Criteria: a. Authorized to be awarded to soldiers who deploy to Iraq in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) on or after 19 March 2003 to a date to be determined or the cessation of OIF. The area of eligibility encompasses all land area of the country of Iraq and the contiguous water area out to 12 nautical miles, and all air spaces above the land area of Iraq and above the contiguous water area out to 12 nautical miles.

b. To be eligible for the award, a soldier must be assigned or attached to a unit participating in OIF for 30 consecutive days or for 60 nonconsecutive days in Iraq or meet one of the following criteria: 1) Be engaged in actual combat against the enemy and under circumstances involving grave danger of death or serious bodily injury from enemy action, regardless, of time in the Iraq. 2) While participating in OIF or on official duties, regardless of time, is killed or wounded/injured requiring medical evacuation from Iraq. 3) While participating as a regularly assigned air crew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over Iraq in direct support of OIF; each day that one or more sorties are flown in accordance with the criteria shall count as one day towards the 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive day requirement.

c. The medal may be awarded posthumously to any soldier who lost his/her life while, or as a direct result of, participating in qualifying operations, without regard to length of such service, if otherwise eligible.

     The Arrowhead device is a decoration of the U.S. Army issued as an attachment to certain service medals awarded to any service member who participates in an amphibious assault, combat parachute drop, helicopter assault landing, or a combat glider attack. No more than one arrowhead device may be authorized per campaign medal.