Southwest Asia Service Medal

Southwest Asia Service Medal
TypeCampaign medal
Presented bythe U.S. Department of Defense
EligibilityU.S. military personnel who served in Southwest Asia from August 2, 1990 (or January 17, 1991, for Turkey and Egypt) to November 30, 1995.
StatusNot currently awarded
EstablishedEO 12754, March 12, 1991, as amended
First awarded1991 (retroactive to either August 2, 1990, or January 17, 1991, depending on location)
Last awardedNovember 30, 1995; 28 years ago (1995-11-30)

Service ribbon: 1991 to 2016

Service ribbon: 2016 to present
Southwest Asia Service Medal campaign streamer
Precedence
Next (higher)Vietnam Service Medal
Next (lower)Kosovo Campaign Medal
RelatedNational Defense Service Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)

The Southwest Asia Service Medal (SASM or SWASM) was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members who performed duty as part of the Persian Gulf War and for a time thereafter. The medal was designed by Nadine Russell of the Army's Institute of Heraldry.[1][2] The colors of the ribbon are tan, representing sand, with the black, white, red, blue, and green colors symbolizing the colors of coalition countries' national flags.

  1. ^ "Southwest Asia Service Medal". The Institute of Heraldry. Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  2. ^ Air Force Personnel Center Southwest Asia Service Medal Archived June 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine