[KOREAN-WAR-L:11413] "Recognizing service in Korea: Pentagon creates medal for those serving since 1953"

[Mike Yared <mikeyared@yahoo.com>]

>From Air Force Times of February 23, 2004

Recognizing service in Korea
Pentagon creates medal for those serving since 1953

After more than a year of behind-the-scenes work, the
Pentagon announced Feb. 6 the creation of a medal
honoring the hundreds of thousands of Americans who
have served in South Korea since 1953. The medal is
meant ?to give special recognition for the sacrifices
and contributions made by members of the U.S. armed
forces who have served or are serving in the Republic
of Korea,? the Defense Department said in a prepared
statement. The period of service to qualify for the
medal begins July 28, 1954, and continues ?to a future
date to be determined by the secretary of defense.?

To be eligible, personnel must have been assigned,
attached or mobilized to units operating in the area
of eligibility for at least 30 consecutive or 60
nonconsecutive days. The area of eligibility is
defined as ?all land area of the Republic of Korea and
the contiguous water out to 12 nautical miles, and all
air spaces above the land and water areas.?

Those who don?t meet that requirement still may be
eligible, if they were:

?Engaged in actual combat during an armed engagement,
regardless of the time in the area of eligibility.?

?Wounded or injured in the line of duty? and required
medical evacuation from Korea.

?A regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties
into, out of, within or over the area of eligibility
in support of military operations.? Each day of flying
one or more sorties counts toward the 30- or 60-day
requirement.

Each service will write its own rules for processing
and awarding the medal, to include procedures for
veterans, retirees and next-of-kin to apply. 



__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want.
http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools