On 24 Apr 2002 the Secretary of the Air Force approved the Air and Space Campaign Medal (ASCM) to recognized personnel who are not eligible for the Kosovo Campaign Medal or other Operation ALLIED FORCE (OAF) DoD Campaign Medals, and provided direct support of combat operations at homestation or from outside the geographic area of combat. The ASCM may be awarded to members of the USAF who, after 24 Mar 1999, supported a significant US military operation designated by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force as qualifying for the ASCM.

Military operations that qualify are Operations ALLIED FORCE (24 Mar - 10 Jun 1999), JOINT GUARDIAN (11 Jun 1999 - Date to Be Determined (DTBD)), ALLIED HARBOUR (4 Apr - 1 Sep 1999), SUSTAIN HOPE/ SHINING HOPE (4 Apr - 10 Jul 1999), NOBLE ANVIL (24 Mar - 20 Jul 1999), and Kosovo Task Forces HAWK (5 Apr - 24 Jun 1999), SABER (31 Mar - 8 Jul 1999), FALCON (11 Jun 1999 - DTBD), and HUNTER (1 Apr - 1 Nov 1999). Members who provided direct support for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days to one of these operations, at homestation, or from outside of the geographic area of combat qualify for the ASCM. "Direct support" is defined as deploying in support of an ASCM approved operation or if performing functions at homestation or from outside the geographic area of combat which historically were deployed forward, or entirely new and future missions., which due to technological advances are no longer constrained by geographic location. This includes, but is not limited to, sortie generation, intelligence, survellance, targeting, computer network attack operations, etc. Squadron Commanders may determine other functions that meet the intent of this award.

Air and Space Campaign Medal shall take precedence immediately after the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. no individual shall be eligible for both an ASCM and a DoD campaign/service medal awarded during a single tour in an ASCM designated operation. Participants are entitled to only one ASCM for support of ASCM designated operation. A second or subsequent award of the ASCM isonly authorized to individuals who supported a separated ASCM approved operation, provided the member meets the critera for each. Multiple awards of the ASCM for support of the same operation is not authorized. A subsequent ASCM is denoted with a service star. Authorized Device: Service Star.