Medal movement

Service: Cpl Russell Hocking, 5/7RAR, takes up a protective position in front of a British helicopter during an areomedical evacuation exercise in the Al Muthanna Province. Personnel who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq will be recognised with new campaign medals. Main photo by Sgt Craig Sharp

Personnel who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq will be recognised with new campaign medals. Afghanistan above and Iraq below.

By Cpl Cameron Jamieson

A LOT more metal will be on display next Anzac Day as the newest medals to be issued to ADF personnel start to make their way to eligible recipients.

Production of the Afghanistan and Iraq campaign medals has started, the Australian Defence Medal (ADM) is now open to tenders for manufacture and the final administration processes for the issue of the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal (HOSM) are in progress.

An initial production batch of 144 Afghanistan and 108 Iraq campaign medals has now been distributed among the three branches of the ADF. The first medal to be issued was an Iraq campaign medal to Wg-Cmdr Angie Rhodes, who had served as a Senior Air Traffic Controller in Baghdad.

The medal was presented to her shortly before her death from a terminal illness in October. The next of kin of members who died on operational service in Afghanistan and in the Sea King tragedy will also receive priority for issue.

The medals were produced by the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra and major production batches will soon follow. Issue of these medals is expected to occur from late February 2006, ensuring that medals will go directly to members who have been posted to new units over the Christmas-New Year period.

The Director of Defence Honours and Awards, Irene Wilson, said while the delay in producing the medals was regretted, quality was the factor that determined the timetable for issue.

“We had quality issues with the initial tenderer. We had to cancel the contract because they weren’t up to standard,” Ms Wilson said. “We now have a great product, and I think people will be happy with the quality and design of the medals and their ribbons.”

The ADM is making good progress following the release of a tender for manufacturing and dispatch, which closes on November 21. The eligibility criteria for the medal has to be finalised by the Federal Government, however Ms Wilson said current planning projected a mid-2006 date for the initial release.

“The ADM will feature a revised design to that released in September 2004,” she said.

The HOSM is also nearing its issue to ADF members. Last month a determination identifying the eligible organisations involved in the 2004-2005 tsunami and Nias Island relief efforts was released by the Administrator of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Twenty organisations have been deemed eligible, including the ADF, to receive the HOSM with the clasp “Indian Ocean”.

The process for the issue of the medal to ADF members differs to that of service medals and campaign medals. As the HOSM is a Commonwealth award, recipients must be asked if they are willing to accept the award. This is the same process used for the granting of honours and bravery medals.

“We are currently working towards approval for DHA to manage what is called the ‘sounding process’,” Ms Wilson said. “That will allow us to put forward a list of eligible ADF members to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, who will then manage the distribution process. We are aiming for the distribution of the HOSM to commence in the first quarter of 2006.”