a. General. Authorization to wear a shoulder sleeve insignia indicating former wartime service applies only to soldiers who are assigned to U.S. Army units that meet all the following criteria. Soldiers who were prior members of other Services that participated in operations that would otherwise meet the criteria below are not authorized to wear the SSI FWTS. Wear is reserved for individuals who were members of U.S. Army units during the operations.
(1) The Secretary of the Army or higher must declare as a hostile environment the theater or area of operation to which the unit is assigned, or Congress must pass a Declaration of War.
(2) The units must have actively participated in, or supported ground combat operations against hostile forces in which they were exposed to the threat of enemy action or fire, either directly or indirectly.
(3) The military operation normally must have lasted for a period of thirty (30) days or longer. An exception may be made when U.S. Army forces are engaged with a hostile force for a shorter period of time, when they meet all other criteria, and a recommendation from the general or flag officer in command is forwarded to the Chief of Staff, Army.
(4) The Chief of Staff, Army, must approve the authorization for wear of the shoulder sleeve insignia for former wartime service.
b. Authorization. Authorization applies only to members of the Army who were assigned overseas with U.S. Army organizations during the following periods.
(1) World War II: between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1946, both dates inclusive.
(2) Korea: between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954, both dates inclusive. Also from 1 April 1968 to 31 August 1973, for those personnel who were awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman badge, Combat Medical badge, or who qualified for at least one month’s hostile fire pay for service in a hostile fire area in Korea.
(3) The Vietnam theater, including Thailand, Laos and Cambodia: from 1 July 1958 to 28 March 1973, both dates inclusive.
(4) The Dominican Republic: 29 April 1965 to 21 September 1966, both dates inclusive. Individuals are authorized to wear one of three organizational SSI: XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, or 5th Logistical Command. Individuals previously attached, assigned, or under the operational control of these units will wear their respective insignia. A fourth organizational SSI (OEA-Spanish equivalent of Organization of American States) is authorized for individuals who were not in one of the three units listed above.
(5) Grenada, to include the Green and Carriacou Islands: between 24 October 1983 and 21 November 1983, both dates inclusive. Personnel are authorized to wear one of the following organizational SSI: XVIII Airborne Corps; 82nd Airborne Division; 1st Special Operations Command (ABN); 1st Corps Support Command; 20th Engineer Brigade; 35th Signal Brigade; 16th Military Police Brigade; 44th Medical Brigade; 1st Battalion (Ranger), 75th Ranger Regiment; 2nd Battalion (Ranger), 75th Ranger Regiment; and 101st Airborne Division (AASLT). Individuals attached to, or under the operational control of these units will wear their respective organizational SSI. Individuals attached to, or under the operational control of any unit whose parent organization is not authorized SSI, will wear the SSI of the unit to which attached or the unit that had operational control.
(6) Lebanon: from 6 August 1983 to 24 April 1984, for soldiers assigned to the Field Artillery School Target Acquisition Battery or the 214th Field Artillery Brigade, who were attached to the U.S. Marine Corps forces in and around Beirut, Lebanon, for the purpose of counterfire support.
(7) Korea: 23 November 1984, for soldiers who directly participated in the firefight with North Korean guards at the Joint Security Area (JSA), Panmunjom, Korea.
(8) Persian Gulf: from 27 July 1987 to 1 August 1990 for soldiers assigned or attached to, or under the operational control of a unit whose mission was direct support to Operation Earnest Will. Soldiers must have been eligible for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and imminent danger pay.
