Thousands more now eligible for NATO Medal

[unhappycamper]

The NATO medal on the left is awarded for various activities; the one on the right is awarded for service in Kosovo.


Thousands more now eligible for NATO Medal
By Jim Tice - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Feb 22, 2009 14:31:54 EST

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Training Mission in Iraq has been added to a growing list of activities that qualify U.S. service members for the award of the NATO Medal.

The NATO Training Implementation Mission and the follow-on NATO Training Mission-Iraq are the latest among eight operations that qualify U.S. service members for the international service medal, under a policy change approved by the Defense Department and announced Feb. 9.

While U.S. forces continue to earn the medal for service in the Balkans, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have qualified, and will continue to qualify, thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines for the service medal.

While a precise medal count from NATO was not available at press time, information from U.S. Central Command indicates that of the 35,000 U.S. troops deployed to Afghanistan, 18,000 are assigned to the International Security Force-Afghanistan, a NATO organization, and most of them presumably qualify for the NATO Medal.

Sources expect that if President Barack Obama approves a troop buildup for Afghanistan, many of those forces will be assigned to ISFA, further increasing eligibility for the medal.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/army_natomedal_022209w/%2e

[frau_50]

1. the nato medal

how can i find out if the unit that i deployed with was part of the NATO mission or if im eligible for the medal.

thank you.

[unhappycamper]

2. If you're still in or are IRR, contact your top.

They should be able to help.

If you're out, contact your congresscritter and ask them to help you.