'Am I missing the point with the AcSM? Are some campaigns (with their own awards) TOTALLY without merit if an individual did not reach the Medal qualifying period? Surely, such unrecognised service should count towards the AcSM?'
Nope - I think you have it. Some campaigns with their own awards will also qualify towards the award of the AcSM.
Some op time will not - ie UN.
So those like SHADER, KIPION etc do not qualify towards the AcSM because they have not been deemed worthy by Senior Leadership of their own campaign medal.
The AcSM was all about keeping the Royal Irish in NI happy as they thought they were being short changed by doing multiple tours of NI....which was where most of them lived and drank tea in Sandy's for the majority of their career so the the hardship wasn't that hard. The risk and rigour in NI really wasn't that bad.
G