Southwest Asia Service Medal

The Southwest Asia Service Medal (SASM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members who performed duty during the years of the Persian Gulf War. The medal was designed by Nadine Russell of the Army's Institute of Heraldry. The colors of the ribbon are tan, representing sand, with the black, white, red, blue, and green colors symbolizing the colors of coalition countries' national flags.
Individuals awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal must have participated in or supported military operations in Southwest Asia between August 2, 1990 and November 30, 1995. That period of inclusion includes participation in Defense of Saudi Arabia, Liberation and Defense of Kuwait or Southwest Asia Cease-Fire.
In April 2016, the appearance of the suspension and service ribbon of the SASM was slightly modified by the United States Department of Defense through its Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The DLA made the two vertical green bars and one vertical black bar in the middle wider than in the original 1991 version.