United States: Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal. With bronze 'Arrowhead' device & 4 x silver 'Service Stars' on riband

The bronze 'Arrowhead': Denotes that the US Army soldier had participated in in a designated parachute, glider or amphibious landing or assault

4 x silver 'Service Stars': Denotes that the US Army soldier, United States Air Force, or United States Space Force personnel has earned a further 20 x specified awards of the Expeditionary Service medal (as of 2023, there have been 40 x specified qualifying operations)

The reverse of 12mm crimp brooch with official Federal Government contractors hallmark 'Graco-GI'

The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) was instituted in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, after July 1, 1958, participated in U.S. military operations, U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations, or U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations

The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal may be authorized for three categories of operations: U.S. military operations; U.S. military operations in direct support of the United Nations; and U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations. The medal is only awarded for operations for which no other U.S. campaign medal is approved, where a foreign armed opposition or imminent threat of hostile action was encountered

Since its original conception in 1961, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal has been awarded for United States participation in over 45 designated military campaigns. The first campaign of the AFEM was the Cuban Missile Crisis and the award was issued for military service between October 1962 and June 1963. Following this original issuance, the AFEM was made retroactive to 1958 and issued for actions in Lebanon, Taiwan, Republic of the Congo, Quemoy and Matsu, and for duty in Berlin between 1961 and 1963

During the early years of the Vietnam War, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was issued for initial operations in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was intended to replace the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal and Navy Expeditionary Medal, but this never occurred, and both services continue to award their service expeditionary medals and the AFEM, though not concurrently for the same action

Condition: EF

Code: 22538