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General Campaign Star (Canada)
Encyclopedia
The General Campaign Star is a campaign medal
created in 2004 by the Canadian monarch-in-Council
to recognize members of the Canadian Forces
who had directly participated in any military campaign
under Canadian or allied command. It is, within the Canadian system of honours, the sixth highest of the war and operational service medals.
), an anchor
(symbolizing the Navy
), and a soaring eagle
(representing the Air Force
), all surmounted by a St. Edward's Crown
, evoking the sovereign's roles as both fount of honour
and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces. On the reverse is a space for engraving the recipient's name and rank between the reigning monarch's Royal Cypher
topped by another crown above and a sprig of three maple leaves below.
This medallion is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 31.8mm wide ribbon coloured with vertical stripes in Canada's official colours of red and white flanking a central band in green, representing service. The accompanying medal bar
s are rectangular in shape with raised edges and bear the name of the campaign for which they are being presented; the first is worn centred on the ribbon, while additional bars are evenly spaced and arranged in the chronological order earned, with the eldest at the bottom, closest to the medal. For wear on undress, a silver, gold, or red maple leaf is pinned to the ribbon bar, denoting, respectively, the award of a second, third, or fourth or subsequent bar.
under Prime Minister
Paul Martin
, created the General Campaign Star to recognize, without having to produce a new medal for each mission, members of the Canadian Forces
or allied forces who had participated in Canadian military campaign
s. To qualify for the medal, individuals had to have served in a theatre of war
the presence of an armed enemy.
pilots and crew who flew a minimum of five sorties over Kosovo
and other territories, including Albania
and the Socialist Republic of Macedonia
, as well as the Adriatic
and Ionian Sea
s, during Operation Allied Force
, between 24 March and 10 June 1999. For some recipients, it might have been necessary for them to return their NATO Medal
before accepting the Allied Force bar.
(ISAF) effort in Afghanistan
were eligible to receive the ISAF bar. This was presented in addition to the more generally applicable South-West Asia Service Medal
.
Campaign medal
A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of the military who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater...
created in 2004 by the Canadian monarch-in-Council
Queen-in-Council
The Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
to recognize members of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
who had directly participated in any military campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
under Canadian or allied command. It is, within the Canadian system of honours, the sixth highest of the war and operational service medals.
Design
The General Campaign Star is in the form of a 44 millimetres (1.7 in) wide compass star Celeste with, on the obverse, a wreath of maple leaves surrounding a superimposed composition of two crossed swords (representing the ArmyCanadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
), an anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
(symbolizing the Navy
Canadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
), and a soaring eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
(representing the Air Force
Canadian Forces Air Command
The Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
), all surmounted by a St. Edward's Crown
St. Edward's Crown
St Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior British Crown Jewels, being the official coronation crown used in the coronation of first English, then British, and finally Commonwealth realms monarchs...
, evoking the sovereign's roles as both fount of honour
Fount of honour
The fount of honour refers to a nation's head of state, who, by virtue of his or her official position, has the exclusive right of conferring legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry to other persons.- Origin :...
and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces. On the reverse is a space for engraving the recipient's name and rank between the reigning monarch's Royal Cypher
Royal Cypher
In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. In the case where such a cypher is used by an emperor or empress, it is called...
topped by another crown above and a sprig of three maple leaves below.
This medallion is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 31.8mm wide ribbon coloured with vertical stripes in Canada's official colours of red and white flanking a central band in green, representing service. The accompanying medal bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
s are rectangular in shape with raised edges and bear the name of the campaign for which they are being presented; the first is worn centred on the ribbon, while additional bars are evenly spaced and arranged in the chronological order earned, with the eldest at the bottom, closest to the medal. For wear on undress, a silver, gold, or red maple leaf is pinned to the ribbon bar, denoting, respectively, the award of a second, third, or fourth or subsequent bar.
Eligibility and presentation
On 7 July 2004, Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of her CabinetCabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
under Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
, created the General Campaign Star to recognize, without having to produce a new medal for each mission, members of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
or allied forces who had participated in Canadian military campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
s. To qualify for the medal, individuals had to have served in a theatre of war
Theater (warfare)
In warfare, a theater, is defined as an area or place within which important military events occur or are progressing. The entirety of the air, land, and sea area that is or that may potentially become involved in war operations....
the presence of an armed enemy.
Allied Force
The Allied Force bar was presented to Canadian Forces Air CommandCanadian Forces Air Command
The Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
pilots and crew who flew a minimum of five sorties over Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and other territories, including Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and the Socialist Republic of Macedonia
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
, as well as the Adriatic
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and Ionian Sea
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
s, during Operation Allied Force
1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
, between 24 March and 10 June 1999. For some recipients, it might have been necessary for them to return their NATO Medal
NATO Medal
The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It is manufactured by Eekelers - Centini, International, of Hemiksem, Belgium...
before accepting the Allied Force bar.
International Security Assistance Force
Those in the Canadian Forces and allied militia who served for at least 30 days after 24 April 2003 in the International Security Assistance ForceInternational Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
(ISAF) effort in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
were eligible to receive the ISAF bar. This was presented in addition to the more generally applicable South-West Asia Service Medal
South-West Asia Service Medal (Canada)
The South-West Asia Service Medal is a campaign medal created in 2002 by the Canadian monarch-in-Council to recognize members of the Canadian Forces who had directly participated in efforts to combat terrorism in Southwest Asia following the Al-Qaeda attacks on the United States in 2001...
.
See also
- Canadian order of precedence (decorations and medals)Canadian order of precedence (Decorations and Medals)The following is the Canadian order of precedence for decorations and medals. Where applicable, post-nominal letters are indicated.-Awards of valour:-National orders:-Provincial orders:-National decorations:-National medals:...
- Gulf War military awardsGulf War Military AwardsAfter the 1990-91 Gulf War, many of the forces issued service and campaign awards. This is a list of known awards:-Coalition Forces:Argentina*Medal for the Gulf War 1991Australia*Australian Active Service Medal with Kuwait claspBahrain...