DOD Announces Iraq, Afghanistan Campaign Stars

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2011 – Bronze campaign stars are now authorized for service members who have served in Iraq since Sept. 1, 2010, or in Afghanistan since Dec. 1, 2009, Defense Department officials announced today.

The new campaign stars, worn on the Iraq and Afghanistan campaign medals, recognize service during Operation New Dawn in Iraq and the Consolidation III campaign phase in Afghanistan.

Operation New Dawn began Sept. 1, 2010, marking the official end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and U.S. combat operations in Iraq and a new focus on advising, assisting and training Iraqi security forces.

The Consolidation III campaign in Afghanistan began Dec. 1, 2009, the date President Barack Obama committed to sending 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan with a plan to begin drawing down that force in July.

The services will announce implementing instructions to their members about wear of the new campaign stars.

Service members who have qualified for the ICM and ACM may display a bronze campaign star on their medal for each campaign phase in which they participated. A silver campaign star is issued in lieu of five bronze stars.

Six other campaign phases were previously identified for Iraq, and three in Afghanistan.

In Iraq, they are:

-- Liberation of Iraq, March 19 to May 1, 2003;

-- Transition of Iraq, May 2, 2003 to June 28, 2004;

-- Iraqi Governance, June 29, 2004 to Dec. 15, 2005;

-- National Resolution, Dec. 16, 2005 to Jan. 9, 2007;

-- Iraqi Surge, Jan. 10, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2008; and

-- Iraqi Sovereignty, Jan. 1, 2009 to Aug. 31, 2010.

In Afghanistan, the previously identified campaign phases are:

-- Liberation of Afghanistan, Sept. 11 to Nov. 30, 2001;

-- Consolidation I, Dec. 1, 2001 to Sept. 30, 2006; and

-- Consolidation II, Oct. 1, 2006 to Nov. 30, 2009.

The Defense Department first authorized campaign stars for service in Iraq and Afghanistan in April 2008.