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The Kosovo Campaign Medal (KCM) is awarded to recognize the accomplishments of military service members participating in or in direct support of Kosovo operations.
Areas of eligibility (AOE):
1. The total land area and air space of Serbia (including Kosovo), Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy and Slovenia; and the waters and air space of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas north of the 39th N Latitude from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999, or
2. The total land area and air space of Serbia (including Kosovo), Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, and the waters and air space of the Adriatic Seas within 12 nautical miles of the Montenegro, Albania, and Croatia Coastlines south of 42 degrees and 52 minutes North latitude.
3. The SECDEF approved the KCM for the following US Navy Vessels as an exception to the 30 consecutive days within the Kosovo Air Campaign AOE criteria: The USS Norfolk, USS Miami, USS Bose, USS Albuquerque, USS Nicholson, USS Philippine Sea, and USS Gonzalez.
Qualifying operations include the following:
ALLIED FORCE (OAF) 24 March 1999 - 10 June 1999
NOBLE ANVIL (ONA) 24 March 1999 - 20 July 1999
Task Force Saber 31 March 1999 - 8 July 1999
Task Force Hunter 1 April 1999 - 1 November 1999
SUSTAINED HOPE/SHINING HOPE 4 April 1999 - 10 July 1999
ALLIED HARBOUR (OAH) 4 April 1999 - 1 September 1999
Task Force HAWK 5 April 1999 - 24 June 1999
JOINT GUARDIAN (OJG) (See Note 1) 11 June 1999 – 31 December 2013
Task Force FALCON (coincides with OJG) 11 June 1999 – 31 December 2013
Note:
1. Effective 1 January 2014, award of the KCM for OJG transitioned to the AFEM.
Campaign AOEs and KCM Designated Campaigns are:
Kosovo Air Campaign 24 March 1999 - 10 June 1999
Kosovo Defense Campaign 11 June 1999 – 31 December 2013
Service members must be bona fide members of a unit participating in or be engaged in direct support of the operation for 30 consecutive days in the AOE or for 60 nonconsecutive days provided this support involves entering the operations AOE or meets one or more of the following criteria:
1. 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 AOE;
2. While participating in the operation, regardless of time, is wounded or injured and requires medical evacuation from the AOE;
3. While participating as regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the AOE in direct support of the military operations.
Authorized Device: A bronze service star will be awarded for qualified participation during each campaign period. However, if a member's 30 or 60 days began in one campaign and carried over into the 2nd campaign, they would only qualify for one service star.
Category of Award: U.S. Campaign and Service Medal
Established by: Executive Order 13154 on May 3, 2000
Device(s): Bronze Service Star
References:
AFI 36-2803, The Air Force Military Awards and Decorations Program, Pages 181 and 182
AR 600-8-22, Army Regulation, Military Awards, Pages 28 and 29
SECNAVINST 1650.1H, Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, Page 4-22 to 4-24
COMDTINST M1650.25E, Coast Guard Military Medals and Awards Manual, Pages 5-12 and 5-13
Page updated June 9, 2017
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