[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 11 (Monday, March 17, 2003)]
[Pages 317-318]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13289--Establishing the Global War on Terrorism Medals

March 12, 2003

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America, including my authority as 
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, it is 
hereby ordered as follows:
    Section 1. Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. There is 
hereby established the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with 
suitable appurtenances. Except as limited in section 3 of this order, 
and under uniform regulations to be prescribed by the Secretaries of the 
military departments and approved by the Secretary of Defense, or under 
regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of Homeland Security with 
respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the 
Navy, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal shall be awarded 
to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who serve or have 
served in military expeditions to combat terrorism, as defined by such 
regulations, on or after September 11, 2001, and before a terminal date 
to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
    Sec. 2. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. There is hereby 
established the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal with suitable 
appurtenances. Except as limited in section 3 of this order, and under 
uniform regulations to be prescribed by the Secretaries of the military 
departments and approved by the Secretary of Defense, or under 
regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of Homeland Security with 
respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the 
Navy, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal shall be awarded to 
members of the Armed Forces of the United States who serve or have 
served in military operations to combat terrorism, as defined by such 
regulations, on or after September 11, 2001, and before a terminal date 
to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
    Sec. 3. Relationship to Other Awards. Notwithstanding section 3 of 
Executive

[[Page 318]]

Order 10977 of December 4, 1961, establishing the Armed Forces 
Expeditionary Medal and section 3 of Executive Order 12985 of January 
11, 1996, establishing the Armed Forces Service Medal, any member who 
qualified for those medals by reason of service in operations to combat 
terrorism between September 11, 2001, and a terminal date to be 
determined by the Secretary of Defense, shall remain qualified for those 
medals. Upon application, any such member may be awarded either the 
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal or the Global War on 
Terrorism Service Medal in lieu of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal 
or the Armed Forces Service Medal, but no person may be awarded more 
than one of these four medals by reason of service in the same approved 
Global War on Terrorism expedition or operation to combat terrorism, and 
no person shall be entitled to more than one award of the Global War on 
Terrorism Expeditionary Medal or the Global War on Terrorism Service 
Medal.
    Sec. 4. Posthumous Award. The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary 
Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal may be awarded 
posthumously to any person covered by and under regulations prescribed 
in accordance with the first or second sections of this order.
    Sec. 5. Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed for any 
purpose as fixing, or authorizing the fixing of, the dates of initiation 
or termination of armed hostilities between the United States and 
terrorists of global reach.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 March 12, 2003.

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 12:27 p.m., March 13, 
2003]

Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on 
March 14.