Air Force Overseas Ribbon – Long Tour

Air Force Overseas Ribbon – Long Tour is a Department of the Air Force service award recognizing completion of a standard long-duration tour at an eligible overseas location. Established in 1980, it is part of a family of awards created to acknowledge the unique challenges and contributions of service members stationed outside the continental United States. The ribbon is awarded to members of the United States Air Force and, since 2020, the United States Space Force.

History

The ribbon was established on October 12, 1980, by order of the Secretary of the Air Force, John C. Stetson, under the authority of Department of Defense Directive 1348.33. Its creation was part of a broader effort to standardize and recognize overseas service across the United States Armed Forces, paralleling similar awards like the Army Overseas Service Ribbon and Navy Overseas Service Ribbon. The award was made retroactive to September 1, 1980, for active duty personnel and to August 1, 1980, for members of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. Following the establishment of the United States Space Force in December 2019, the award was extended to its guardians by a directive from the Department of the Air Force in 2020, aligning with the service's adoption of most United States Air Force awards and decorations.

Criteria

To qualify for the Air Force Overseas Ribbon – Long Tour, a service member must complete a tour of duty at an overseas location as defined by the Department of Defense. A standard long tour is typically 36 months for locations accompanied by dependents or 24 months for unaccompanied tours, though specific durations can be adjusted by the Secretary of the Air Force for certain locations like South Korea, Turkey, or Saudi Arabia. The tour must be served on permanent assignment orders, and the individual must have an "excellent" or higher conduct and efficiency rating. Time spent in a Prisoner of war status, assigned to a Vietnam-era unit earning the Vietnam Service Medal, or serving in a combat zone for which the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or similar campaign medal is awarded does not count toward the tour length. Subsequent awards are denoted by oak leaf cluster devices.

Appearance

The service ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of a central stripe of Ultramarine blue flanked on either side by stripes of golden yellow. These are bordered by narrow stripes of white, with the outer edges being stripes of Air Force blue. The colors are symbolic: the ultramarine blue represents the overseas service, the golden yellow denotes excellence and achievement, the white signifies integrity, and the Air Force blue edges represent the United States Air Force. The ribbon is identical to the Air Force Overseas Ribbon – Short Tour, with the type of tour (long or short) distinguished solely by the order of precedence and the service member's records. When worn in lieu of the full medal, a 3/16 inch bronze oak leaf cluster is affixed to the ribbon to indicate additional awards.

Order of precedence

In the United States Air Force and United States Space Force awards hierarchy, the Air Force Overseas Ribbon – Long Tour is worn after the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon and before the Air Force Longevity Service Award. It is positioned on the uniform immediately following the Air Force Overseas Ribbon – Short Tour, which holds a higher precedence. It is worn before other service awards such as the Air Force Recruiter Ribbon, NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon, and Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon. The precedence is maintained on the Air Force Good Conduct Medal and all U.S. campaign and service medals.

Notable recipients

While typically an automatic award for completed service, the ribbon has been earned by numerous high-ranking officers and distinguished personnel throughout their careers. This includes former Chiefs of Staff like General David L. Goldfein and General Mark A. Welsh III, whose overseas assignments included posts in Europe and Asia. Renowned test pilots and astronauts from the United States Air Force, such as Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager and Colonel Eileen Collins, accrued the award during assignments with organizations like United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa or the Pacific Air Forces. Famed Air Force Cross recipient and Vietnam War hero Colonel John L. Levitow also earned the award during his service. Category:United States Air Force awards