The Southwest Asia Service Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members who performed duty during the years of the Persian Gulf War. The medal was designed by Nadine Russell of the Army's Institute of Heraldry.
Individuals authorized the Southwest Asia Service Medal must have served in support of Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm, in one or more of the following areas, between 2 August 1990 and 30 November 1995:
- Persian Gulf
- Red Sea
- Gulf of Oman
- Gulf of Aden
- that portion of the Arabian Sea that lies north of 10 degrees North latitude and west of 68 degrees East longitude
as well as the total land areas of
- Iraq
- Kuwait
- Saudi Arabia
- Oman
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- United Arab Emirates
Individuals serving in Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria and Jordan (including the airspace and territorial waters) directly supporting combat operations between 17 January 1991 and 11 April 1991 are also eligible for this award.
To receive the award, a service member must be: attached to or regularly serving for one or more days with an organization participating in ground/shore military operations; attached to or regularly serving for one or more days aboard a naval vessel directly supporting military operations; actually participating as a crew member in one or more aerial flights directly supporting military operations in the areas designated; or serving on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days, except, if a waiver is authorized for personnel participating in actual combat.
For those service members who performed "home service" during the Persian Gulf War, such as support personnel in the United States, the Southwest Asia Service Medal is not authorized. The award is also not authorized for those who performed support of the Persian Gulf War from European or Pacific bases.
One bronze service star will be worn for participation in each designated campaign. Each recipient of the medal should wear at least one campaign star.
Designated campaigns are as follows:
| Campaign | Start month | Start day | Start year | End month | End day | End year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense of Saudi Arabia | August | 2 | 1990 | January | 16 | 1991 |
| Liberation and Defense of Kuwait | January | 17 | 1991 | April | 11 | |
| Southwest Asia Cease-Fire | April | 12 | November | 30 | 1995 |
(Note that while several operations occurred in the geographical areas described above between April 12, 1991, and November 30, 1995, including Operation Provide Comfort (June 1, 1992 - November 30, 1995) and Operation Vigilant Warrior (October 14, 1994 - December 21, 1994), only three campaigns have been officially designated for this medal. Thus, the maximum number of bronze service stars authorized for this campaign medal's ribbon or streamer is three.)
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