Canadian Special Service Medal, NATO/OTAN Bar
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:
An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service performed in approved locations or tasks outside Canada from 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. Eligibility is limited to the following list:
All staff, logistical and administrative support duties as well as training are now considered normal military duty and are excluded from eligibility.
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:
An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service performed in approved locations or tasks outside Canada from 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. Eligibility is limited to the following list:
- Service onboard ships deployed under the NATO Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) renamed the Standing NATO Reaction Force Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1) on 1 Jan 06 (currently known as Op SEXTANT). Only time spent under NATO command is eligible - transit time does not count. No multiplying factor;
- Aircrews flying NATO surveillance missions outside Canadian airspace. Only actual NATO missions (as opposed to training, exercises or Canadian missions) flown outside the territorial waters and airspace of Canada are eligible. Flight log excerpts or other supporting documents are required to substantiate eligibility. Aircrews flying into the eligible zone accumulate one day of service for the first and all sorties flown on any given day. No multiplying factor;
- CC NATO Airborne Early Warning Force (CC NAEWF; i.e. NATO AWACS), Geilenkirchen, Germany. Only actual NATO missions flown by AWACS aircrews (as opposed to training and exercises) will be eligible. Missions that are flown into a theatre of eligibility for a NATO medal (such as the Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for the Balkans) shall be counted toward the appropriate NATO mission medal and not toward the NATO bar. Flight log excerpts to be used to substantiate eligibility. Aircrew accumulate one day of service for the first and all sorties flown on any given day. No multiplying factor;
- Service in support of Op ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR (Canadian Op SIRIUS), provided the service has not been acknowledged by award of the NATO Article 5 Medal for ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR. The service concerned is mainly support provided from the base in Sigonella, Italy, which is outside the theatre of operations and did not qualify for the NATO medal. Multiplying factor of 6 to equate to the NATO Medal;
- Service with the Forward Logistics Site (FLS) – Host Nation, in support of NATO operations and activities in relation to Africa from 1 Jan 08, provided said service has not been acknowledged by the award of the Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for NAC Approved NATO Operations and Activities in Relation to Africa for Ops ALLIED PROVIDER, ALLIED PROTECTOR or OCEAN SHIELD. The service concerned here is mainly support provided from the Host Nation located outside the theatre of operations and does not qualify for the NATO medal. Multiplying factor of 6;
- Service of Canadian personnel participating in the NATO-Iceland Air Policing Program (IAP) since 27 Mar 11 (OP IGNITION);
- Service of Canadian personnel serving with the CC-NAEWF deployed to FOB Konya, Turkey, in direct support to Op AFGHAN ASSIST, since 10 Jan 11. Multiplying factor of 6. Days flown by aircrew into Afghanistan may not be counted since they already count for the General Campaign Star with SOUTH-WEST ASIA ribbon.
All staff, logistical and administrative support duties as well as training are now considered normal military duty and are excluded from eligibility.