army Times |access-date=2012-05-31}}

{{main article|American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)}}

U.S. military personnel serving post-2014 in the Iraq conflict were originally awarded the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) and not the Iraq Campaign Medal as the latter conflict had ended and the former conflict was nameless at the time and the U.S. government did not designate the fighting to be a military campaign.{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/219402-service-members-not-eligible-for-medals-in-isis-campaign/|title=Troops not eligible for campaign medal in fight against ISIS|first=Garrett|last=Evans|date=1 October 2014|website=thehill.com|access-date=2 April 2018}} However, the U.S. government dubbed their operations in Iraq post-2014 as "Operation Inherent Resolve", and in March 2016, the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal (IRCM) was created. The IRCM is now awarded to those who have served in missions in Iraq against ISIL from 15 June 2014 to the 30 JUNE 2022. Those who were awarded the GWOT-EM for serving in Iraq from 15 June 2014 to 30 March 2016, request the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal instead.{{Cite web|url=http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/708382/carter-announces-operation-inherent-resolve-campaign-medal |title=Carter Announces Operation Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal |date=30 March 2016 |first=Jim |last=Garamone |work=DoD News |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Defense Media Activity |access-date=30 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413045428/http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/708382/carter-announces-operation-inherent-resolve-campaign-medal |archive-date=13 April 2016 }}{{Cite web

|title=Inherent Resolve Campaign medal available to military service personnel

|work=Coin World

|url=http://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2016/04/inherent-resolve-campaign-medal-authorized.all.html

|date=8 April 2016

|last=Gilkes

|first=Paul

|access-date=8 April 2016

|page=2

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413045821/http://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2016/04/inherent-resolve-campaign-medal-authorized.all.html

|archive-date=13 April 2016

}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/03/isis-military-medal-crusades/476214/|title=The New Anti-ISIS Medal: A Bit Too Crusadery?|work=The Atlantic|date=March 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/uniforms/uniformregulations/Pages/NavyAwardsPrecedenceChart.aspx |title=Navy Awards Precedence Chart |access-date=8 April 2016 |date=2016 |work=Navy Personnel Command |publisher=United States Department of the Navy |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409012144/http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/uniforms/uniformregulations/Pages/NavyAwardsPrecedenceChart.aspx |archive-date=9 April 2016 }}

The following are the approved campaign phases and respective inclusive dates for the Iraqi Campaign Medal:{{cite web|url=https://prhome.defense.gov/Portals/52/Documents/RFM/MPP/OEPM/Docs/ICM%20-%20Approved%20Campaign%20Phases%20-%20Apr%202012.pdf|title=Iraqi Campaign Medal – Approved Campaign Phases|website=PRHome.Defense.gov|access-date=30 June 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13366|title=Additional Phases Identified for Iraq Campaign Medal|website=defense.gov|access-date=2 April 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14619 |title=News Release: Additional Phases Identified for Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals |publisher=Defense.gov |access-date=2012-05-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115161028/http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14619 |archive-date=15 January 2012 }}

Examples of campaign stars worn on the Iraqi Campaign Medal service ribbon:

The following ribbon devices are authorized for wear on the Iraqi Campaign Medal:{{cite web|title=Department of Defense Manual 1348.33, Volume 3|url=http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/134833v2_dodm_2016.pdf|publisher=Defense Technical Information Center|access-date=13 September 2017|pages=43–45|date=21 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912013545/http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodm/134833v2_dodm_2016.pdf|archive-date=12 September 2017|url-status=dead}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20040115025353/http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r600_8_22.pdf Army Regulation 600-8-22] [http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/afi36-2803.pdf Air Force Instruction 36-2803] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216113644/http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFI36-2803.pdf |date=16 February 2013 }}{{cite web|title=NAVADMIN 141/08|url=http://www.public.navy.mil/ia/Documents/NAV08141.txt|access-date=21 May 2008|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919132151/https://www.public.navy.mil/IA/Documents/NAV08141.txt|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last=Two Bulls|first=Richard|title=Campaign Stars Established to Recognize Multiple Deployments|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=37650|publisher=Naval Media Center Public Affairs|access-date=5 June 2008|archive-date=29 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929114609/https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=37650|url-status=dead}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20080916083532/http://www.uscg.mil/directives/cim/1000-1999/CIM_1650_25D.pdf Coast Guard Commandant Instruction 1650.25D]{{refbomb|date=March 2025}}

• 50px Campaign stars (all branches)
• 25px Arrowhead device (Army and Air Force)
• 25px Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia (Navy personnel assigned to a Marine Corps unit in combat)

• Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal
• Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
• Iraq Commitment Medal
• United Kingdom Iraq Medal (2003–2011)
• United Kingdom Iraq Medal (post-2003)

{{reflist}}

• {{Cite book

| last = Emering |first= Edward John|title= The Decorations and Medals of Operation Iraqi Freedom

| location = Claymont, DE |publisher= Orders and Medals Society of America|year= 2012| isbn= 978-1-890974-34-3}}

{{US interservice decorations}}

{{United States Campaign Medals}}

{{Portal bar|Heraldry|Iraq|United States}}

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Category:United States campaign medals

Category:Awards established in 2004