GWOT Medals Still Issued

Despite government guidance to use nicer words when referring to scum terrorists and the global war on terror, some accurate terminology remains. How long is anyone's guess.

The Department of Defense will continue to issue Global War on Terrorism medals to servicemembers, despite a debate within the Obama administration over whether the phrase "war on terror" should even be uttered by U.S. officials. [...]

There has been no directive to military personnel to stop using the GWOT phrase or to stop issuing GWOT medals, Lt. Col. Les Melnyk, a Pentagon press officer, said in an e-mail response to Stars and Stripes.

"Criteria for those (medals) haven’t changed," he said.

According to the Institute of Heraldry, the government office that administers military awards, there are three GWOT medals.

All members of the military, including National Guard and Reserve personnel, who have served 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible for the GWOT Service Medal, according to the Institute’s Web site.

The GWOT Expeditionary Medal was initially awarded for service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Personnel who served in those theaters before April 30, 2005, remain eligible for the award.

There is also the GWOT Civilian Service Medal for DOD civilians working in direct support of the U.S. military. No information has been reported on the transition from the GWOT Medals to the Overseas Contingency Operations for Man-Caused Disaster (OCOFMCD) Medals.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.