Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan

Last updated
Operational Service Medal - Afghanistan
Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan.jpg Reverse of Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan MOD 45154416.jpg
Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan
Type Military Campaign Medal
Awarded forCampaign service
DescriptionSilver disk, 36mm diameter
Presented bythe United Kingdom
EligibilityMembers of the United Kingdom armed forces
Campaign(s) Afghanistan 2001 to 2021
Clasps
StatusNo longer awarded
Established2003
OSM for Afghanistan BAR.svg
Ribbon bar
OSM for Afghanistan w bar.svg
Silver rosette signifies award of a clasp

The Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan is a campaign medal previously awarded by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom for service by British Armed Forces personnel in support of the post-2001 Afghan War.

Contents

Operational Service Medal

The Operational Service Medal (OSM) was established in 1999 to replace the General Service Medal (1962) for all new operations. A separate medal of the same design is awarded for each campaign, differentiated by a distinct ribbon. [1] It has been awarded for four separate campaigns: [2]

From 2008, British service personnel could receive the General Service Medal (2008) for participation in smaller operations that do not justify the award of the Operational Service Medal. [2]

Medal

Medal seen on a soldier of the Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) in 2023. 2023 Majlis Ramah Mesra Belait 99.jpg
Medal seen on a soldier of the Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) in 2023.

The medal is silver and circular in shape and designed as follows: [2]

Clasps

Clasps awarded with the medal are named either for geographical regions or for specific operations for which the medal is awarded. As of June2024, two clasps have been authorised with the medal.

Afghanistan

The "Afghanistan" Clasp is awarded for service specifically in Afghanistan. The "Operation PITTING" Clasp is awarded for service in Afghanistan during Operation Pitting. A silver rosette on the ribbon denotes entitlement to each clasp when no medal is worn.

There are four variants of the 'Afghanistan' clasps to date:

The medal was also awarded to UK civilians employed on Ministry of Defence contracts in support of the British Forces in Afghanistan. Qualifying criteria are the same as HM Forces. The recipient's name and title (Mr, Mrs etc.) are engraved on the edge of the medal, whereas the military recipients have their rank, name and service number. British Government contractors who worked in Afghanistan but who are ineligible for the Operational Service Medal may be entitled to the Civilian Service Medal (Afghanistan). [4]

Operation Pitting

On 19th January 2022, the Ministry of Defence announced that the members of the Armed Forces who were deployed to Afghanistan in late 2021 in support of Operation Pitting would receive the OSM with the "Operation Pitting" clasp. Personnel already holding the Afghanistan OSM would receive the clasp to add to their existing medals.

Ribbon

The ribbon consists of a broad central red stripe, flanked each side by a stripe of navy blue and one of light blue, to represent the three services, with an outer stripe of light brown, to represent the Afghan landscape. [2]

Qualifying criteria

The criteria for the award of the medal and the clasps are complex and depend on length and area of service: [5]

There is no minimum qualifying period for those killed, wounded or disabled during operations, nor where a recipient has been decorated for operational service (including a mention in dispatches or a King’s Commendation). [9]

Qualifying service for the Operational Service Medal counts towards the period required to receive the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

To be mentioned in dispatches describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy is described.

The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Commendation for Bravery</span> Award of the United Kingdom

The King's Commendation for Bravery and the King's Commendation for Bravery in the Air are United Kingdom awards, open to both military personnel and civilians. They were established in 1994, when the award of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct and the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air were discontinued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf Medal</span> British campaign medal

The Gulf War Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1992, for issue to officers and men of British forces who served in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during Operation Granby in 1990–91.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iraq Medal (United Kingdom)</span> British campaign medal

The Iraq Medal was authorised on 23 February 2004. It was a campaign medal issued to members of the British Armed Forces and certain attached personnel, who served between 20 January 2003 and 22 May 2011 on, or in support of, Operation Telic - the designation for British operations during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and its aftermath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operational Service Medal (United Kingdom)</span>

The Operational Service Medal (OSM) is the overall name given to a group of campaign medals awarded by the British armed forces. Introduced in 1999 to replace the General Service Medal, the OSM features a common design for the medal itself, with each one differentiated by a distinct ribbon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operational Service Medal for Sierra Leone</span> Award

The Operational Service Medal for Sierra Leone is a campaign medal established in 2000 by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom for participation in the British military intervention during and after the Sierra Leone Civil War, from May 2000 to July 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operational Service Medal for the Democratic Republic of Congo</span> Award

The Operational Service Medal for the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a British armed forces campaign medal, awarded mostly to military personnel who served between 14 June and 10 September 2003 on Operation Coral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Atlantic Medal</span> Award

