New improved processes for Foreign Awards
Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel have been awarded many different awards from foreign governments and organisations. Australia’s involvement in global operations and international programs has increased in recent times - so too have the offers of awards from foreign governments and organisations for individual and collective service.
There are two common misconceptions regarding foreign awards; the first being that once a foreign award has been accepted by the Australian Government it can be automatically worn. Secondly, that the Directorate of Honours and Awards (DH&A) approves foreign awards.
What many people are unaware of is that before these awards may be accepted and/or worn, a stringent and lengthy administrative process is required, which involves other Government departments.
The Process
A Government-to-Government offer is the starting point for all foreign awards being conferred upon a contingent or an individual. DH&A will commence its part of the approval process once either a consolidated list of award recipients, or an individual application to accept and wear a foreign award, is received. The following paragraphs provide details for both circumstances.
Australian Contingents
Where a foreign award is accepted by the Australian Government for awarding to Australian contingents (for example, NATO Medal with Clasp ‘ISAF’, the Multinational Force Observers Medal (MFO) or the Timor-Leste Solidarity Medal), consolidated lists or routine orders detailing eligible members are sent from the area of operations to DH&A for processing. DH&A confirms eligibility and the relevant award data is entered onto PMKeyS, pending submission of award schedules to the Governor-General for approval. There are instances where names are unintentionally missed from consolidated lists; consequently, no award data will be entered on PMKeyS. In this circumstance, an Application for Approval to Accept and Wear Foreign Awards (AD111) will need to be submitted by the individual member concerned, together with a certified true copy of the award certificate. The AD111 can be obtained from Web Forms on the Defence intranet site or from the "Application Forms" page on the DH&A website.
Multinational Forces Observers Medal
Individual members
If an individual has been awarded a foreign award, or a member is transferring from a foreign Defence force, an AD111 will also need to be submitted to DH&A.
All applications must be accompanied by certified true copies of the following documents.
For ADF members wishing to apply to wear a foreign award:
• award certificates; and
• citation.
For ADF members who are Lateral Transfers:
• service records;
• award certificates;
• certificates of service/discharge listing the awards including qualifying date; and/or
• documents from the relevant Defence
Department verifying the awards, including award qualifying date.
Please note that each page being submitted as evidence must be certified as a true copy. Also, documents cannot be certified by the applicant. Recommendations for awards will not be accepted as evidence as they do not prove receipt of the award/s.
Once applications are received at DH&A, they are assessed to determine if the medal/s have an equivalent within the Australian honours and awards system, in accordance with Government policy.
If there is an equivalent in the Australian system, applications are then forwarded to the Parliamentry Secretary for Defence (who is responsible for foreign award administration for Defence) for endorsement. Once endorsed, applications for ADF members are sent to the Governor-General for approval. For ADF Lateral Transfers, the approving authority is the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence
After DH&A receives confirmation of approval, PMKEYS will be updated with the approval date and only then may the requested award/s be worn.
Not all awards will be approved for wear. Medals that do not have an equivalent in the Australian system of honours and awards (such as a foreign commemorative medal or medals for Corps-,Unit- or Service-specific recognition) may not be accepted for wear by ADF members. If this is the case, applicants will be advised in writing by DH&A.
NATO Medal with Clasp ISAF
There has been much confusion relating to the order in which foreign awards may be worn by ADF personnel.
The Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards issued by Government House directs that foreign awards are worn immediately after all Australian honours or awards, in the order of date of approval to wear. A post-nominal is not used, eg. ‘MBE’ for Member of the British Empire.
The only exceptions to this are:
It is acknowledged that a number of medal ribbon posters have been produced by various commercial entities. These have been produced as a visual reference guide for medal ribbons and should not be used as an authority on the order of wearing foreign awards.
Web page last updated 11 April, 2012