ADDITION OF QUALIFYING SERVICE - CAMPAIGN AND SERVICE MEDALS-September 2017
Posted by Chris Parnell on
CANFORGEN 169/17 CMP 089/17 291442Z SEP 17
UNCLASSIFIED
REFS: A. CANFORGEN 003/09 CMP 002/09 081950Z JAN 09
B. CANFORGEN 096/09 CMP 042/09 201315Z MAY 09
AFC HAS APPROVED THE ADDITION OF THE FOL SVC TO THE ELIGIBILITY LISTS FOR CERTAIN CAMPAIGN AND SERVICE MEDALS, AS FOLLOWS:
OPERATIONAL SERVICE MEDAL-EXPEDITION (OSM-EXP):
(1) SERVICE OF MEMBERS OF THE DEFENCE TEAM DEPLOYED TO JORDAN AS PART OF THE CANADIAN TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE TEAM-JORDAN (CTAT-J) SINCE 22 AUG 2016
(2) SERVICE OF MEMBERS OF THE DEFENCE TEAM DEPLOYED TO LEBANON AS PART OF THE CANADIAN TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE TEAM-LEBANON (CTAT-L) SINCE 4 OCT 2016
FULL CRITERIA AS WELL AS COMPLETE ELIGIBILITY LISTS MAY BE FOUND ON THE DH R WEB SITE AT HTTP://FORCES.GC.CA/…/HONOURS-HISTO…/MEDALS-CHART-INDEX.PAGE
This general service award has been created as a means to recognize in a timelier manner those who serve in or provide support to overseas operations and for which no other medals, such as United Nations or NATO medals, are available. Rather than creating a new honour for each new Canadian Forces operation as it arises, the Operational Service Medal - with its theatre or task specific ribbons - can be awarded in future to honour participation in any operation that meets the criteria.
Eligibility & Criteria
The Operational Service Medal (OSM) is awarded to:
members of the CF;
members of allied forces serving with the CF;
members of recognized Canadian police forces and allied police officers working with them; and
Canadian citizens other than members of the CF or sworn police officers working with the CF or with Canadian police forces;
who served in a theatre of operations, provided direct support on a full-time basis to operations conducted in such a theatre or served under dangerous circumstances outside Canada.
The OSM is always issued with a ribbon specific to the theatre or type of service being recognized, and each ribbon has its own criteria.
The OSM with EXPEDITION ribbon is awarded to eligible persons who served in approved locations outside Canada in a theatre of operations, provided direct support on a full-time basis to operations conducted in such a theatre or served under dangerous circumstances for at least 30 cumulative days commencing on October 7, 2001, provided the said service has not been otherwise recognized by a service medal other than the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal where applicable. This ribbon was created to provide a flexible form of recognition for those missions or tasks which size or scope does not justify the creation of a separate ribbon.
The OSM is a silver-coloured circular medal, 36 mm across bearing on the obverse a contemporary effigy of Her Majesty The Queen wearing a Canadian diadem composed of alternating maple leaves and snowflakes surrounded by the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA” and “CANADA” separated by small maple leaves. On the reverse of the Medal, from top to bottom, appear the Royal Crown on either side of which are three maples leaves conjoined on one stem, a Goode interrupted homolosine equal-area projection of the globe, and a laurel branch crossed with an oak branch.
The tradition generally followed since the mid-19th century has been to depict who the medal is from on the obverse, what the medal is for on the reverse and who the medal is granted to on the edge. The effigy of Her Majesty and the Crown represent not only The Queen as Canada’s Head of State (highlighted by the word CANADA and the maple leaves on both sides of the medal) but also as the FONS HONORIS (the Fount of All Honours). The Queen is the only person who can create an official honour in Canada and all Canadian Honours are bestowed in Her name. The maple leaves obviously represent Canada with those conjoined on one stem on the reverse coming from the Royal Arms of Canada. The globe represents the spectrum of Canada’s involvement and service throughout the world while the laurel and oak leaves represent honour, strength and victory.
A claw at the top of the medal is attached to a straight slotted bar.
The ribbon is 32 mm wide with a central stripe of light grey (22 mm), on either side of which are stripes of white (2.5 mm) and red (2.5 mm). Red and white are the official colours of Canada as appointed by King George V in 1921.
The Rotation Bars for the Medal are silver in colour with a raised edge and bear either one or five maple leaves.