The Army officially recognizes the success of the surge

Three years after Democrats said it couldn't be done, wouldn't be done, and was failing on all fronts, the Iraq surge has been officially recognized by the US military as a successful phase of the Iraq War, and thousands of Minnesota Red Bulls just qualified for a bronze campaign star.  According to the Army Times-

Bronze campaign stars recognizing the 2007-08 surge of U.S. troops into Iraq, as well as current stabilization efforts, have been authorized for wear on the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
The surge campaign phase has been established as running from Jan. 1, 2007, to Dec. 31, 2008; the second campaign star, for the phase identified as “Iraqi Sovereignty,” began Jan. 1, 2009, and will continue through a date to be determined.
Although all who have served in “direct support” in the Iraq war on or after March 13, 2003, are authorized to wear the medal, the stars recognize designated campaigns during the war.
Four previous phases had been identified, and service members who have qualified for the Iraq Campaign Medal can display a bronze campaign star on their medal for each designated campaign phase in which they took part.
The other four phases, announced previously, are: ·
• Liberation of Iraq — March 19, 2003, to May 1, 2003.
• Transition of Iraq — May 2, 2003, to June 28, 2004.
• Iraqi Governance — June 29, 2004, to Dec. 15, 2005.·
• The “National Resolution” phase — Dec. 16, 2005, to Jan. 9, 2007.

All of the Red Bulls who served the still record holding longest continuous deployment in Iraq now qualify to wear a bronze campaign star on their Iraq Campaign Medal.  Small comfort for the 16 plus months in country, but nice to see the military recognize the specific sacrifice of the troops involved in the surge.