Medals approved for hurricane relief work

Airman, Spring, 2006

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Servicemembers and civilians who took part in Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita relief efforts may be eligible for a medal.

The director of the Joint Staff has approved awarding the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Armed Forces Service Medal for U.S. military personnel. Department of Defense civilians may receive the Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal.

To qualify for the HSM, servicemembers must have provided direct support to immediate relief operations for at least one day in the area of eligibility--east of and including Houston, Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi--from Aug. 29 to Oct. 13, 2005.

Servicemembers eligible to receive the AFSM must have provided direct support to relief operations for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in the continental United States from Aug. 27, 2005, to Feb. 27, 2006--minus the specific area and time-period used to qualify for the HSM.

If a member receives an HSM for Katrina relief operations, he or she cannot receive a second HSM for Rita. The same applies for the AFSM. However, people who receive the HSM may later qualify for the AFSM if their direct support does not include the dates and actions used in their qualifications for the HSM. To qualify for the AFCSM, civilians must have provided direct support to relief operations for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in the same area of eligibility and period as the AFSM.

Eligible Air Force personnel must provide proof of entitlement to their servicing military personnel flight or civilian personnel office. Supporting documentation may consist of assignment orders, temporary duty orders or travel vouchers, a decoration citation, an enlisted or officer performance report reflecting participation or other official documentation that verifies participation. Any colonel in a command billet or civilian equivalent can approve the awarding of these medals if supporting documentation is not available. Once verified, the servicing military or civilian personnel flight will update individual records. For more information, contact the local MPF or CPF.