The Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) is a term used to describe the international military campaign launched by the United States government after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The campaign aimed to eliminate terrorist groups and their infrastructure around the world, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) is a United States Armed Forces award created by George W. Bush on March 12, 2003, through Executive Order 13289. The medal recognizes those military service members who have deployed overseas in direct service to the War on Terror from September 11, 2001, to a date to be determined. The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (GWOT-SM) is a similar medal created under the same Presidential Order that authorized the GWOT Expeditionary Medal. The primary difference between the two awards is that the service medal is intended for those who performed support duty within the United States, while the expeditionary medal recognizes those who were deployed to foreign countries.