Foreign Service Civilian Campaign Award

The Foreign Service Civilian Campaign Award is a proposed service award of the United States Department of State. As currently submitted to the Director General of the Foreign Service for approval, it would be presented to members of the Civil and Foreign Services who, on or after September 11, 2001, to a date to be determined, participate abroad in direct support of a U.S. Department of State operation in a location designated as a combat zone.
The award consists of a gold medal set and a certificate signed by the Secretary. The medal and ribbon design must be finalized and approved by the Institute of Heraldry.
Nominating and Approval Procedures
The employee should submit a JF-66 form and copies of orders to the Human Resources Officer (HRO) at Post where it will be forwarded to the Department for final determination. For employees who previously served in an area designated as a combat zone before the award was finalized, they should notify their HRO or, if assigned domestically, submit a JF-66 and their previous orders to HR/PE.
Criteria
:(1) Employees must be engaged in direct support for 30 consecutive days in a combat zone in an area of eligibility while working for or in support of the U.S. Department of State, in a full-time, TDY, or WAE capacity, for 60 non-consecutive days under Chief of Mission authority in an area designated by the State Department as a combat zone, provided this support involves the employee entering the area(s) of eligibility or regardless of time, or be killed or medically evacuated from the area of eligibility while providing direct support while under Chief of Mission authority. Under no circumstances are personnel in the United States eligible for the medal.
:(2) Direct Support is defined as services provided to U.S. Department of State activities or other activities as directed by the U.S. Department of State while under Chief of Mission authority only if the employee actually enters the designated area of eligibility.
:(3) Civilian Employee is defined as a member of the Civil or Foreign Service or an individual meeting the definition of employee under Title 5, United States Code, section 2105, and who would be eligible for awards under 3 FAM 4813.2.
:(4) Combat Zone is defined as a country where the United States is in a declared state of war; an area where there are active combat operations by U.S. military forces; or any other area that the Secretary of State may so designate.
:(5) The medal may be awarded only to federal employees who fall under Chief of Mission authority. The medal may not be awarded to contractor personnel. The medal may be awarded only once to a civilian employee, though subsequent tours that meet the criteria would make the employee eligible to wear or otherwise display an appropriate service star.
:(6) Nothing in this section prohibits the Secretary of State from awarding this award to an otherwise eligible and deserving employee.
Multiple Awards
The Foreign Service Civilian Campaign Award is part of a series of awards to recognize service in dangerous or otherwise difficult areas. The other awards in the series include the Foreign Service Hazardous Duty Award and the Foreign Affairs Hardship Service Award.
Employees are only eligible for one of the three awards for a particular period of service. For example, an employee who serves a full tour in Baghdad, Iraq, currently designated as a combat zone, a hazardous duty post, and a hardship post, would only be eligible for the highest of the three awards, the Foreign Service Civilian Campaign Award. If the employee returned for a second tour of duty in Baghdad, they would only be eligible for the Foreign Service Civilian Campaign Award; since it would be their second tour, they would be eligible to wear or display a service star on the award to designate a second tour of duty. If the same employee were to instead serve a full tour in Sana’a, Yemen, which is currently designated for danger pay, they would then be eligible for a Foreign Service Hazardous Duty Award.
Eligible Areas
Areas currently considered eligible for the Foreign Service Civilian Campaign Award include:
* Iraq
* Afghanistan
Military Use

This award is not issued to active-duty military, unless they are directly assigned in support of a State Department mission under Chief of Mission authority and are not otherwise eligible for an equivalent military award for the same service.
Design
The proposed ribbon design is similar to the U.S. military’s Global War on Terrorism Medal. The medal is the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States, which is physically kept by the Department of State. The lapel pin is gold with yellow and red stripes to indicate the danger and hardship.

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