ISAF Medal

[StopStart]

Being incredibly brave etc I had the great honour to be given a very spangly NATO medal (in a rather fetching sparkly box) at the end of my time in Afghanistan recently.

Am I correct in thinking that we are not entitled to wear this gong (ISAF Non Article 5) and that my noble, selfless efforts at consuming vast amounts of Thai food in Kabul will thus go unrecorded?

[Cumbrian Fell]

I think that the Non Art V medal can be worn (no doubt some pedant will advise you otherwise); anyway, you should qualify for the Operational Service Medal with the AFG clasp. Well, you would be entitled to wear it, but the Medal Office (now part of JPA) are about 11 month behind schedule...

[Belle and Sebastian]

I have been 'fortunate' to recieive 2 Afghan ISAF medals. It is true that they cannot be worn because the OSM is handed out instead. Something to do with rules with only wearing 1 medal per campaign. Who else got 4 medals from Gulf War 1? Got the OSM 16 months after I got back from the first Op. ISAF medals currently £15 on E Bay !!

[pigsinspace]

I just got my Gulf war 2 medal after 3 years, the medal office said they had sent it 3 times, and even sent me a letter saying as I had lost it I would have to pay for a replacement...

[abbotyobs]

Hi do you have a contact number or address for the medal office. I have been waiting 3 years for the same thing.
Thanks

[QFIhawkman]

Stopstart:

If you only qualified for the ISAF non article 5, then you can wear it. If you have the OSM Afghanistan as well, you must wear that instead. You can't wear both unfortunately, and the OSM takes priority.

[Eckster]

I'm still waiting for my Gulf 2 medal. 3 and a half years and counting.

[StopStart]

Thanks chaps - thought that was the case! Have the OSM so no spangly medal for me :{

I'm about to head off there again so I should soon have three of the blighters - £15 a pop you say.......?

:ok:

[QFIhawkman]

I personally think the ISAF one is bloody awful anyway. The OSM is much nicer, heavier, shinier, and actually has your details on it.

I wouldn't really want to wear my ISAf one even if I was allowed. Although the little ribbon "badge" thing in the box is a damn good idea.

As someone else posted earlier, the ISAF medal fetches around £15 on ebay.
An OSM (proper one, beware copies) goes for about £300.
That says a lot.

[GasFitter]

I think that the Non Art V medal can be worn (no doubt some pedant will advise you otherwise); anyway, you should qualify for the Operational Service Medal with the AFG clasp. Well, you would be entitled to wear it, but the Medal Office (now part of JPA) are about 11 month behind schedule...
Qualified for mine in January 06 - received it in April 06. Apparently in strict rotational order of application. Was told that the TELIC medal was a longer wait. Having said that, with the (F)ARRC(E) now deployed and the boys in Helmand, things might be back to the normal frustrating wait! :rolleyes:

[M609]

I wonder how much money Nato saves on giving the same (allmost) medal for all operations. A quick look at the ones on ebay reveals the same gong as I got for a stint in Bosnia in 99, even the certificate is the same mass produced crap.

Different "signature" though :E

:ugh:

[Climebear]

Hi do you have a contact number or address for the medal office. I have been waiting 3 years for the same thing.
Thanks

Medal Office Contact Details (http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/ContactingTheMedalOffice.htm)

Unfortunately it's through the JPAC!

[NATOPotato]

I apologise for re-starting this post, but I have an unusual question.

I already have the 'normal' Afghanistan medal, awarded for 2002. However, I am now on exchange with a foreign air force and have just been awarded the NATO non article 5 medal, the so called 'ISAF' medal, for a Det in Afghanistan with my 'new' air force. Obviously I would like to wear this new medal, at least whilst on exchange, out of politeness to my host nation. I have tried the JPAC Medal peeps, and the standard answer was no, one campaign, one medal, regardless of exchange service etc.

I expect that this answer is completely correct, but I cannot check as I have no access to the intranet (don't ask about the JPA fiasco, that one is still running, anyone seen my pay statements?), therefore no access to the correct regs etc. So I am asking the collective wisdom known as PPrune. Does anyone know differently?

Happy Christmas

[animo et fide]

Gents,

On the other side of the coin, I have been awarded the OSM for my 2 tours out there this year, but have not received the ISAF medal even though not allowed to wear it, anyone know if it is issued in UK or in theatre?

[Impiger]

Being awarded a medal and having the right to wear it on a British military uniform are two different things.

I think the first question is 'has the Defence Council approved the wearing of the NATO ISAF Medal?' I'm assuming it has (not always automatic as they haven't approved wearing the NATO Article V Medal for Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR) so the next question is which medal for which deployment.

If therefore one earns an OSM for one detachment and then goes on to undertake a second NATO detachment then I think there is a good case for wearing both medals.

As for awards given by another nation or earned on exchange - if one were to deploy to Afghanistan as an exchange pilot, say, then one wouldn't qualify for an OSM but would qualify for NATO's medal or indeed ones host nation's equivalent. But herein lies the snag. Wearing foreign medals requires special authority which is very rarely given, and almost never if one asks before it is awarded. Top tip, therefore is not to ask but pin on all the ribbons awarded and when questioned state confidently that Her Majesty personally wanted one to wear it because one is such a thoroughly good oeuf.

[R 21]

animo et fide

My ISAF medals have always been thrown/offered to me as I clear from theatre.

:p

[animo et fide]

Ah well

Guess we should have cleared then!!

[philrigger]

;)
For service in Korea, 1950 - 1953 UK servicemen were awarded, and permitted to wear, 2 medals.
One was the UN medal with clasp Korea. The other was the (British) Korea Medal. Double standards or what ?

