A operational campaign medal should absolutely be about the direct contribution that a person makes to that operation. The fact that the debate still continues around awarding RPAS Pilots/Sensor Operators/MICs medals and has still not been resolved is a total embarrassment and disgrace. Does it need to be spelt out in simple language again the fact that this group of people on that platform have provided more direct operational air effect/support than anything else in the military (SF aside) and most certainly the RAF. Is anyone actually seriously saying that someone who has actually worked on ops delivering ISR and kinetic strikes every working day for the last 3-10 'years' is any less deserving of a campaign medal than someone who has done a couple of 4-6 monthers! Risk and rigeur is mental as well as physical and if anyone also thinks RPAS still don't fit that definition then the definition needs to be changed to live in the modern world of warfare. Sorry mr Ripley but your definition isn't fit for purpose anymore.
Raf_Techie101, you may not have said 'should have worked harder at school' but you are a fool if you say something as moronic as directly comparing RPAS Pilots/Sensor Operators/MICs roles with 'sitting behind a desk in whitehall'.