Posted on May 25, 2016
Am I authorized a overseas service bar for my deployment to Afghanistan from July 15, 2013 to December 18, 2013?
5.1K
14
23
5
5
0
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?
Posted in these groups: 
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan
Soldier
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan Soldier
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
4
4
0
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."
(4)
(0)
2
2
0
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.
(2)
(0)
SGT Dakota Sokolove
Under AR 670-1 dated April 10, 2015 it changed the guidelines/requirements for the OSB which is where me and my leadership is stuck. Technically in 2013 I earned it due to the regulation then but now it is different.
(0)
(0)
LTC Paul Labrador
SGT Dakota Sokolove - If the Reg changed in 2015 and you were deployed in 2013, then you were under the old reg. BUt again, here's the interesting thing: there are no orders for OSBs. So who is going to dispute you having a bar if you can show on your ERB your deployment time.
(0)
(0)
SGT Dakota Sokolove
MPD put down that I only have 5 months and 20 days. This is why I am trying to figure it out so I can get it changed and I can be authorized to wear it.
(0)
(0)
Edited comment. I misread the topic and thought you were asking about the OSR and not the OSB.
(1)
(0)
SGT Dakota Sokolove
what are all of the avenues i could take to get this question answered? I will definitely go see my s1 once i return from BLC. Would IG have an answer? If not then who else do you recommend?
(0)
(0)
MSG (Join to see)
SGT Dakota Sokolove - IG would not be a place to go. IG is for investigating if policies and regulations are being violated. Honestly, S1 is your best place to start. If they don't know, then they should be able to point you in the direction you need to go. Good luck.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
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.
(0)
(0)
LTC Paul Labrador
The old rule was one day of combat pay credited you the whole month. If you were shy of 180 days, but were there for a part of the month, you were good. Example: I deployed to OIF1 around 05 April 03. I rotated home 15 March04. By day count, I was there 11 months and change. However, because I was there drawing combat pay for at least one day in April 03 and one day in March 04, both those months were counted towards the OSBs, so I got 2. According to SPC Sokolove the reg changed last year.
(0)
(0)
SGT Dakota Sokolove
I received a memo stating that I was authorized military decorations for the deployment to Afghanistan. It did not specifically state OSB. OSB are also under AR 670-1 not AR 600-8-22.
(1)
(0)
0
0
0
LTC Paul Labrador
But at the end of the day, OSBs aren't tracked on your ERB (just like combat patches aren't tracked) and you are not issued orders for them. So quite frankly there is nothing to stop you from sewing it on.....
(0)
(0)
SGT Dakota Sokolove
The reg used to state
*(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 Combatant Commander, 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.*
Now it states.
*(12) 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.
(17) The months of arrival to, and departure from the areas of operations during the periods indicated in paragraphs 21-29a(1) through (14) are counted as whole months only when the period of each deployment is over 6 months. Periods of overseas service of less than 6 months of active Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service, which
otherwise meets the requirements for the award of the overseas service bar authorized in paragraphs 21-29a(1) through (14) may be combined by adding the number of months and days spent in the area(s) of operation. For calculation purposes, thirty days equal one calendar month. When continuous deployment periods are less than 6-month periods,
only the number of days in the months of arrival to, and departure from the area of operations are counted. Soldiers must have 6 full months (in addition to any other time counted in paragraphs 21-29a(1) through(14)) for each additional service bar worn.*
*(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 Combatant Commander, 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.*
Now it states.
*(12) 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.
(17) The months of arrival to, and departure from the areas of operations during the periods indicated in paragraphs 21-29a(1) through (14) are counted as whole months only when the period of each deployment is over 6 months. Periods of overseas service of less than 6 months of active Federal service as a member of a U.S. Service, which
otherwise meets the requirements for the award of the overseas service bar authorized in paragraphs 21-29a(1) through (14) may be combined by adding the number of months and days spent in the area(s) of operation. For calculation purposes, thirty days equal one calendar month. When continuous deployment periods are less than 6-month periods,
only the number of days in the months of arrival to, and departure from the area of operations are counted. Soldiers must have 6 full months (in addition to any other time counted in paragraphs 21-29a(1) through(14)) for each additional service bar worn.*
(0)
(0)
LTC Paul Labrador
SGT Dakota Sokolove - Ok, seeing the new wording you are hosed. The rule change hosed you because they are making the change retrograde back to the start of OEF, not from the day the reg went into affect. And since your tour was under 6 months, the old rule of arrival and departure months counting as whole months doesn't apply (it would have, had you deployed for 6 months and a day).
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google