Recognizing the contributions our sailors have made in defense of freedom is vital to the success of our efforts to recruit, train, and retain the finest Americans for our Navy. However, the latest announcement and authorization for issuance of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM) and Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM) for Navy personnel goes against the grain of those efforts and needs to be corrected. I'm confident the authors and all involved in the approval process did what they thought was in the best interest of all Navy personnel. But a careful reading of the message invites a question: Are we intentionally excluding thousands of sailors on board ships at sea operating within the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR) and who participated in the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq?
For simplicity's sake, I will use my own experience. I completed two deployments on board two different carriers in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 2001-2002 and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) 2003. In OEF, my squadron was on board the USS Carl Vinson and during OIF we were on the USS Nimitz. The majority of time we operated in the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility. If one is keeping score, in those deployments we dropped over 650,000 pounds of ordnance, logged over 2,000 combat flight hours, and provided critical close air support. Most importantly, I felt that we were major contributors to the campaigns. Both carriers were awarded the Battle "E," mostly for their performance in action against Iraq and Afghanistan.
Our mission is to project firepower . . . From the Sea. We did that in a superb manner. Now, though, we must look our sailors in the eye and say, thanks for your service to your country; unfortunately you are ineligible for the campaign medals. Instead, you are only eligible for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOTEM) and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (GWOTSM). Don't misunderstand me. Those medals are huge steps in the right direction, but I think our sailors deserve more credit for their efforts in the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns.
As we know, carriers, surface combatant ships, and submarines operate out at sea. They project their offensive firepower by being close enough to shore to inflict heavy damage on the enemy yet far enough away to avoid a counterattack. The Area of Eligibility (AOE) for the ACM has no provision for those on ships in the North Arabian Sea. The AOE for the ICM is the sea 12 miles from Iraq. This is very close to an enemy that only has to be close enough or right just once to inflict horrendous casualties on a carrier strike group. I doubt that even the most aggressive carrier tactician would place such an asset so near a hostile nation's shoreline for 30 consecutive days or even 60 non-consecutive days, the requirements for the ICM.
We maneuver our assets in any theatre or campaign to best assist the war-fighting commander so that we have an advantage that insures victory with minimum exposure to enemy forces. During OEF and OIF we had unprecedented control of the sea-lanes and the airspace, which allowed us to project our firepower. . .From the Sea, where we had the advantage and the risk of a counterattack was practically non-existent.
For those who come after us, campaign medals will serve as reminders of what was done and what still lies ahead in this war on terrorism. The medals also serve as heirlooms to be passed through generations, symbolic pieces of history. I wish I could find the words to describe my feelings as our jets roared off the deck of the carrier into the evening sky as we fired the opening salvos in Operation Enduring Freedom. I personally tried to talk with as many sailors as I could, from the engineering power plants, to the post office, to the mess deck scullery. One Team, One Scream, and collectively our part in the campaign's success was phenomenal. Those jets don't leave the pointy end of the carrier and return safe all by themselves.
Much of the same can be said for the Fertile Crescent in OIF. We helped liberate millions from a tyrannical dictator and watched live as the statues of him came tumbling down and became piles of rubble. What a magnificent sight! Our service to our country is more than just medals and accolades and we don't wear the uniform for the exorbitant amounts of money we are paid, either. But what we wear on our chests are our credentials, our resumes, and emblems of the quality of our service.
Senior Chief Petty Officer Haugh, a 23-year Navy veteran, has served in seven Tailhook squadrons and made seven major deployments aboard six different carriers. He serves on the U.S. Naval Institute's advisory council on deck plate issues. He is currently assigned to VFA-125 in Lemoore, CA.
What Are We—Chopped Liver?
By Senior Chief Petty Officer Steven E. Haugh, USN