a. A goldenlite rayon-embroidered bar, 3/16 inches wide 1-5/16 inches long, on a green background that forms a 3/32-inch border around the bar.

b. How worn. The overseas service bar is worn centered on the outside bottom half of the right sleeve of the Army green uniform coat. The lower edge of the overseas service bar is placed 1/4 inch above the sleeve braid of the coat for officer personnel, and 4 inches above and parallel to the bottom of the sleeve for enlisted personnel. Each additional bar is spaced 1/16 inch above, and parallel to the first bar (see fig 28-149).

(1) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of active Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service outside CONUS, from 7 December 1941 until 2 September 1946, both dates inclusive. In computing overseas service, Alaska is considered outside CONUS. An overseas service bar is not authorized for a fraction of a 6-month period.

(2) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of active Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service in Korea, from 27 June 1950 until 27 July 1954, both dates inclusive. Credit toward an overseas service bar is authorized for each month of active Federal service as a member of the U.S. Army serving in the designated hostile fire area in Korea from 1 April 1968 until 31 August 1973. The months of arrival to, and departure from the hostile fire pay area are counted as whole months. When credit is given for a month for hostile fire pay, credit for a corresponding month is given toward an overseas service bar.

(3) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period active Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service in Vietnam, from 1 July 1958 to 28 March 1973. The months of arrival to, and departure from Vietnam are counted as whole months for credit toward the overseas service bar. Periods of TDY service in Vietnam where credit is given for hostile fire pay for 1 month, also may be given credit for a corresponding month towards award of an overseas service bar.

(4) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service in the Dominican Republic, from 29 April 1965 to 21 September 1966, both dates inclusive.

(5) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service in Laos, from 1 January 1966 to 28 March 1973.

(6) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service in Cambodia from 1 January 1971 until 28 March 1973. Personnel must qualify for hostile fire pay to receive credit for an overseas service bar. The months of arrival to, and departure from the hostile fire pay area are counted as whole months.

(7) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service in Lebanon, from 6 August 1983 to 24 April 1984, for the two units listed in paragraph 28-17b(6). The months of arrival to, and departure from the hostile fire pay area are counted as whole months.

(8) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service in the Persian Gulf from 27 July 1987 to 1 August 1990, for Operation Earnest Will. The months of arrival to, and departure from Operation Earnest Will are counted as whole months.

(9) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service in the Persian Gulf from 17 January 1991 to 31 August 1993, for Operation Desert Storm. The months of arrival to, and departure from Operation Desert Storm are counted as whole months.

(10) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service who participated in El Salvador, from 1 January 1981 to 1 February 1992. The months of arrival to, and departure from El Salvador are counted as whole months.

(11) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service in Somalia, from 5 December 1992 to 31 March 1995. The months of arrival to, and departure from Somalia are counted as whole months.

(12) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service participating in Operation Enduring Freedom, the CENTCOM area of operations, or under the control of the CG, CENTCOM, from 19 September 2001 to a date to be determined. The months of arrival to, and departure from the CENTCOM area of operations are counted as whole months.

(13) One overseas service bar is authorized for each 6-month period of Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the CENTCOM area of operations, or under the control of the CG, CENTCOM, from 19 March 2003 to a date to be determined. The months of arrival to, and departure from the CENTCOM area of operations are counted as whole months.

(14) Service as a member of a U.S. Armed Service for periods of less than 6 months duration, which otherwise meets the requirements for the award of overseas service bars, may be combined by adding the number of months to determine creditable service toward the total number of overseas service bars authorized for the following: World War II, Korea, Vietnam, The Dominican Republic, Laos, Cambodia, Lebanon, Operation Earnest Will, Grenada, Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Storm, El Salvador, Somalia, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

e. Computation of World War II service.

(1) Service is computed between the dates of departure from, and arrival to a port in the United States or the boundary of CONUS. The day of departure and the day of return are included. The expression "each 6-month period of Federal service" is interpreted to authorize the wear of an overseas service bar for overseas service of various lengths, performed either continuously or at intervals, when the total service equaled or exceeded 6 months. Thus, an individual who served 4 months and 10 days outside CONUS and returned there, and subsequently departed from the United States to the same or another theater or country, and served an additional 1 month and 20 days, is entitled to one bar. All active duty or service outside CONUS (permanent, temporary, detached, and so forth) is included in computing length of service, provided that the official duty of the individual required his or her presence outside CONUS.

