Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon

BACK DEVICE(s)

Description:

1. The ribbon was established by SECAF on 18 June 2003, to recognize air expeditionary force deployed status. In April 2004, SECAF authorized the gold border to be affixed to the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon to represent participation in combat operations.
2. On 16 November 2020, the Secretary of the Air Force approved the renaming of the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon to the Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon.
3. Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon (Basic). The ribbon is awarded to regular Air Force, Space Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members credited with completion of a contingency deployment after 1 October 1999. Deployment credit is defined as either 45 consecutive days or 90 nonconsecutive days in deployed status.
4. Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon (with Gold Border). The ribbon with a gold border is awarded to members who met the criteria for the Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon (Basic) and were engaged in conducting or supporting combat operations in a combat zone. A combat zone is defined as a geographic area designated by the President via an executive order, or a qualified hazardous duty area in which a member is receiving imminent danger or hostile fire pay.
5. For award of the gold border members were assigned to an air expeditionary force plan identification or on contingency, exercise, deployment orders and in receipt of imminent danger pay or hostile fire pay, during the qualifying period of service.
6. Aircrew members who engage in combat action were assigned on aeronautical orders in direct support of a combat zone. Combat action is defined as when a member is subject to hostile fire, explosion or is engaged in employing lethal weapons (kinetic or non-kinetic). The deployment credit requirement may be waived for award of the ribbon with gold border, provided the member meets one of the following criteria:
   • Be engaged in actual combat against the enemy and under circumstances involving grave danger of death or serious bodily injury from enemy actions.
   • While participating in a designated operation is killed, wounded, or injured requiring medical evacuation from the combat zone.
   • Be a regularly assigned crew member flying combat or combat support sorties into, out of, within or over a combat zone.
   • Employ a kinetic or non-kinetic weapon from outside the designated combat zone, in a combat operation.
7. An oak leaf cluster is worn to denote successful completion of additional qualifying deployments.
8. Authorized Device. Oak Leaf Cluster and Gold Border.