More than 10,300 Australian Defence Force servicemen and women have been presented with the Australian Active Service Medal (AASM) for active Service in East Timor, according to Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, Bruce Scott.

Mr Scott's comment were in response to recent media reporting claiming that at least one third of the soldiers who Served in East Timor would have to wait at least a year to receive the Australian Active Service Medal and East Timor Clasp.
'Of the more than 11,500 AASMs with Clasp East Timor approved for issue, since the ADF operation began in East Timor in September 1999, almost all, in fact 90 per cent of these medals, have been presented to the servicemen and women who earned them,' he said.

'The Federal Government fully recognises and appreciates the Service of the men and women of the ADF who deployed to East Timor and has worked hard to ensure their medals are awarded as quickly as possible.'Insert paragraphs here