UNCLASSIFIED
ROUTINE
R 031512Z MAY 16
FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC
TO ALNAV
INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC
CNO WASHINGTON DC
CMC WASHINGTON DC
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UNCLAS

ALNAV 030/16

MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/MAY//

SUBJ/CHANGES TO THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL//

REF/A/MSG/SECNAV/312040ZJUL15//
REF/B/LTR/UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE/9FEB2015/NOTAL//
REF/C/LTR/UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE/11MAR2015/NOTAL//
REF/D/DOC/SECNAV/22AUG2006//
REF/E/MSG/SECNAV/031500ZMAY16//
NARR/REF A is ALNAV 062/15. REF B is Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel 
and Readiness) memorandum approving service stars for the Global War on 
Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. REF C is Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel 
and Readiness) memorandum approving Operation FREEDOMs SENTINEL as a 
qualifying operation for award of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary 
Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. REF D is SECNAVINST 
1650.1H Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual. REF E is ALNAV 029/16.//

RMKS/1.  Reference (a) is hereby cancelled.  This All Navy (ALNAV) message 
announces authorization of Service Stars for wear on the Global War on 
Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOTEM) and the approval of Operations 
INHERENT RESOLVE and FREEDOMs SENTINEL as designated operations for award of 
the GWOTEM per reference (b) and (c).  This ALNAV provides further medal 
election guidance to reference (e).  Paragraph 2 of this message 
recapitulates and updates the entire section of reference (d) pertaining to 
the GWOTEM.  Paragraph 3 provides additional administrative guidance.

2.  Article 420.14 of reference (d) shall now read as follows: Global War on 
Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
    a.  Authorization.  E.O. 13289 of 12 March 2003.
    b.  Eligibility Requirements
        (1) Service in direct support of the Global War on Terrorism
        by military personnel deployed abroad for designated operations in a
        specified Area of Eligibility (AOE).  The period of eligibility is
        11 September 2001 to a date to be determined by the Secretary of
        Defense (SECDEF).
        (2) A Service Member must be permanently assigned, attached,
        or mobilized to a unit participating in a designated operation for
        30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days.
        (3) Participation as a regularly assigned aircrew member
        flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the AOE in direct
        support of designated operations may also qualify for the
        GWOTEM.  Each day that one or more sorties are flown, into, out of,
        within, or over the AOE shall count as one day towards the 30 day
        consecutive or 60 day non-consecutive requirement.
        (4) The following are the only exceptions in which a Service
        Member who does not meet the 30 day consecutive or 60 non
        -consecutive day requirement may be awarded the GWOTEM:
            (a) Service Member was engaged in actual combat against
            the enemy under circumstances involving grave danger, death, or
            serious bodily injury from enemy action.
            (b) While participating in the designated operation, the
            Service Member was either killed, or received wounds or injuries
            that required medical evacuation from the AOE.
        (5) U.S. Public Health Service Officers are eligible for the
        GWOTEM when assigned to a Navy or Marine Corps unit.
        (6) Civilians and foreign military personnel are not eligible
        for the GWOTEM.
    c.  Designated Operations and Areas of Eligibility (AOE)
        (1) SECDEF designates the qualifying operations for the
        GWOTEM.  Requests for future operation designation must be submitted
        by the appropriate Combatant Commander to SECDEF, via Chairman,
        Joint Chiefs of Staff.
        (2) The list of GWOTEM qualifying operations and their
        associated AOEs can be found at this website: http:/
        /prhome.defense.gov/Portals/52/Documents/RFM/MPP/OEPM/docs/GWOT-E
        %20Medal%20-%20Approved%20AOEs%20for%20Ops%20-%202015%2003%2011.pdf
The currently approved operations are:
            (a) Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (11 Sep 01  TBD)
            (b) Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (19 Mar 03 - 31 Aug 10)
            (c) Operation NEW DAWN (1 Sep 10 - 31 Dec 11)
            (d) Operation NOMAD SHADOW (5 Nov 07  TBD)
            (e) Operation INHERENT RESOLVE (15 Jun 14  TBD)
            (f) Operation FREEDOMs SENTINEL (1 Jan 15  TBD)
        (3) Under no circumstances will service within the United
        States, or within 200 nautical miles of the shores of the United
        States, qualify for the GWOTEM.
        (4) Only one campaign or expeditionary medal is authorized
        for the same period of deployed service, i.e. only one medal may be
        awarded for a single deployment.  See subparagraph (f) below for
        medal election options when both the GWOTEM and a campaign medal are
        authorized.
        (5) Service in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria may qualify for
        GWOTEM, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM), Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM),
        or Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal (IRCM) depending upon the time
        period of the qualifying service.  The date applied is the date the
        30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive day threshold was reached:
            (a) Afghanistan
                11 Sep 2001 - 30 Apr 2005     (GWOTEM OR ACM)*
                01 May 2005  TBD             (ACM ONLY)
            (b) Iraq
                11 Sep 2001 - 18 Mar 2003     (GWOTEM ONLY)
                19 Mar 2003 - 30 Apr 2005     (GWOTEM OR ICM)*
                01 May 2005 - 31 Dec 2011     (ICM ONLY)
                01 Jan 2012 - 14 Jun 2014     (GWOTEM ONLY)
                15 Jun 2014 - 30 Mar 2016     (GWOTEM OR IRCM)*
                31 Mar 2016  TBD             (IRCM ONLY)
            (c) Syria
                19 Mar 2003 - 14 Jun 2014     (GWOTEM ONLY)
                15 Jun 2014 - 30 Mar 2016     (GWOTEM OR IRCM)*
                31 Mar 2016  TBD             (IRCM ONLY)
* - See subparagraph (f)
    d.  Subsequent Awards and Service Stars.  A Service Star is a 3
    /16-inch bronze star worn on the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar.  A
    3/16-inch silver star is worn to denote five Service Stars.  Initial
    award of the GWOTEM is the medal only, with no Service Star.  Each
    subsequent award of the GWOTEM under a different authorized
    operation is denoted by a Service Star.  Only one award of the
    GWOTEM may be earned for each authorized operation, regardless of
    the number of deployments within that operation.  For example, a
    Service Member awarded the GWOTEM for an Operation ENDURING FREEDOM
    deployment would wear the medal/ribbon only with no Service
    Star.  Subsequent deployments within Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in
    any country would not qualify for a Service Star.  However, if the
    Service Member subsequently deployed for Operation INHERENT RESOLVE,
    and met the GWOTEM eligibility requirements during that deployment,
    the Service Member would be authorized to wear a single Service Star
    on the GWOTEM medal/ribbon.  This Service Star policy is retroactive
    to 11 September 2001.
    e.  Additional devices authorized.  The Fleet Marine Force Combat
    Operation Insignia may be authorized for wear on the GWOTEM for
    certain Navy personnel, but only if the requirements in Chapter 1,
    Article 123.3.a are met.  When this device is authorized,
    appropriate entry must be made in the service record.
    f.  Medal Election Guidelines
        (1) Personnel with qualifying service in Afghanistan between
        11 September 2001 and 30 April 2005 have the option of electing
        either the GWOTEM or the ACM.  Personnel are not eligible for both
        medals for that same deployment  they must elect either the GWOTEM
        or ACM.  The election must be documented in the service record, and
        once made is irrevocable.  Effective 1 May 2005, the ACM is the only
        award authorized for service in the ACM AOE.
        (2) Personnel with qualifying service in Iraq between 19
        March 2003 and 30 April 2005 have the option of electing either the
        GWOTEM or the ICM.  Personnel are not eligible for both medals for
        that same deployment  they must elect either the GWOTEM or ICM.  The
        election must be documented in the service record, and once made is
        irrevocable.  The ICM is the only medal authorized for qualifying
        service in Iraq between 1 May 2005 and 31 December 2011.
        (3) Personnel with qualifying service in Iraq and/or Syria
        between 15 June 2014 and 30 March 2016 have the option of electing
        either the GWOTEM or the IRCM.  Personnel are not eligible for both
        medals for that same deployment  they must elect either the GWOTEM
        or ICM.  The election must be documented in the service record, and
        once made is irrevocable.  The IRCM is the only medal authorized for
        qualifying service in Iraq and/or Syria on or after 31 March 2016.
        (4) Service Members may be awarded both the GWOTEM and the
        Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (GWOTSM) if they meet the
        eligibility criteria for both awards.  The qualifying period of
        service used to establish eligibility for one award cannot be used
        to establish eligibility for the other.  However, Service Stars are
        not authorized on the GWOTSM.