I have just called to mind the Campaign Service Medal (1962) and the Accumulated General Service Medal. Some people who served for a number of years in N.I. were awarded both medals for serving in the same theatre of operations.

And then there was the case of my wifes grandfather. He was awarded both Egyptian Soudan Medal with clasps for Khartoum 1898 and Soudan 1899 and the British Soudan Medal 1898 for the same actions.

Am I missing something?

PS Soudan is as spelt on his service records, of which I have a copy.


'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'

[Roger the cabin boy]

Chap I worked with out there, was informed that you were allowed to wear the ISAF minature on your Mess Dress. So, whilst on R&R in Sep last, he popped into the cheap military tailor's to have said minature added to his current crop - £50+, thank you very much. 2 days after getting them back, and a day or so before a "Do", he was told that he had been misinformed. £50+ later..........

As an aside, I claimed for my OSM in the early summer and it came back within 30 days....a beautiful ceremony was held in the Clerks office.

[Melchett01]

Chap I worked with out there, was informed that you were allowed to wear the ISAF minature on your Mess Dress. So, whilst on R&R in Sep last, he popped into the cheap military tailor's to have said minature added to his current crop - £50+, thank you very much. 2 days after getting them back, and a day or so before a "Do", he was told that he had been misinformed. £50+ later..........

Late summer 06, there was a letter doing the rounds from J1 either at Kabul or KAF, I forget which exactly but am fairly sure it was the former (I will see if I can find it) which stated that you could wear it on your No 5s but not No 1s as it was a non-Article 5. Not the best logic for being allowed to wear a medal, but there you have it.

However, if you look on the intranet at work and do some digging in the JSPs (someone from admin should be able to tell you which exactly) it states that your medals on your No 5s must be idential to those worn on your No 1s. And to wear medals which have not been approved by HM is a grave dis-service to HM.

Letters or verbal authorisation from theatre J1 means absolutely nothing until you see it promulgated in a DIN that you can wear it. Personally, I don't think she will care a hoot either way whether one individual puts up a NATO gong for AF, but there it is in a rough nutshell.

[Slow Roll]

Any update on this? I don't think I'll be putting my 1's into the tailors just yet but thought I'd see if any formal word had been given either way.

[MATZ]

I am currently deployed, and having heard many rumours have checked the DIN and with the medal office direct.

- The current policy is - OSM is awarded therefore you cannot wear the ISAF/NATO medal.
- You cannot wear it on Mess Dress (even though it is a privately purchased uniform - one rumour...). You have an OSM!
- The OSM is awarded for X (I've already got it so don't remember) number of days. ISAF/NATO is awarded after 30 days.
- in the old days you used to get numbers to wear on the ribbons after more than one tour - ie Bosnia. x number of afghan tours = one OSM. Live with it!

Yes, there are a number of us with numerous Op tours that do not qualify for all the medals awarded - the ISAF/NATO policy is one medal per person no matter how many tours - I currently work with at least 6 people who would qualify for 4 ISAF/NATO medals - they are just keen/enthusiastic/have no home life.....

MATZ
Don't get me started on the 'Southern Afghanistan' medal issue....

[MrBernoulli]

Still waiting for my Afghanistan medal .............. from the original 'invasion'!

[airborne_artist]

Still waiting for my Afghanistan medal .............. from the original 'invasion'!

Mr B - the first Anglo-Afghan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Afghan_War) war started in 1839. That makes you almost as old as BEagle? :E

[Pontius Navigator]

I wonder how much money Nato saves on giving the same (allmost) medal for all operations. A quick look at the ones on ebay reveals the same gong as I got for a stint in Bosnia in 99, even the certificate is the same mass produced crap.
Different "signature" though :E
:ugh:

You mean like the GSM?

My Grandfather had the pre-1962 version and I have the post 1962 version. The awards were 45 years apart.

[Pontius Navigator]

NATOPotato.

There is a precedent.

I believe (IIRC) that Lt Col Oreste Pinto was awarded a French Medal but forbidden to wear it. As the French legation in London asked him why he was not wearing their decoration he solved the problem by wearing it when visiting them and not when back at the Royal Patriotic School.



Spycatcher

[skippedonce]

There has recently been some speculation on what medals may be worn for service in Afghanistan: barring the exception listed below, only the Operational Service Medal Afghanistan is approved for wear, and similarly the same policy applies to service in Iraq where the Campaign Service Medal Iraq is awarded. The NATO ISAF medal may be retained as a keepsake, as may the NATO Iraq medal if received. These keepsakes are not available through Service channels. Any awards for gallantry or meritorious service are worn in addition to any campaign/operational /general service medals.
Service personnel on full tour exchange with Commonwealth countries may accept and wear those campaign medals instead of the UK CSM Iraq or OSM Afghanistan. Should this choice be made, that deployment will not count towards the ACSM.
Only entitled people may wear medals and their associated ribbons. The authoritative document is JSP 761 – ‘Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces’. Entitlement is derived usually either by announcement in the London Gazette for individuals or through an entry on a service person’s Record of Service which can be verified at the Ministry of Defence Medal Office (MoDMO). Commanding Officers are responsible for ensuring that personnel under their command wear only those medals or ribbons to which they are entitled, and for ensuring that the appropriate entries have been made in Records of Service.
The Cabinet Office Honours and Decorations Committee (HDC) is the national body that provides authority for wear. No medal may be worn without its authority. Applications are staffed through AG PS12(A) and DS Sec.