do you wear overseas service stripes for deployment to kosovo? my oders say operation enduring freedom on them, we do get hostile fire pay, and are tax exempt. however, i do not think we are authorized combat patches. no one i ask here seems to know, any help would be appericated!

Ok man hope I answer your questions.per AR 670-1 para 28-28, sub. 12-13
(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.
(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 Combatant Commander, 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.
So your next question would be what is in the CENTCOM AOR here you go in full internet color..

http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom2/Misc/centcom_aor.aspx


and the answer to the "Combat Patch" or Shoulder sleeve insignia-former wartime service (SSI–FWTS) again per AR 670-1 para 28-17, sub.13-14
(13)Operation Enduring Freedom: from 19 September 2001 to a date to be determined, for soldiers assigned to fghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; and from 31 July 2002 to a date to be determined, for oldiers deployed to the CENTCOM area of operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom authorized combat one tax exclusion as identified by CENTCOM CCJ1 AOR Danger Pay Entitlements. Soldiers who were deployed in he area of operations on training exercises or in support of operations other than Operation Enduring Freedom are not uthorized the SSI-FWTS, unless those exercises or operations became combat or support missions to Operation nduring Freedom.
(14) Operation Iraqi Freedom: from 19 March 2003 to a date to be determined, for soldiers assigned to units articipating in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Soldiers must have been deployed in the CENTCOM area of operations, or articipated in Operation Iraqi Freedom while deployed in Turkey, Israel, and Aegis cruisers. Soldiers who served with he 1st Marine Division from 19 March 2003 to 21 April 2003 during combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi reedom are authorized to wear the 1st Marine Division shoulder sleeve insignia as their SSI-FWTS. Soldiers who ere deployed in the area of operations on training exercises or in support of operations other than Iraqi Freedom are ot authorized the SSI-FWTS, unless those exercises or operations became combat or support missions to Operation raqi Freedom.

I hope I answered your question...if not ask again I have been up a long time and hyped up on caffeine..later

You do get a service stripe for every six months of overseas duty, for any country.

As for a combat patch, you only get a to wear one if you are in a war delcared enviroment.

ray1979 - incorrect. If your statement was true then I would be authorized six strips for my three years in HI and eight more for my four years in GE in addition to my four strips for two years in IZ.

The overseas service bar is for a combat zone of opperation. Bosnia and Kosovo do not fall under OEF or OIF.

If you are authorized a SSI-FWTS (combat patch) then you are authorized one overseas service bar for every six months. It used to have to be consecutive, but now cummiltive is ok.

I'm not sure why your orders say OEF if you're deploying to Kosovo. Kosovo doesn't fall under CENTCOM, it falls under NATO Command. Typically OEF refers to operations in Afghanistan but there are also subordinate missions in Africa and the Philippines taking place. That's a little confusing.

RE: OIF/OEF Orders

29th INF is a Guard Unit. So their orders could say anything.

Also among Army Infantry guys, we do not consider Kosovo a deployment any more than Korea. No offense but that is why 6th In Regiment (Baumholder Germany) was relived of that sh&t hole by the guard when OIF broke out.

You will get a nice little NATO ribbon and the Reserve component ribbon. Add that to the three you get just for joining the Army now and every E2 will have a little stack going! Enjoy and I might see you in the land of K-for this summer.

In addition to the NATO Medal you will also get the KOSOVO Campaign Medal. That's two more ribbons on your chest just for Kosovo. Been there, done that.

Yes you get overseas stripes for Kosovo as well as the Kosovo campaign medal and the Nato non-article 5 Kosovo medal. As for the latter, hold onto the one you got from Kosovo because you will not find a replacement at most clothing sales shops.
Check the stack of award orders you should have received.

Too bad the 29th already left the 'Vo as the new independence might actually turn it into a place where a combat patch is authorized.

Short answers for everbody:

No overseas bars, No SSI FWS for Kosovo. There is no MILPER message that awards them and the separation points do not grant them.

A MILPER message has been updated adding troops in the Phillipines under OEF to receive SSI FWS and Overseas Service Bars.

SSI FWS does not ensure overseas bars are authorized (Examples include the Dominican Republic 1968, Panama 1990, Operations in Iran 1979, etc)

KFOR mission falls under OEF because it was reorganized in 2003 for funding under the OEF Contingincy Operation Fund. The mission now falls under OEF.

You get the Kosovo Campaign, NATO Non Article 5 (Balkans), Army Overseas Service Ribbon and GWOTS Medal. Just for MOBing you get the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M for mobilization, NDSM, and a GCM if you've never received one before.

It's all in AR 600-8-22 and the related MILPER messages.

Unfortunately, combat stripes(Overseas Service Bars) nor combat patch (FWS-SSI) is authorized for Kosovo; regulation that governs this is AR 670-1.

Service medals and awards should be Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal with Campaign Star or Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal (not both), Global War on Terror Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the NATO Non Article 5, regulation that governs this is AR 600-8-22.

Plus whatever end of tour award you receive for being there.