[8] The medal may be awarded to members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard, for service in Iraq, Syria, or contiguous waters or airspace retroactively from 15 June 2014 to a date yet to be determined.

According to the United States Army Institute of Heraldry's website, the medal's mailed fist and dagger represent "strength and courage in the defense of liberty and freedom".

[11] To qualify for the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal, personnel must have been attached to a unit based in Iraq or Syria, fly missions over those countries, and/or serve in contiguous waters for 30 days consecutive, or non-consecutive.

[13] With the release of NAVADMIN 219/22, Effective 1 July 2022, eligibility for the IRCM is limited to the country of Syria and its associated airspace and contiguous waters out to 12 nautical miles.

However, in an exception to policy memo signed by the Under Secretary of Defense on 24 August 2023, the IRCM was reinstated for qualifying service in Iraq from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2024.