Awards:
Air Force Achievement Medal
Department of the Air Force
Airman First Class William J. Cooley distinguished himself by outstanding achievement as a Network Administrator, 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron, Joint Base Balad, Iraq. During this period, under threat of rocket and mortar attacks, Airman Cooley was vital to the success of the squadron during Operations NEW DAWN. Airman Cooley was the driving factor for ensuring compliance during the Windows 7 migrations. His efforts resulted in a savings of 17,000 man hours when he remotely pushed the operating system to 822 legacy machines. Additionally Airman Cooley assisted the Network Operations and Security Center with a technical refresh in which two million dollars of equipment was installed and configured, resulting in 100 physical and virtual servers being made available for over 6,400 network users at Joint Base Balad. Finally, Airman Cooley was hand picked by 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron leadership to forward deploy to a forward operating base as the lead Red Tail Network Systems Administrator. His expertise was critical to a vital data transfer, ensuring the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Leadership maintained 100 percent of essential file data files. The distinctive accomplishments of Airman Cooley reflect credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Meritorious Unit Award
Department of the Air Force
The following United States Central Command Air Forces units have been awarded the MERITORIOUS UNIT AWARD for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service for the period indicated. Only individuals deployed overseas to the USAFCENT AOR with these units during the inclusive dates may be entitled to this award.
Unit: 332 Expeditionary Communications Squadron'
Inclusive Dates: 1 Jun 10 - 31 May 11
AF Good Conduct Medal
Department of the Air Force
Criteria
It was awarded to Air Force enlisted personnel during a three-year period of active military service or for a one-year period of service during a time of war. Airmen awarded this medal must have had character and efficiency ratings of excellent or higher throughout the qualifying period including time spent in attendance at service schools, and there must have been no convictions of court martial during this period. Air Force personnel who were previously awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal and after June 1, 1963 qualified for the Air Force Good Conduct Medal could wear both medals.
Iraq Campaign Medal (2 Bronze Stars)
Department of the Air Force
Criteria
Eligibility for the ICM requires service members to have served in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The period of eligibility is on or after March 19, 2003 to a future date to be determined by the Secretary of Defense or the cessation of OIF.
Service members qualified for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-E) by reasons of service between March 19, 2003 and Feb. 28, 2005, in an area for which the ICM was subsequently authorized, shall remain qualified for that medal. Upon application, any such service members may be awarded the ICM in lieu of the GWOT-E for such service. No service members shall be entitled to both medals for the same deployment, action, achievement or period of service.
Service members must have been assigned, attached or mobilized to units operating in the area of eligibility for 30 consecutive days or for 60 non-consecutive days or meet one of the following criteria:
1) Be engaged in combat during an armed engagement, regardless of the time in the area of eligibility; 2) While participating in an operation or on official duties, is wounded or injured and requires medical evacuation from the area of eligibility; 3) While participating as a regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within or over the area of eligibility in direct support of the military operations; each day of operations counts as one day of eligibility.
In April 2008, the DoD authorized service stars to recognize service members for participating in the following campaigns:
-- Liberation of Iraq: 19 March 2003 - 1 May 2003
-- Transition of Iraq: 2 May 2003 - 28 June 2004
-- Iraqi Governance: 29 June 2004 - 15 December 2005
-- National Resolution: 16 December 2005 - Date to be Determined (DTBD)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Department of the Air Force
Criteria
The chief of staff of the Air Force authorizes the wearing of the GWOT-S for those individuals who either directly or indirectly supported the designated operations. Individuals must have participated in or served in support of the Global War on Terrorism-specified operations on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to a future date to be determined: airport security operations (OSA - Sept. 27, 2001 to May 31, 2002); operations Noble Eagle (ONE), Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
Service members must be assigned, attached or mobilized to a unit participating in or serving in support of designated operations for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days there is no time limit required for nonconsecutive days to be accumulated or meet one of the following criteria:
1) Be engaged in actual combat against the enemy and under circumstances involving grave danger of death or serious bodily injury from enemy action; 2) While participating in the specified operation, regardless of time, is killed, wounded or injured requiring medical evacuation.
Personnel supporting the Global War on Terrorism in a non-deployed status, whether stationed at home or overseas are eligible for the GWOT-S. Examples of this support include: maintaining/loading weapons systems for combat missions, securing installations against terrorism, augmenting command posts or crisis action teams and processing personnel for deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
AF Overseas Ribbon Short
Department of the Air Force
Joint Base Balad
Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base
April 2011 - November 2011
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Department of the Air Force
Criteria
For award of the AFESR w/GB, members must be/have been assigned to an Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) Plan Identification (PID) or on Contingency Exercise Deployment (CED) orders and have been receiving IDP/HFP. Aircrew members who engage in combat action must be assigned on aeronautical orders in direct support of a combat zone.
Prior to the award of the gold border, members must have met the eligibility requirement for award of the basic AFESR. The AFESR w/GB may be awarded to current and former Air Force Active Duty, Reserve, and Guard personnel who since 1 Oct 99 meet the requirements of Para 2 and 3.
The time eligibility criteria for award of the basic AFESR w/GB can be waived if the member meets one of the following criteria:
- Be engaged in actual combat against the enemy and under circumstances involving grave danger of death or serious bodily injury from enemy actions
- While participating in a designated operation, be killed, wounded, or injured requiring medical evacuation from the combat zone
- Be a regularly assigned crew member flying combat/combat support sorties into, out of, within, or over a combat zone
- Employ a kinetic or non-kinetic weapon from outside the designated combat zone, in a combat operation
AF Training Ribbon
Department of the Air Force
Criteria
It is awarded to U.S. Air Force service members on completion of initial accession training after Aug. 14, 1974. In December 1986, the criteria expanded and authorized the ribbon to anyone who was on active duty regardless of when they completed initial accession training.
The ribbon may not be awarded for completing technical training, career development courses and other services' basic training. Completing later accession training (Basic Military Training, then commissioning through a program, and so forth) will entitle a member to a subsequent award denoted by an oak leaf cluster.