So after a day of reading the other posts and collating my thoughts, here's a more in-depth look at my thoughts.
The whole issue revolves around what we give medals FOR. I know people all over the spectrum when it comes to medals - from those who think we should have more and look more like the Americans, to one who thinks that unless it's a Victoria Cross he isn't interested in the slightest. I sit somewhere in the middle on the fence - there should be medals for service and medals for actions, with the cross-over present too.
Campaign medals are struck to recognise active service in a conflict of some sort - the hard part comes in deciding what the qualifying criteria are. In the past some weird and wacky rules have come about as mentioned before, allowing people who happened to be in Cyprus on holiday almost to receive the same medal as those on the ground in the conflict zone. So do you say that you have to physically be in the country on the ground to qualify? As per Shader, many people are spending months and months away contributing to the fight but ultimately having nothing to show because the war is fought from the Med. In this case I believe two medals are being looked at for this very reason.
At the same time you could have been posted to Northern Ireland before 2007 for 3 years and gained a GSM and an ACSM for jsut being in the country. Stay there longer and the bars start to rack up. Then there's the OSM for Afghanistan which you could get for being in Oman at the right time, but being in the country gets you the clasp to go with it which is a reasonable idea. Look at the OSM Congo and you can't get it without having the DROC clasp at all. It's all a bit of a mess, and don't get me started on the American jockey who got a medal for flying over Northern Island due to a weatehr diversion...
Personally, I think campaign medals like the OSM's should be the reserve of people either in or over the conflict zone. There has to be some element of the risk and riguer that they're measured against. You may well be assisting with the war in other capacities, but it doesn't justify the Operational decoration. The GSM is more applicable in my opinion - Op Kipion is a prime example. People, myself included, have spent months away from families in sandy conditions but not at any particular risk apart from heatstroke. To recognise the time abroad the GSM with appropriate geographic clasp would be issued for say, slightly under 6 months total days. It is an Operation and despite some locations being nicer than others its worth recognition.
For the RPAS drivers I'm still not sold on the idea. Like being sat behind a desk in Whitehall and qualifying for a Gulf War medal, it's just not in the same spirit as those halfway round the world away from home.
There is no correct answer to it all and ultimately the decision is taken at levels infinitely higher than my pay grade. I am still waiting with baited breath for the RAF 100 medal announcement though....