II 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1673

To authorize the award of the Iraqi Liberation Medal as a campaign medal 

for members of the Armed Forces who serve in Southwest Asia in 

connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2003

Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. LIEBERMAN, and Mr. BAYH) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL

To authorize the award of the Iraqi Liberation Medal as 

a campaign medal for members of the Armed Forces 

who serve in Southwest Asia in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF AWARD OF IRAQI LIBERA4 TION MEDAL AS CAMPAIGN MEDAL FOR 

5 SERVICE IN SOUTHWEST ASIA IN OPERATION 

6 IRAQI FREEDOM. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find8 ings: 
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•S 1673 IS 

1 (1) According to President George W. Bush, 

2 Operation Iraqi Freedom was ‘‘fought for the cause 

3 of liberty, and for the peace of the world . . .’’ and 

4 ‘‘to free a nation by breaking a dangerous and ag5 gressive regime’’. 

6 (2) The military victory in Iraq has been char7 acterized by President George W. Bush as one of the 

8 ‘‘swiftest advances in heavy arms in history’’. 

9 (3) There are more than 130,000 Soldiers, Sail10 ors, Airmen, and Marines of the United States serv11 ing in the Iraqi Theater of Operations, far from 

12 family and friends, and for an unknown duration. 

13 (4) Since the beginning of Operation Iraqi 

14 Freedom, almost 300 members of the Armed Forces 

15 of the United States have died in Iraq and nearly 

16 1,500 have been wounded in action. 

17 (5) Congress has authorized and Presidents 

18 have issued specific decorations recognizing the sac19 rifice and service of the members of the Armed 

20 Forces of the United States in the Korean War, the 

21 Vietnam conflict, and the liberation of Kuwait. 

22 (6) Current Department of Defense guidance 

23 authorizes the award of only one expeditionary 

24 medal for overseas duty in Afghanistan, the Phil25 ippines, and Iraq. 
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1 (7) The conflict in Iraq is significant enough in 

2 scope and sacrifice to warrant a specific military 

3 decoration for the liberation of Iraq. 

4 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF AWARD OF CAMPAIGN

5 MEDAL.—The Secretary concerned may award a cam6 paign medal of appropriate design, with ribbons and ap7 purtenances, to any person who serves in any capacity 

8 with the Armed Forces in the Southwest Asia region in 

9 connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

10 (c) NAME OF MEDAL.—The campaign medal author11 ized by subsection (b) shall be known as the ‘‘Iraqi Libera12 tion Medal’’. 

13 (d) PROHIBITION ON CONCURRENT AWARD OF

14 GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL.—

15 A person who is awarded the campaign medal authorized 

16 by subsection (b) for service described in that subsection 

17 may not also be awarded the Global War on Terrorism 

18 Expeditionary Medal for that service. 

19 (e) OTHER LIMITATIONS.—The award of the cam20 paign medal authorized by subsection (b) shall be subject 

21 to such limitations as the President may prescribe. 

22 (f) REGULATIONS.—(1) Each Secretary concerned 

23 shall prescribe regulations on the award of the campaign 

24 medal authorized by subsection (b). 
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1 (2) The regulations prescribed under paragraph (1) 

2 shall not go into effect until approved by the Secretary 

3 of Defense. 

4 (3) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the 

5 regulations prescribed under paragraph (1) are uniform, 

6 so far as practicable. 

7 (g) SECRETARY CONCERNED DEFINED.—In this sec8 tion, the term ‘‘Secretary concerned’’ means the following: 

9 (1) The Secretary of the Army with respect to 

10 matters concerning members of the Army. 

11 (2) The Secretary of the Navy with respect to 

12 matters concerning members of the Navy, Marine 

13 Corps, and Coast Guard when it is operating as a 

14 service in the Navy. 

15 (3) The Secretary of the Air Force with respect 

16 to matters concerning members of the Air Force. 

17 (4) The Secretary of Homeland Security with 

18 respect to matters concerning members of the Coast 

19 Guard when it is not operating as a service in the 

20 Navy.

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