Description: A Bronze medal, 1 3/8 inches in diameter, with the stylized wreath of grain, reflecting the agricultural domination of the area and its economy, symbolizes the basic human rights while highlighting the desire of all for peace, safety and prosperity. The rocky terrain, fertile valley, and mountain pass refer to the Dinartic Alps and the Campaign Theater of operations. The sunrise denotes the dawning of a new age of unity and hope; the right to forge a future of freedom, progress and harmony, thus fulfilling the goal of the Alliance. On the reverse an outline of the Yugoslavian Province of Kosovo, denoting the area of conflict, is combined with a NATO star and highlighted compass cardinal points, signifying the Alliance participants who stabilized the region and provided massive relief. The inscription "IN DEFENSE OF HUMANITY" reinforces the objective of the action.

Ribbon: The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches in width. It is composed of the following vertical stripes: 15/32 inches Old Glory Blue 67178; 7/64 inch Scarlet 67111; 5/32 inch White 67101; 7/64 inch Old Glory Blue 67178; 15/32 inch Scarlet 67111.

Criteria: Service Members authorized the Kosovo Campaign Medal must have participated in or served in direct support of Kosovo Operation(s): ALLIED FORCE (24 Mar through Jun 1999); JOINT GUARDIAN (11 Jun 1999 through To Be Determined); ALLIED HARBOUR 4 Apr through 1 Sep 1999); SUSTAIN HOPE/SHINING HOPE (4 Apr through 10 Jul 1999); NOBLE ANVIL (24 Apr through 20 Jul 1999); or Kosovo TASK FORCE (S): HAWK (5 Apr through 24 Jun 1999); SABER (31 Mar through 8 Jul 1999); or HUNTER (1 Apr through 1 Nov 1999) within the Kosovo Air Campaign or Kosovo Defense Campaign areas of eligibility (AOE):

    a. Kosovo Air Campaign (24 March 1999 through 10 June 1999) AOE: 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 Sea north of the 39th North latitude.

    b. Kosovo Defense Campaign (11 Jun 1999 through To Be Determined) AOE: 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.

Criteria: Service members must be bonafide 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 the entering the Operations AOE or meet one or more of the following criteria:

    a. Be engaged in actual combat, or duty that is equally hazardous as combat duty, during the Operation with armed opposition, regardless of time in the AOE.

    b. While participating in the Operation, regardless of time, is wounded or injured and required medical evacuation from the AOE.

    c. While participating as regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the AOE in direct support of the military operations.

Naval Vessels: The Secretary of Defense approved the award to the following Navy vessels as an exception to the 30 consecutive days within the Kosovo Air Campaign AOE criteria: USS Norfolk, USS Miami, USS Bose, USS Albuquerque, USS Nicholson, USS Philippine Sea, and USS Gonzalez.

Service Stars: One Bronze Service Star shall be worn on the suspension and service ribbon of the Kosovo Campaign Medal for qualified participation during campaign period (an individual who participated in one campaign would wear the Medal and/or Service Ribbon with one star). Meeting the qualification in each of the two campaigns would warrant the Medal and two Bronze Service Stars. However, if an individual's 30 or 60 days began in one campaign and carried over into the 2d campaign, they would only qualify for the Kosovo Campaign Medal and one Service Star.

Components: The following are authorized components of the Kosovo Campaign Medal.

    a. Decoration (regular size): MIL-DTL-3943/269.

    b. Decoration (miniature size): MIL-DTL-3943/269.

    c. Ribbon: MIL-DTL-11589/532.

    d. Lapel Button: MIL-DTL-11484-266.

Background: a. The Kosovo Campaign Medal was established by Executive Order 13154, dated 3 May 2000 to recognize the accomplishments of military service members who participated in or was in direct support of the Kosovo Operations.

    b. The Kosovo Campaign Medal will be worn in chronological sequence after the Southwest Asia Service Medal or after the last Service Award. Order of precedence and wear policy for service medals awarded to Army personnel is contained in Army Regulation (AR) 670-1. Policy for awards, approving authority and supply of medals is contained in AR 600-8-22. The policy for display of campaign streamers on guidons/flags and supply of streamers is contained in chapter 9, 840-10.