The South Atlantic Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands War of 1982 between the United Kingdom and Argentina. Over 33,000 medals have been awarded. The South Atlantic Medal Association was formed in 1997 for recipients of the South Atlantic Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Service Medal (1962)</span> Award

The General Service Medal, is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom introduced in 1962 to replace both the General Service Medal (1918), as awarded to the Army and RAF, and the Naval General Service Medal (1915). The 1962 GSM was awarded until 2007, when it was replaced by the Operational Service Medal. In 2015 the General Service Medal (2008) was introduced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volunteer Reserves Service Medal</span> Medal in the British Armed Forces

The Volunteer Reserves Service Medal (VRSM) is a medal which may be awarded to members of the Volunteer Reserves of all branches of the British Armed Forces - the Royal Naval Reserve, the Royal Marines Reserve, the Army Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. It replaced the separate decorations and medals awarded respectively to officers and other ranks in each of the services - the Royal Navy's Reserve Decoration and Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, the British Army's Territorial Decoration and Efficiency Medal, and the Royal Air Force's Air Efficiency Award - from 1 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Commendation for Valuable Service</span> Award

The King's Commendation for Valuable Service is a British military award for meritorious service in an operational theatre. It was established in 1994, when the award of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct and the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air were discontinued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accumulated Campaign Service Medal</span> Award

The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal and the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 are medals awarded by King Charles III to members of his Armed Forces to recognise long campaign service. The original Accumulated Campaign Service Medal, instituted in January 1994, was awarded to holders of the General Service Medal (1962) who had completed 36 months of accumulated campaign service. The replacement Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 is now currently awarded to holders of various campaign service medals who have completed 720 days of campaign service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iraq Reconstruction Service Medal</span> British service medal

The Iraq Reconstruction Service Medal was a British service medal distributed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It was awarded to civilian public servants, contractors and consultants, and to members of the Armed Forces working with British Government Departments, who were either appointed, deployed or employed by Her Majesty's Government (HMG) to work in Iraq, and who had served at least 40 days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Special Service Medal</span> Service medal of the United Nations

The United Nations Special Service Medal (UNSSM) is presented to personnel with 90 days of service with a United Nations mission not covered by a specific United Nations Medal. United Nations Headquarters service is not eligible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civilian Service Medal (Afghanistan)</span> British campaign medal

The Civilian Service Medal (Afghanistan) is awarded by the British government to civilians (and members of the UK Armed Forces in certain non-combat roles) to recognise service since 19 November 2001 in the transition to democracy in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Operational Service Medal</span> Award

The Australian Operational Service Medal is a campaign medal established on 22 May 2012 to recognise service by Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel on designated hazardous operations. It may also be awarded to civilians who serve alongside the ADF on designated operations under specific conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Service Medal (2008)</span> Award

The General Service Medal 2008 was introduced in 2015 for award to Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army, and RAF personnel to recognise specified operations since January 2008, not qualifying for another campaign medal. Unlike its predecessor, the General Service Medal (1962), operations will be denoted by clasps indicating the geographic area of operations, rather than a specific operation. The first awards of the medal were made by Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon at a ceremony on 12 June 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operational Service Medal Iraq and Syria</span> Award

The Operational Service Medal Iraq and Syria or Operation Shader Medal is a British armed forces campaign medal, awarded mostly to military personnel who served in the operational area of, or in support of Operation Shader. The medal was first announced by then Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon on 19 September 2017. It was first awarded, to service personnel, on 18 July 2018 in London by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson. This Operational Service Medal is the first medal of the contemporary era to be awarded to individuals who served outside of the operational area, reflecting the changing nature of warfare.

References

  1. John Mussell (ed). Medal Yearbook 2015. p. 198. Published by Token Publishing Ltd. Honiton, Devon.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan". MOD Medal Office. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  3. "Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility, Announcements Operational Service Medal Iraq & Syria". UK MOD. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  4. The Civilian Service Medal (Afghanistan), Cm 8094, The Stationery Office, June 2011.
  5. "Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan". Amendments to Command Paper 5939, Sept 2003. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
  6. 1 2 "Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces (JSP 761) (V5.0 Oct 16). Paras 8A1.06 to 8.A2.05, pages 8A1-1 to 8A2-1". MoD Joint Services Publication. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  7. "Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces (JSP 761) (V5.0 Oct 16). Para 8A1.19, pages 8A1-4 to 8A1-5". MoD Joint Services Publication. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  8. "New medal unveiled to honour Kabul evacuation heroes". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  9. "Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces (JSP 761) (V5.0 Oct 16). Paras 8A1.11 to 13, page 8A1–3". MoD Joint Services Publication. Retrieved 2018-02-19.