Am I authorized a overseas service bar for my deployment to Afghanistan from July 15, 2013 to December 18, 2013?

SGT Dakota Sokolove — Wed, 25 May 2016 15:58:22 -0400

For more elaboration, I deployed July 15th and left Afghanistan the 18th of December and returned to Germany on the 22nd of December. AR 670-1 in 2013 used to state that the months that you arrive and depart theater count as full months. Now the most current up to date AR 670-1 excluded that line. So would I be authorized to wear it since I earned it in 2013 under that AR 670-1 or will I have to follow the current one? Shouldn't I be grandfathered in since i met the requirements back then and they just recently changed?

Response by SGT Dakota Sokolove made May 25 at 2016 4:01 PM

SGT Dakota Sokolove — Wed, 25 May 2016 16:01:42 -0400

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made May 25 at 2016 4:04 PM

LTC Paul Labrador — Wed, 25 May 2016 16:04:37 -0400

OSB's are awarded for 6 month's deployed duty in a designated area. Unless things have changed, a "month" was counted as a full month if you were in theater and drew combat pay any time during that month. It could have literally been one day and you would have been credited the whole month for purposes of the OSB. So if you are asking if the partial months will still qualify you, they should.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2016 4:07 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 25 May 2016 16:07:04 -0400

Were you awarded one? My company's deployment was cut short and we were sent home a couple weeks shy of 6 months. We were however, awarded a bar. I don't know what regulatory guidance the commander used to authorize it, as I've never looked into it.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2016 4:16 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 25 May 2016 16:16:25 -0400

Edited comment. I misread the topic and thought you were asking about the OSR and not the OSB.

Response by CW5 Andrew J. Foreman made May 25 at 2016 4:33 PM

CW5 Andrew J. Foreman — Wed, 25 May 2016 16:33:58 -0400

LTC Paul Labrador is correct in stating one day in combat zone equals one month. Time in combat zone is cumulative, so if you have three two month tours that would give you six months in combat and one strip. I believe you were looking at DA PAM 670-1. In AR 670-1 date 10 April 2015 Para 21-29 a (12)-(16) address the time periods since 9/11 to present for overseas service bars. Para 21-29 a (12) address your dates specially "One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6–month period of active Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service participating in Operation Enduring Freedom, in the CENTCOM area of operations, and under the control of the Combatant Commander, CENTCOM, between 19 September 2001 and 31 December 2014; or Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines, between 19 September 2001 and a date to be determined."