Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (GWOT-SM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created through Executive Order 13289 on 12 March 2003, by President George W. Bush. The medal recognizes those military service members who have supported operations to counter terrorism in the War on Terror from 11 September 2001, to a date yet to be determined.
| Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | |
|---|---|
Obverse and reverse | |
| Type | Service medal |
| Awarded for | Support of operations to counter terrorism, whether stationed in the United States or overseas. |
| Presented by | the U.S. Department of Defense U.S. Department of Homeland Security |
| Eligibility | U.S. military personnel |
| Status | Active |
| Established | E.O. 13289, 12 March 2003 |
| First awarded | 2003 (retroactive to 11 September 2001) |
Service ribbon and campaign streamer | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal |
| Next (lower) | Korea Defense Service Medal |
| Related | National Defense Service Medal, Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal |
From its creation in March 2003 through September 2022, the GWOT-SM was a quasi-automatically awarded medal similar to the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM). The GWOT-SM was awarded for the broadly defined criterion of "support duty" to nearly all servicemembers after thirty days of post-entry training active service. However, effective September 11, 2022, the GWOT-SM is now awarded to servicemembers only serving in the area of effect for approved campaigns related to the Global War on Terrorism.