(2) Military personnel who served on transport vessels and on aircraft became eligible to wear the bar when their total service outside CONUS equaled or exceeded 6 months.

(3) Service on the Great Lakes and in any harbor, bay, or other enclosed arm of the sea along the coast, and that part of the sea which is within 3 miles of the continental limits of the United States, is not included in computing length of service required.

(4) Periods during which military personnel were absent without leave or were in a desertion status, are not included in computing length of service required.

(5) Periods during which military personnel were in the United States on temporary duty, detached service, or leave

(even though the individual was assigned overseas) are not included in computing length of service required.

(6) Periods during which military personnel were in confinement, which resulted in time lost as described in section 6 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (chapter 47, title 10, United States Code), are not included in computing length of service required.

DOA MESSAGE

Overseas Service Bar Created in 1918, the gold War Service Chevron indicated each six months overseas. In 1944 the Overseas Service Bar revived this practice for World War II. In 1951 the bars were moved to the right cuff .

SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA - FORMER WARTIME SERVICE AND OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS - OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOMPHILIPPINES SUBJECT: SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA - FORMER WARTIME SERVICE AND OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS - OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOMPHILIPPINES 1. REFERENCE: AR 670-1, 3 FEB 05, WEAR AND APPEARANCE OF ARMY UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA.

2. THE CHIEF OF STAFF, ARMY HAS AUTHORIZED THE WEAR OF THE SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA FORMER WARTIME SERVICE (SSI-FWTS) AND OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS (OSB) FOR SOLDIERS PARTICIPATING IN OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM-PHILIPPINES FROM 9 JANUARY 2002 TO A DATE TO BE DETERMINED.

3. THIS MESSAGE SERVES AS IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHANGES TO AR 670-1, PARAGRAPH 28-17 (13), AND PARAGRAPH 28-28d (12).

4. AR 670-1 PARAGRAPH 28-17 (13) IS CHANGED TO READ: OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF):

A. FROM 19 SEPTEMBER 2001 TO A DATE TO BE DETERMINED, FOR SOLDIERS ASSIGNED TO AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, TAJIKISTAN, TURKMENISTAN, AND UZBEKISTAN.

B. FROM 9 JANUARY 2002 TO A DATE TO BE DETERMINED FOR THOSE SOLDIERS ASSIGNED TO THE PHILIPPINES, IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, WHO WERE RECEIVING COMBAT ZONE TAX EXCLUSION (CZTE) AND IMMINENT DANGER PAY (IDP), AND WHO MEET THE CRITERIA OF AR 670-1, PARAGRAPH 28-17A.(2) AND (3).

C. FROM 31 JULY 2002 TO A DATE TO BE DETERMINED, FOR SOLDIERS DEPLOYED TO THE CENTCOM AREA OF OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF OEF AUTHORIZED CZTE AND HOSTILE FIRE/IMMINENT DANGER PAY (HF/IDP) AS IDENTIFIED BY CENTCOM CCJ1.

D. SOLDIERS WHO WERE DEPLOYED IN THE AREA OF OPERATIONS ON TRAINING EXERCISES OR IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS OTHER THAN OEF ARE NOT AUTHORIZED WEAR OF THE SSI-FWTS, UNLESS THOSE EXERCISES OR OPERATIONS BECAME COMBAT OR SUPPORT MISSIONS TO OEF.

5. AR 670-1, PARAGRAPH 28-28d (12) IS CHANGED TO READ: ONE OVERSEAS SERVICE BAR IS AUTHORIZED FOR EACH 6-MONTH PERIOD OF FEDERAL SERVICE AS A MEMBER OF A U.S. SERVICE PARTICIPATING IN OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, IN THE CENTCOM AREA OF OPERATIONS, OR UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE COMBATANT COMMANDER, CENTCOM, FROM 19 SEPTEMBER 2001 TO A DATE TO BE DETERMINED AND FOR SOLDIERS DEPLOYED IN THE PHILIPPINES IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM FROM 9 JANUARY 2002 TO A DATE TO BE DETERMINED WHO WERE RECEIVING CZTE AND IDP. THE MONTHS OF ARRIVAL TO AND DEPARTURE FROM THE CENTCOM AREA OF OPERATIONS AND THE PHILIPPINES AREA OF OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM ARE COUNTED AS WHOLE MONTHS.

8. THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE CSA. 9. THIS AUTHORITY IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.