Medals to reach 10,000

About 10,000 ADF personnel will be eligible for new medals to be awarded for service in the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns against terrorism.

Prime Minister John Howard announced on Anzac Day that the Queen had approved the establishment of specific campaign medals for members of the ADF who had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

These medals will be known as the Iraq Medal and the Afghanistan Medal The Afghanistan medal will be awarded to ADF personnel who were assigned to Op Slipper in Afghanistan, and support operations in surrounding areas, from the beginning of operations on October 11, 2001, to the withdrawal of ADF forces on December 5, 2002.

Personnel subsequently deployed to Afghanistan from December 6, 2002, also qualify for the Afghanistan medal.

The Iraq medal will recognise ADF involvement in and around Iraq from March 18, 2003, in Ops Falconer and Catalyst.

ADF personnel must have served for at least 30 days in the defined area of operations to be eligible for the medals.

The campaign medals will be of traditional design and will be issued with an accompanying half-sized miniature medal. As yet, the colour and design of the ribbon has not been decided.

The medals will be issued in nine to 12 months, once the design has been chosen.

“The Government believes that two medals are warranted to adequately recognise the sustained contribution made by the ADF in these two operational theatres,” Mr Howard said in a statement.

CDF Peter Cosgrove welcomed the new campaign medal announcements.

“The very significant contribution made by our men and women on these operations has profoundly impressed not only the Australian people, but the service men and women and citizens of other countries,” GEN Cosgrove said.

Mr Howard also announced that civilians who had a notable contribution to the rehabilitation of Iraq and to meeting the humanitarian needs of the people of Iraq would be awarded the Iraq clasp for the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal (HOSM).

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