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The director of the Joint Staff has approved awarding the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Armed Forces Service Medal for U.S. military personnel; and the Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal for Defense Department civilians engaged in the relief efforts for hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
To qualify for the HSM, service members must have provided direct support to immediate relief operations for at least one day in the area of eligibility – east of and including Houston, Texas, designated as 96 degrees longitude, Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi – from Aug. 29 to Oct. 13, 2005.
Service members 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, the member 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 Personnel Flight or Civilian Personnel Flight will update individual records. For more information, contact the MPF or CPF.
(Story courtesy of the Air Force Personnel Center)
