Established on November 29, 2004, the Iraq Campaign Medal honors United States military personnel who carry out service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on or subsequent to March 19, 2003.
To qualify, service must have lasted at least 30 days consecutively or 60 days non-consecutively. The term of requirement may be waived if service carried out entailed armed combat; injury necessitating medical evacuation; for members of flight crews flying sorties, every day operating is measured as an eligible day. Service must have taken place in Iraq or in water or airspace within 12 nautical miles of the country’s borders.
Only one award may be issued per deployment. Awards for multiple phases may be indicated by service stars. The qualifying phases are as follows:
-1: Liberation of Iraq, between March 19, 2003 and May 1, 2003
-2: Transition of Iraq, between May 2, 2003 and June 28, 2004
-3: Iraqi Governance, between June 29, 2004 and December 15, 2005
-4: National Resolution, between December 16, 2005 and January 9, 2007
-5: Iraqi Surge, between January 10, 2007 and December 31, 2008
-6: Iraqi Sovereignty, between January 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010
-7: New Dawn, between September 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011
The medal features an outline of the country of Iraq superimposed over a laurel wreath; an inscription reading “IRAQ CAMPAIGN” appears at the top of the medal. The reverse features the figure of Liberty and two intersecting scimitars above an inscription reading “FOR SERVICE IN IRAQ.” The ribbon is bisected by a thick vertical tran stripe flanked on either side by a thin black stripe, a thin white stripe bisected by a green line, and a thin red stripe proceeding outward to each edge.
The Iraq Campaign Medal replaces the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal in instances of service carried out in Iraq between March 19, 2003 and April 30, 2005.