Valor And Bravery: Bronze Star Recipients In The Afghanistan War

The Bronze Star Medal is the fifth-highest combat award in the US Armed Forces. It was authorised on 4 February 1944 and can be awarded to members of any branch of the US military for acts of heroism or merit in combat. The Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM) is a separate award, created by President George W. Bush in 2004, which is awarded to any member of the US military who has served in Afghanistan for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days. I was unable to find a definitive number of Bronze Star Medals awarded in Afghanistan, but I did find a list of recipients which includes almost every Bronze Star Medal recipient since the award's inception.

Criteria for awarding the Bronze Star Medal

The Bronze Star Medal is the fourth-highest individual military award in the US Armed Forces. It is awarded to members of all branches of military service for acts of heroism, acts of merit, or meritorious service in a combat zone. The medal may be awarded for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service.

The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person serving in any capacity with the US Armed Forces who distinguishes themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy. This includes operations involving conflict with an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The acts of heroism are of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star. The acts of merit or valor must be less than that required for the Legion of Merit but must nevertheless have been meritorious and accomplished with distinction.

When awarded for acts of valor in combat, the "V" device is authorized to be worn on the medal. When awarded by the Army, Air Force, or Space Force, the "V" device is worn to denote heroism in combat. In the Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, the Combat "V" is worn to denote combat heroism or to recognize individuals exposed to personal hazards during direct participation in combat operations. Only one "V" device is worn on the suspension and service ribbon of the medal.

Officers from other Uniformed Services of the United States are eligible to receive the award, as are foreign soldiers who have served with or alongside the US Armed Forces. Civilians serving with the US military forces in combat are also eligible for the award.

The Afghanistan Campaign Medal

The ACM is awarded to any member of the United States military who has served within the borders of Afghanistan (or its airspace) for at least 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days. The award is retroactive to October 24, 2001, and was active until Operation Allies Refuge ended on August 31, 2021. Personnel who have engaged in combat or been wounded in combat within Afghanistan may receive the ACM regardless of the number of days spent in the country. The medal is also awarded posthumously to any service member who dies in the line of duty in Afghanistan, including from non-combat injuries.

The ACM recognises service in Afghanistan that was previously recognised by the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM). The two medals cannot be awarded for the same period of service, and personnel who previously received the GWOT-EM for service in Afghanistan may elect to exchange it for the ACM.

• Liberation of Afghanistan
• Transition II
• Enduring Freedom (September 11, 2001 - December 31, 2014)
• Freedom's Sentinel (January 1, 2015 - to be determined)
• Consolidation I (December 1, 2001 - September 30, 2006)
• Consolidation II (October 1, 2006 - November 30, 2009)

Notable Bronze Star recipients

The Bronze Star Medal is a US Armed Forces award that recognises acts of heroism or merit in combat. It is the fifth-highest combat decoration and can be awarded to members of any branch of the US military. The award was first authorised on 4 February 1944 and has been awarded to service members since World War Two.

Bernard W. Rogers

Rogers was a United States Army general who served as the 28th Chief of Staff of the United States Army. He later became NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander in Chief of the United States European Command. In addition to the Bronze Star, Rogers' many other decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Billy Waugh

Billy Waugh served in the US military for over 50 years, first as a US Army Special Forces soldier and later as a Central Intelligence Agency paramilitary operations officer.

Chesty Puller

Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller was a United States Marine Corps officer who served in Haiti, Nicaragua, World War Two, and the Korean War. Puller is the most decorated Marine in American history, receiving five Navy Crosses and one Army Distinguished Service Cross.

Chuck Yeager

As a former United States Air Force officer, Yeager became the first pilot to break the sound barrier in 1947. He began his career as a private in the United States Army Air Forces during World War Two and later served as a test pilot for experimental aircraft.

Unidentified Special Warfare Airman

An Air Force Special Warfare Airman received the Bronze Star Medal, along with the Silver Star, for heroism in Afghanistan.

Unidentified Marine

A Marine received the Bronze Star Medal for heroic actions in Afghanistan.

Other military awards

The Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM) is a military award given to any member of the United States military who has served within the borders of Afghanistan (or its airspace) for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days. The medal was created by Executive Order 13363 of President George W. Bush in 2004 and became available for general distribution in June 2005. The medal is retroactive to October 24, 2001, and was active until Operation Allies Refuge ended on August 31, 2021. Those who have been engaged in combat or wounded in combat with enemy forces can receive this medal regardless of the number of days spent in Afghanistan. The medal is also awarded posthumously to any service member who died in the line of duty within Afghanistan, including from non-combat injuries.

The ACM replaces the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) for personnel who served in Afghanistan. If personnel have previously received the GWOT-EM, they may choose whether or not to exchange their medal for the ACM. Both medals may not be awarded for the same period of service in Afghanistan, and any current service will only be recognized with the ACM.

The following ribbon devices are authorized to be worn on the ACM:

• Campaign stars (all branches)
• Arrowhead device (Army, Air Force, and Space Force)
• Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia (Navy personnel assigned to a Marine Corps unit in combat)

In addition to the ACM, there are other awards given to service members who have served in Afghanistan. The Pentagon has authorized troops deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq to wear a small bronze "service star" on their GWOT Expeditionary Medal if they have deployed more than once in support of a major operation in the Middle East and have earned more than one medal. Troops may receive one bronze service star for each of the five operations they serve in, up to four in total.

Furthermore, service members who carried out the military missions to evacuate and resettle Afghans during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 will receive the Meritorious Unit Commendation award. This award is given by the individual services and can signify valorous or meritorious service in combat, non-combat, or a support role.

History of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal

The Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM) is a military award created by Executive Order 13363 by President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004, and became available for general distribution in June 2005. The medal was designed by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry.

The Afghanistan Campaign Medal is awarded to any member of the United States military who has served within the borders of Afghanistan (or its airspace) for at least 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days. The medal is retroactive to October 24, 2001, and was active until Operation Allies Refuge ended on August 31, 2021. Personnel who have engaged in combat or been wounded in combat within Afghanistan may receive the ACM regardless of the number of days spent in the country. The medal is also awarded posthumously to any service member who died in the line of duty within Afghanistan, including from non-combat injuries.

The Afghanistan Campaign Medal replaces the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) for service in Afghanistan. Personnel who previously received the GWOT-EM for Afghanistan service may elect to exchange the medal for the ACM. Both medals may not be received for the same period of service in Afghanistan, and any current Afghanistan service will only be recognized with the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

The approved campaign phases for the Afghanistan Campaign Medal are as follows:

• Enduring Freedom: September 11, 2001 - December 31, 2014
• Freedom's Sentinel: January 1, 2015 - to be determined
• Liberation of Afghanistan: September 1, 2001 - November 30, 2001
• Consolidation I: December 1, 2001 - September 30, 2006
• Consolidation II: October 1, 2006 - November 30, 2009
• Consolidation III: December 1, 2009 - June 30, 2011
• Transition I: July 1, 2011 - December 31, 2014
• Transition II: January 1, 2015 - to be determined

The Army has defined the requirements for wearing bronze service stars with the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. If a soldier's initial period of deployment overlaps with one or more of the approved campaign phases, they are entitled to a bronze service star for each campaign phase. However, bronze service stars are not authorized for periods when the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal was awarded instead of the ACM.

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