United States: Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM). With 4 x 'Bronze Stars' emblems
The 4 x 'Bronze Star' emblems denotes that the recipient had qualified for 4 x separate further period of qualifying service = total of 5 x awards
The medal and riband bar, complete with crimp brooch fittings with intricate drop lock hinged pin & clasp fittings. The medal brooch bar with Federal Contractors hallmark 'LIGI' (for Lordship Industries of New York)
The Armed Forces Service Medal was instituted on, 11 January 1996, during the Presidency of Bill Clinton under Executive Order 12985. The medal has been made retrospective to operations from 1 June 1992
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
Service personnel should 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 theatre 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 no-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 UN or NATO
Designated United States military operations that have qualified for the Armed Forces Service Medal include;
- Operation Maritime Monitor - 01/06/1992-01/12/1992
- Operation Provide Promise - 02/06/1992-15/02/1996
- Operation Deny Flight - 12/04/1993-02/12/1995
- Operation Sharp Guard - 15/06/1993-20/09/1996
- Task Force Able Sentry - 12/07/1993-31/03/1999
- Operation Uphold Democracy - 01/04/1995-31/01/20000
- Operation Joint Endeavor - 20/11/1995-19/12/1996
- Operation Provide Comfort - 01/12/1995-31/12/1996
- Operation Joint Guard - 20/12/1996-20/06/1998
- Operation Joint Forge - 21/06/1998-02/12/2004
- Hurricane Katrina & Hurricane Rita relief efforts - 27/08/2005-27/02/2006
- Operation Jump Start - 15/05/2006-15/07/2008
- Operation Unified Response - 14/01/2010-01/06/2010
- Operation United Assistance - 16/09/2014-30/06/2015
- Operation Oaken Steel - 12/07/2016-26/01/2017
- DoD Support to Customs and Border Protection - 07/04/2018-TBD
Condition: EF
Code: 22055