U.S. troops can get NATO medal for Africa ops

Troops who have served in recent combat operations in Libya and in missions in other parts of Africa will be eligible to receive a NATO medal, the Pentagon announced Monday.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal for NATO Operations in Libya is authorized for troops who deployed in support of Operation Unified Protector, which ran from March through October of 2011.

The NATO medal for operations in Africa will be available to service members who have deployed in support of Operation Allied Provider, which ran from October to December 2008 and involved delivering food aid to Somalia; Operation Allied Protector, which involved anti-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia from March to June 2009; and Operation Ocean Shield, which is the ongoing anti-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa that formally began in August 2009.