The Seven Campaign Phases
The Department of Defense divided the war into seven designated campaigns. Each one earns a campaign star on the Iraq Campaign Medal.
| Campaign | Dates | What defined it |
|---|---|---|
| Liberation of Iraq | March 19, 2003 – May 1, 2003 | The invasion and the fall of the regime |
| Transition of Iraq | May 2, 2003 – June 28, 2004 | Coalition Provisional Authority; rise of the insurgency; first Fallujah battle; Sadr uprising |
| Iraqi Governance | June 29, 2004 – December 15, 2005 | Transfer of sovereignty; second Fallujah battle; three national votes; Tal Afar |
| National Resolution | December 16, 2005 – January 9, 2007 | Samarra mosque bombing; sectarian violence; Ramadi; the Anbar Awakening |
| Iraqi Surge | January 10, 2007 – December 31, 2008 | The surge; outpost strategy; Basra and Sadr City; the Status of Forces Agreement |
| Iraqi Sovereignty | January 1, 2009 – August 31, 2010 | Agreement in force; U.S. forces leave the cities; drawdown |
| New Dawn | September 1, 2010 – December 15, 2011 | Advise-and-assist mission; final withdrawal |
Why the phases matter to veterans
Campaign phases determine how many campaign stars a veteran wears on the Iraq Campaign Medal. A veteran who served in Iraq during three of the phases, for example, is authorized three campaign stars. The phases also help veterans and historians place individual deployments in the larger story of the war.
Reading the phases
The names track the political arc the United States was pursuing: from liberation, to transition, to Iraqi governance, to national resolution, to the surge, to sovereignty, and finally to a new dawn of advisory partnership. Veterans often remember the war differently, by the battles, the units, and the friends lost, but the official framework is useful for records and recognition.