Special Service Medal
The Special Service Medal (SSM) recognizes members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who have performed a service determined to be under exceptional circumstances, in a clearly defined locality for a specified duration. The SSM recognizes approved activities underway on 11 June 1984 or subsequently established. This medal is always issued with a bar that specifies the special service being recognized, each bar having its own criteria.
The full size reproduction comes with 8 inches of ribbon and the select bar. The miniature medals comes with 5 inches of ribbon and selected bar.
Bars
1. ALERT
An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service on the posted strength of Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert, or of honourable service with a military force operationally deployed to or at CFS Alert, since it began its operation on 01 September 1958 and still continuing. Units deployed at CFS Alert include such detachments as aircrew flying into the station for re-supply missions.
2. EXPEDITION
An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service performed outside Canada beginning July 1, 2007, while deployed to participate in or provide direct support on a full-time basis to approved operations, provided the said service is not counted towards any other Canadian or foreign service medal. In this context, “deployed” means sent outside of Canada temporarily, without family and effects, for the specific purpose of serving in or supporting approved operations; postings to permanent positions outside of Canada are excluded from eligibility.
3. HUMANITAS
An aggregate of 30 days of honourable service performed outside Canada from 11 June 1984 to 31 July 2009 in support of any humanitarian operation, conducted in response to a disaster or human conflict, set out in the schedule, including rescue, relief and reconstruction operations, provided the service has not been acknowledged by the award of any other honour that is part of or is recognized by the Canadian Honours System.
4. NATO/OTAN
NATO service between 1951 and 2004:
An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) area of responsibility between 1 January 1951 and 19 October 2004. Qualifying service is service while posted to a NATO unit, or to a Canadian Forces or allied formation or unit outside territorial limits of Canada under the operational control of a NATO headquarters, or in Canada on an operational staff directly participating in the operational control of such formations and units. In the latter case, only those staff personnel serving in an operations room directly participating in the control of ships and aircraft in NATO operations and exercises qualify for this service. Persons in eligible positions or operations on 19 October 04 can continue to count their time until the end of that posting or deployment only. NOT ALL time served in Europe nor at sea can be counted towards this bar.
NATO service since 2004 to Present:
An aggregate of 45 days of honourable service performed in approved locations or tasks outside Canada beginning on or after 20 October 2004 as part, or in direct support, of NATO operations or mission provided the service in question is not recognized by another medal. See link to eligibility list above.
Service in NATO transformation establishments, schools and colleges, NATO training, exercises and conferences, as well as other similar service not in direct support of NATO Ops remains excluded from eligibility.
Personnel who have eligible service under the 1951 - 2004 criteria but did not meet the 180 day criteria, and also have eligible service under the 2004 – onward criteria, shall be allowed to combine all the eligible days of service towards the minimum of 45 cumulative days of eligible service criteria.
Multiplying factors no longer exist.
5. RANGER
An aggregate of four years of honourable service as a Canadian Ranger or as a Canadian Ranger instructor, performing the duties of providing a military presence in support of Canadian sovereignty including reporting unusual activities, collecting local data of significance to support military operations, providing local expertise, assistance and advice, as guide and advisor, in search and rescue activities, and completion of a minimum of three Ranger Patrol Exercises, within Canada or its territorial and adjacent waters since 1947.
The Canadian Ranger patrol type matrix clarifies which types of Ranger Patrols qualify towards the RANGER Bar:
- Types 1 and 2 patrols do not qualify, and
- Types 3, 4, 5 and 6 patrols do qualify