Iraq Commitment Medal

The Commitment Medal is a gold-colored medal with enamel, 1 9/16 in diameter. On the front the relief of Iraq represents the area of operation. The lines symbolize the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, recalling Iraq's title as “the land of two rivers.” The two hands superimposed over the relief symbolize the friendship between Iraq and her coalition allies. The star at the center top represents a vision of unity for the seven peoples of Iraq (Sunni, Shia, Kurd, Turkoman, Assyrian, Yazidi, Armenian) leading to a more secure, prosperous and free future for Iraqis. The inscription in both Arabic and English merge into a continuous circle symbolizing the closeness of Iraq and her allies.^[1]

On the reverse side the rayed disc symbolizes the sun, optimism and Iraq's future of reconstruction and the establishment of the democratic way of life. The relief of Iraq represents the area of operation. The lines symbolize the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, recalling Iraq's title as “the land of two rivers.” The crossed scimitars recall the partnership between Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces essential to bringing a democratic way of life to Iraq. Gold is emblematic of honor and high achievement. It states JOINT COMMITMENT in both Arabic and English symbolizing the unity of effort between Iraq and her Coalition Partners. The palm trees along with the palm fronds on the front represent the sacrifices made by the Coalition Partners.^[1]

The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches in width; however it is mounted on the ribbon bar horizontally so that the horizontal top stripe is a 1/16 Chamois (67142) stripe with a 3/64 inch Scarlett (67111) stripe underneath it. A 1/16 inch White (67101) stripe on each side of a 1/16 Green (67129) follows. Below the bottom white stripe is a 3/64 Black (67138) stripe with a 1/16 Chamois (67142) stripe serving as the bottom stripe. A device of palm fronds representing the sacrifices of coalition forces, both Iraqi and Allied, is centered on the ribbon.^[1]

The colors represent the following. The Green is the traditional color for Islam. Red honors the fighting courage for the pursuit of freedom. White denotes generosity and black exemplifies Islam's success. The tan represents the sands of Mesopotamia.^[1]

In 2013, the Department of Defense made a statement that it is still waiting for the initial group of medals to be received from the Government of Iraq.^[3] In the past, when a foreign government desires to award a medal, they offer to provide the medal to the recipients' government. The government then makes a determination about acceptance and wear of the medal. The United States Department of Defense takes the position that since there are no medals forthcoming from the government of Iraq, there is no decision to make about acceptance or wear.^[4] The Department of Defense will not approve foreign campaign or expeditionary service medals for acceptance and wear by military personnel unless the medal is fully funded and provided by the awarding foreign government.^[5] Different rules apply to other countries governments, since they have their own laws and regulations regarding the foreign awards and decorations; so a non-US holder has to comply with his country's rules to have this medal accepted. There have been at least two efforts to manufacture, and offer for sale, a modified version of the medal for eligible veterans to purchase on their own. This also created a legal loophole, since in some ways the modified version can be considered a "commemorative medal", so falling under a different legal set also in the United States. One effort was attempting a crowdfunding solution through a Kickstarter campaign in late 2019. This campaign resulted in a version being sold by an American medals manufacturer.^[6] A petition to White House's We the People petition website in early 2020 did not meet the 100,000 signatures in 30 days that the program requires for petitions to be reviewed.^[7]