U.S. Office of Personnel Management Veterans' Preference For Service in Bosnia

Section 572 of Subtitle G of the Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 1998 (Public Law 105-85), signed into law on November 18, 1997, allows the Secretary of the military department concerned to determine whether individual members who participated in Operation Joint Endeavor or Operation Joint Guard in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in such other areas in the region as the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate, meet the individual service requirements for award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM).

Generally, service members will be considered eligible if they:

• deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina (or other area that the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate) in direct support of one or both of the operations;

• served on board a ship in the Adriatic in direct support of one or both of the operations; or

• operated in airspace above Bosnia, Herzegovina (or other area that the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate) while the operations were in effect.

Operation Joint Endeavor covers the period beginning November 20, 1995, and ending December 20, 1996.

Operation Joint Guard covers the period beginning on December 20, 1996, and ending on such date as the Secretary of Defense may designate.

Veterans' preference is authorized under 5 U.S.C. 2108 for individuals who served on active duty, under honorable conditions:

• during a war, in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized, or during the period from April 28, 1952, to July 1, 1955;

• for more than 180 days any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976; or

• during the Gulf War between August 2, 1990, and January 2, 1992.

Medal holders and Gulf War veterans must have served continuously for at least 24 months or the full period for which called or ordered to active duty. Veterans with compensable service-connected disabilities, or who were discharged or released from active duty (a) for a disability incurred or aggravated in line of duty, or (b) under 10 U.S.C. 1171 or 1173 for hardship or other reasons, are exempt from the minimum service requirement.

Employees who wish to claim veterans' preference or to claim service credit based on their service in these expeditions should submit the appropriate paper work showing the award of the AFEM to their personnel office.

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Page updated 19 February 2001