The South-West Asia Service Medal recognizes the participation of CF
members deployed or in direct support of the operations against terrorism in
South-West Asia. The medal is awarded to those employed in direct support,
and the AFGHANISTAN bar is added for those deployed into the theatre of
operations. The South-West Asia Service Medal is awarded for a minimum of
90 days cumulative service in direct support of operations against terrorism
in South West Asia from 11 September 2001 to 31 July 2009. Direct support
occurs when a member is deployed to a unit or organization outside Canada
but not into a specific theatre of operations, and where his or her primary
duty is to provide direct assistance on a full-time basis to the operations
against terrorism in South-West Asia. The medal with AFGHANISTAN bar is
awarded for 30 days cumulative service between 11 September 2001 and 31 Jul
2009 in the theatre of operations, which is a subset of the United States
Central Command Area of Operation Responsibility (USCENTCOM AOR). The
theatre of operations is defined as the land, sea, or air spaces of Afghanistan,
Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Persian Gulf, Gulf of
Oman, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Suez Canal and those parts of the
Indian Ocean north of 5° South Latitude and west of 68° East Longitude. CF
exchange personnel posted to foreign units or organizations in direct support
of operations as described above are eligible for this medal. The only civilians
eligible are Members of the Public Service working for the CF, Canadian
civilians under contract with the CF and Canadian Police Officers serving
under the authority of the CF in the locations and with the units described at
the link above and between the dates indicated. Foreign civilians are not
eligible for the SWASM. The only members of allied forces eligible are those who serve in approved locations on behalf of Canada. They are usually foreign
exchange personnel who deploy with our units or personnel seconded to the
CF specifically to serve in our mission. In all cases, they must be on the CFTPO
filling a Canadian position and they are usually assigned a CF service number.
Foreign personnel working in concert with the CF or reporting to a Canadian
superior in an international context are not eligible for Canadian service
medals. All service under the NATO-led International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) is not eligible for the SWASM but qualifies for the SOUTH-WEST
ASIA ribbon to either the General Campaign Star or General Service Medal.
See the pages for these medals for details. Aircrew flying into the theatre
accumulate one day of service for the first sortie flown on any day, additional
sorties flown on the same day receive no further credit. The first and last days
in theatre count as full days. Visits and inspections do not constitute
qualifying service. Specifically, visits for the purpose of leadership,
familiarization, ceremonial, or morale by civilian or military VIPs as well as
Staff Assistance Visits (SAVs), Staff Inspection Visits (SIVs), and specialist visits
for the conduct of summary/criminal/administrative investigations, courts
martial, Boards of Inquiry, trial evaluations, academic studies, surveys or other
similar administrative activities are excluded from qualification. Any person
who dies or is evacuated because of injuries or medical reasons directly
attributable to service is deemed to have satisfied the time criteria set out
above. Any recipient of the Medal with Afghanistan Bar who dies or is
evacuated because of injuries or medical reasons directly attributable to
service shall be credited the entire period the person would have served in
theatre should the person have completed their tour of duty for the purpose
of calculating eligibility for Rotation Bars. The Medal, Afghanistan Bar and
Rotation Bars shall be awarded for honourable service.