Air Force Expeditionary Ribbon With Gold Frame Ribbon

Air Force Expeditionary Ribbon With Gold Frame Ribbon
Air Force Expeditionary Ribbon With Gold Frame Ribbon

History - Established 2003

The Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon honors members of the United States Air Force who carry out standard contingency deployments for a term of either 45 days consecutively or 90 days non-consecutively.

The addition of the frame was authorized in 2004 to recognize personnel who engaged in combat in a designated zone. The frame is only awarded to personnel who have already qualified for the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon, unless the following exceptions apply:

-Engagement in combat against hostile forces in dangerous conditions
-Injury or death during a designated operation
-Service as a regular crew member flying sorties within or over a combat zone
-Use of a weapon in combat from outside the designated combat zone

Details

The ribbon is symmetrical with 11 stripes. The center is light blue and is flanked by two thinner vertical white stripes. These are followed by a thick vertical stripe of dark blue, a thinner stripe of golden yellow, and thinner stripes of red and light blue proceeding outward. The frame is gold with a leaf pattern.

Subsequent awards may be indicated by oak leaf clusters.

Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Silver Oak Leaf Cluster