The Kosovo Campaign Medal was established
by Executive Order 13154 signed by President William J. Clinton
on 03 May 2000. It may be awarded to Navy and Marine Corps personnel
for participating in prescribed operations, campaigns and task
forces ranging in dates from 24 March 1999 to present.
The area of operations for these various
campaigns includes the total land area and air space of Serbia
(including Kosovo), Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, and the waters
and air space of the Adriatic Sea within 12 nautical miles of
the Montenegro, Albania, and Croatia coastlines south of 42 degrees
and 52 minutes North latitude.
Personnel must be members of a unit
participating in, or be engaged in direct support of, the operation
for 30 consecutive days in the area of operations or for 60 non-consecutive
days provided this support involves entering the area of operations
or meets one of the following criteria:
Be engaged in actual combat, or duty that
is equally as hazardous as combat duty, during the operation
with armed opposition, regardless of time in the area of operations;
While participating in the operation,
regardless of time, is wounded or injured and requires medical
evacuation from the area of operations;
While participating as a regularly assigned
aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the
area of operations in direct support of the military operations.
One bronze service star shall be worn
on the ribbon for qualifying participation during an established
campaigns. However, that if an individual's 30 or 60 days began
in one campaign and carried over into another, that person would
only qualify for the medal with one service star. The medal is
not awarded without at least one service star.
The executive order provides that service members who
qualify for either the Armed Forces Expeditionary
Medal or the Armed Forces Service Medal
for service in Kosovo between 24 March 1999 and 01 May 2000, remain
qualified for those medals. However, upon application, any such
member may be awarded the Kosovo Campaign Medal in lieu of the
Armed Forces Expeditionary medal or the Armed Forces Service Medal,
but no Service member may be awarded more than one of these three
medals for the same period of service in Kosovo.
The stylized wreath of grain at the
base of the obverse reflects the agricultural character of the
area and its economy and symbolizes basic human rights while highlighting
the desire of all for peace, safety and prosperity. The rocky
terrain, fertile valley, and mountain pass refer to the Dinartic
Alps and the campaign's theater of operations. The sunrise denotes
the dawning of a new age of unity and hope, the right to forge
a future of freedom, progress, and harmony; thus fulfilling the
goal of the NATO alliance.
The suspension ribbon's red, white,
and blue colors were suggested by the NATO alliance's colors,
and the red, white, and blue central pinstripes represent the
colors of the United States flag.
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