(9) Panama: from 20 December 1989 to 31 January 1990 for soldiers assigned to the following units, and who participated in Operation Just Cause: XVIII Airborne Corps; U.S. Army Special Operations Command; U.S. Army South; 7th Infantry Division (Light); 82nd Airborne Division; 5th Infantry Division (M); 1st Special Operations Command; 193d Infantry Brigade; 1st Corps Support Command; 16th Military Police Brigade; 18th Aviation Brigade; 35th Signal Brigade; 7th Special Forces Group; 75th Ranger Regiment; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions, 75th Ranger Regiment; 470th Military Intelligence Brigade; 525th Military Intelligence Brigade; 44th Medical Brigade; 1109th Signal Brigade; Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command; and CIDC. Soldiers assigned to units not listed above will wear the shoulder sleeve insignia of the unit to which attached, or the unit that had operational control. Soldiers assigned to units not listed above and not attached to, or under the operational control of any of the units listed above, will wear the SSI of the U.S. Army South.
(10) The Persian Gulf: from 17 January 1991 to 31 August 1993, both dates inclusive, for soldiers participating in Operation Desert Storm. Soldiers must have been assigned or attached to, or under the operational control of a unit whose mission was direct support to Operation Desert Storm; they must have received imminent danger pay and been under the command and control of U.S. Army Element Central Command (USAE CENTCOM).
(11) El Salvador: from 1 January 1981 to 1 February 1992, both dates inclusive, for those personnel who participated in El Salvador operations.
(12) Somalia: from 5 December 1992 to 31 March 1995, both dates inclusive, for soldiers who participated in Operation Restore Hope/Continue Hope/United Shield. Exceptions are for Joint Task Forces: Patriot Defender, Elusive Concept, and Proven Force; those personnel are authorized to wear SSI FWTS even though they were not under the command and control of USAE CENTCOM.
(13) Operation Enduring Freedom: from 19 September 2001 to a date to be determined, for soldiers assigned to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; and from 31 July 2002 to a date to be determined, for soldiers deployed to the CENTCOM area of operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom authorized combat zone tax exclusion as identified by CENTCOM CCJ1 AOR Danger Pay Entitlements. Soldiers who were deployed in the area of operations on training exercises or in support of operations other than Operation Enduring Freedom are not authorized the SSI-FWTS, unless those exercises or operations became combat or support missions to Operation Enduring Freedom.
(14) Operation Iraqi Freedom: from 19 March 2003 to a date to be determined, for soldiers assigned to units participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Soldiers must have been deployed in the CENTCOM area of operations, or participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom while deployed in Turkey, Israel, and Aegis cruisers. Soldiers who served with the 1st Marine Division from 19 March 2003 to 21 April 2003 during combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom are authorized to wear the 1st Marine Division shoulder sleeve insignia as their SSI-FWTS. Soldiers who were deployed in the area of operations on training exercises or in support of operations other than Iraqi Freedom are not authorized the SSI-FWTS, unless those exercises or operations became combat or support missions to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
c. How worn.
(1) Non-subdued. At the option of the wearer, individuals who were members of an Army unit during one of the operations listed above may wear the non-subdued U.S. Army organizational SSI of a wartime unit (para 28.17b) that was approved by HQDA on the right sleeve of the Army green uniform coat. The insignia is worn centered, 1/2 inch below the top of the right shoulder seam (see fig 28.136).
(2) Subdued. Authorized personnel may wear the subdued SSI FWTS on the right sleeve of the temperate, hot- weather, enhanced hot-weather, and desert BDU, and the BDU field jacket, as described above. The SSI FWTS is not authorized for wear on organizational uniforms, except as prescribed in this paragraph.
(3) Other services. The Department of the Navy, the United States Marine Corps (USMC), and the Air Force do not authorize wear of SSI. Therefore, personnel who served in one of the designated areas during one of the specified periods, but who were not members of the U.S. Army, are not authorized to wear the SSI FWTS on their right shoulder. The only exception to this policy is for U.S. Army members who served with the USMC during World War II from 15 March 1943 through 2 September 1946.
d. Soldiers who are authorized to wear more than one SSI FWTS have the option of choosing which SSI FWTS they will wear. Soldiers may elect not to wear SSI FWTS. (See appendix F for further guidance on the wear of the SSI FWTS.)