A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or service period. The service star may also be referred to as a campaign star or battle star depending on which award the star is authorized for and the manner in which the device is used for the award. Service stars, campaign stars, and battle stars are worn with one point of the star pointing up on the suspension ribbon of a medal or service ribbon. A silver star is worn instead of five bronze stars. A service star is sometimes mistaken for a Bronze Star (Bronze Star Medal) or Silver Star (Silver Star Medal). The service star is also similar to the gold and silver -inch stars that may be authorized to be worn on specific individual decorations of certain services to denote additional decorations. Service stars Expeditionary medals Service stars are authorized for these United States expeditionary medals: Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Navy Expeditionary Medal Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) effective February 9, 2015, retroactive to September 11, 2001. Each star represents a deployment in support of an approved GWOT operation. Four bronze service stars are authorized for five approved deployment operations (only one GWOT-EM is awarded for each operation). The five GWOT-EM-approved operations by inclusive dates are: Enduring Freedom: Sep. 11, 2001 – to be determined (TBD) Iraqi Freedom: Mar. 19, 2003 – Aug. 31, 2010 Nomad Shadow: Nov. 05, 2007 – TBD New Dawn: Sep. 01, 2010 – Dec. 31, 2011 Inherent Resolve: Jun. 15, 2014 – TBD Service medals Service stars are authorized to denoted additional awards for these United States service medals: Prisoner of War Medal National Defense Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Air and Space Campaign Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Army Sea Duty Ribbon Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal For the National Defense Service Medal, the addition of bronze service stars to denote participation in four of the designated wartime conflicts would be shown as (the time span from the end of the Korean War era in 1954 to the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism era in 2001 is 47 years, so it is highly improbable that any individual qualified for all