3.  Administrative Procedures.  Commanding Officers exercising Navy
and Marine Corps Achievement Medal awarding authority are authorized
to issue the GWOTEM and Service Stars to Sailors and Marines
assigned to their commands according to the criteria in subparagraph
(d) above.  Commanding Officers shall ensure appropriate entries are
made in the Electronic Service Record (Navy personnel), or Marine
Corps Total Force System (MCTFS)(Marine personnel), to properly
reflect award of the GWOTEM with the authorized number of Service
Stars.  Commanding Officers shall also ensure that each Service
Member approaching the end of his/her active obligated service has
award eligibility reviewed and updated so the DD-214 will accurately
reflect all authorized GWOTEM Service Stars.  Navy Commanding
Officers whose entire unit meets the criteria for the GWOTEM must
submit the unit name and UIC with start and end dates in the AOE to
CNO (DNS-35).  Navy personnel attached to DoD, Joint Staff, or other
non-DON commands who believe they meet the eligibility criteria
should have their command confirm eligibility and submit the
appropriate service record documentation to CNO (DNS-35).  Marine
personnel attached to DoD, Joint, or other non-USMC commands who
believe they meet the eligibility criteria should have their command
confirm eligibility and submit the appropriate MCTFS and service
record documentation to Manpower Management Division, Military
Awards Branch (MMMA), 2008 Elliot Road, Quantico, VA 22134-5030.
    a.  Navy personnel who have been discharged or retired and desire
    to have their award eligibility updated in their official records
    must submit a written request indicating unit and dates assigned,
    along with a current mailing address and copy of the undeleted
    version of their DD-214, to Navy Personnel Command (PERS-312), 5720
    Integrity Drive, Millington, TN 38055-3120.  If available,
    supporting documentation showing qualifying service should be
    included.
    b.  Marines who have been retired or discharged without further
obligated service must submit their requests to Manpower Management
Division, Military Awards Branch (MMMA), 2008 Elliot Road, Quantico,
VA 22134-5030.  Marines who have been released from active duty with
further obligated service, but not in an active drilling status
(e.g., IRR status), must submit their requests to the Marine Corps
Individual Reserve Support Activity, 2000 Opelousas Avenue, New
Orleans, LA 70114.  All requests for the GWOTEM must include:  copy
of DD-214, unit and dates served in qualifying operations, and any
other documentation to verify service in the AOE (e.g., orders,
personal award citations, etc.).
    c.  Questions regarding eligibility should be addressed to:
        (1) Navy:
            Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
            Code (DNS-35)
            2000 Navy Pentagon
            Washington, D.C.  20350-2000
        (2) Marine Corps:
            Commandant of the Marine Corps (MMMA)
            2008 Elliot Road
            Quantico, VA 22134-5030

4.  Released by Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy.//

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