Criteria:

Awarded to any member of the U.S. military who has performed duty within the borders of Iraq (or its territorial waters) for a period of thirty consecutive days or sixty non-consecutive days. The medal is retroactive to March 19, 2003 and is active until a date to be determined. Personnel who have been engaged in combat with an enemy force, or personnel who have been wounded in combat or wounded as a result of a terrorist attack within Iraq, may receive the Iraq Campaign Medal regardless of the number of days spent within the country. The medal is also awarded posthumously to any service member who dies in the line of duty within Iraq, including from non-combat injuries such as accidents and mishaps.

Note:

SPECIAL CAMPAIGN STARS NOTE:

Effective immediately, bronze campaign stars are now required on the Iraq Campaign Medal. At least one bronze campaign star must be on this award. If a service member has served at least one single day in any designated campaign (see below), that service member has earned a bronze campaign star for that period. Multiple deployments during the same time period/campaign are only authorized one star. However, it is possible to earn more than one bronze campaign star during a single deployment if that deployment spans multiple designated campaigns. Designated campaigns: Liberation of Iraq - March 19, 2003 to May 1, 2003; Transition of Iraq - May 2, 2003 to June 28, 2004; Iraqi Governance June 29, 2004 to December 15 2005; National Resolution - December 16, 2005 to January 9, 2007; Iraqi Surge - January 10, 2007 to December 31, 2008; Iraqi Sovereignty - January 1, 2009 to August 31, 2010; New Dawn - September 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011. An order terminating the campaign medal was issued April 23 by the Defense Department, but is effective to December 31, 2011, the day Operation New Dawn ended .

Note: For each individual award’s criteria, check the appropriate branch of service medals category.