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Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon
The Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon was created by the Air Force Chief of Staff in 1980. These US military medals were authorized in two grades designated Short Tour and Long Tour, respectively. These medals of America which honor the Long Tour are presented to Air Force personnel who serve tours of duty of more than two years in duration. Long tour credit is awarded for completion of a overseas long tour (2 years) prescribed by Air Force Instructions, or to any member assigned to a United States or overseas location who is subsequently sent under temporary duty orders (to include combat tours) for 365 or more days within a 3-year time frame. There are no corresponding military medals for this award.Additional awards of the Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon are denoted by Oak Leaf Clusters. Personnel are allowed to wear both the short and long tour ribbons simultaneously. The “A” device is authorized only on the short tour ribbon to any service member who performs a tour of duty at an arctic based Air Force facility. These Air Force ribbons are worn below the Air Force Overseas Short Tour Ribbon and above the Air Force Expeditionary Ribbon in the general order of precedence which the Air Force established for the display of all military medals and ribbons. They are generally available as Air Force ribbons and lapel pins which were traditionally worn as slide-on military ribbons. Nowadays however, ever increasing numbers of Air Force personnel are realizing the value to their career goals of always having their uniform decorations looking their best, and have turned to the slimmer and trimmer ultra thin ribbon racks to provide them with the smartest looking military award displays possible.
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