Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal
Encyclopedia
The Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal is an award in the Australian honours system
. The award is presented to those who perform humanitarian service
in a foreign country, in particular those working in dangerous environments or conditions or during a humanitarian crisis
. The award was introduced by letters patent
on 16 April 1999, following a review of the Australian honours and awards system beginning in 1995.
Potential recipients have to prove they worked for a minimum of 30 days in the location depicted by the clasp, during a period of time set in the award criteria. In addition, potential recipients have to be working for an aid organisation
recognised by the criteria or with a United Nations
taskforce during that timeframe. In 2005, special criteria were established for people working during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
or the 2005 Sumatra earthquake
, with a maximum time period of 7 or 14 days depending on the time frame.
The medal was originally intended as a civilian award, in parallel with the Australian Service Medal
and the Police Overseas Service Medal
, and until 2005 the Australian Defence Force
had never been declared an eligible organisation. This is because, in most cases, the Australian Service Medal
is already available to military personnel serving alongside humanitarian relief operations. However, defence personnel on leave of absence and serving an eligible organisation could qualify for the medal. The declaration of eligible organisations for the Indian Ocean clasp
was the first time the Australian Defence Force
was declared an eligible organisation, as Operation Sumatra Assist
was purely a disaster relief operation and did not attract any military operational service award. The Australian Defence Force
was again declared an eligible organisation for the participation of its personnel in Operation Pakistan Assist, part of the Australian humanitarian response to the 8 October 2005 Pakistan earthquake.
have been declared for the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal as of October 2006, to indicate what region(s) the recipient worked in. These are detailed below:
Notable recipients of this award include:
Declared eligible organisations must be part of an Australian humanitarian response, or an Australian contingent to an international response. Accordingly, it is possible for non-Australians participating in such a group to be eligible for the medal.
Australian Honours System
-History:The Commonwealth of Australia, until 1975, used the Imperial or British honours system. Only a handful of peerages were created for Australians, some in recognition of public services rendered in Britain rather than Australia. Some hereditary peers and baronets whose titles derive from...
. The award is presented to those who perform humanitarian service
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
in a foreign country, in particular those working in dangerous environments or conditions or during a humanitarian crisis
Humanitarian crisis
A humanitarian crisis is an event or series of events which represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security or wellbeing of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area...
. The award was introduced by letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
on 16 April 1999, following a review of the Australian honours and awards system beginning in 1995.
Potential recipients have to prove they worked for a minimum of 30 days in the location depicted by the clasp, during a period of time set in the award criteria. In addition, potential recipients have to be working for an aid organisation
Aid agency
An aid agency is an organisation dedicated to distributing aid. Many professional aid organisations exist, both within government , between governments as multilateral donors and as private voluntary organizations...
recognised by the criteria or with a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
taskforce during that timeframe. In 2005, special criteria were established for people working during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
or the 2005 Sumatra earthquake
2005 Sumatra earthquake
The 2005 Sumatra earthquake, referred to as the Nias Earthquake by the scientific community, was a major earthquake on 28 March 2005, located off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Approximately 1300 people were killed by the earthquake, mostly on the island of Nias...
, with a maximum time period of 7 or 14 days depending on the time frame.
The medal was originally intended as a civilian award, in parallel with the Australian Service Medal
Australian Service Medal
The Australian Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorized 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in peacekeeping and non-warlike operations. It is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the medal are made in the form of...
and the Police Overseas Service Medal
Police Overseas Service Medal (Australia)
The Police Overseas Service Medal is an award in the Australian honours system. The award is presented to those members of an Australian Police force who undertake service;* with international peace-keeping organisations, or...
, and until 2005 the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
had never been declared an eligible organisation. This is because, in most cases, the Australian Service Medal
Australian Service Medal
The Australian Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorized 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in peacekeeping and non-warlike operations. It is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the medal are made in the form of...
is already available to military personnel serving alongside humanitarian relief operations. However, defence personnel on leave of absence and serving an eligible organisation could qualify for the medal. The declaration of eligible organisations for the Indian Ocean clasp
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...
was the first time the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
was declared an eligible organisation, as Operation Sumatra Assist
Operation Sumatra Assist
Operation Sumatra Assist was the Australian Defence Force's contribution to disaster relief in Indonesia following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. ADF personnel were deployed within hours of the earthquake. They served mainly in Aceh province of Indonesia...
was purely a disaster relief operation and did not attract any military operational service award. The Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
was again declared an eligible organisation for the participation of its personnel in Operation Pakistan Assist, part of the Australian humanitarian response to the 8 October 2005 Pakistan earthquake.
Description
- The Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal is a circular medal. The obverse features a stylised eucalyptusEucalyptusEucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
tree in the centre, with its branches reaching to the edge of the medal. A pattern of gumnutGumnutGumnut can refer to:*The hard woody fruit of trees of the genus Eucalyptus.*Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, the gumnut babies of author May Gibbs....
s rings the eucalyptus. - The reverse has the same pattern of gumnuts around the rim, with the name of the recipient engraved.
- The ribbon is eucalyptus green, divided vertically by a gold stripe. These colours are associative with the green and goldGreen and goldThe national colours of Australia are green and gold, as proclaimed by Sir Ninian Stephen, the Governor-General of Australia on 19 April 1984...
, Australia's national colours, while continuing with the eucalyptus theming; symbolising hope and regeneration after the disaster.
Clasps
Thirteen claspsMedal 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...
have been declared for the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal as of October 2006, to indicate what region(s) the recipient worked in. These are detailed below:
- Afghanistan
- 30 days service with civilian organisations in AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , 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...
from 8 December 1979 to present- Balkans
- 30 days civilian service in the period;
- Zone 1 - Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, MontenegroMontenegroMontenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
and SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
- from 21 February 1992 to present - Zone 2 - SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, KosovoKosovoKosovo 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...
, AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , 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...
, Republic of MacedoniaRepublic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
- from 24 March 1999 to present - Cambodia
- Zone 1 - Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 30 days service in CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
with civilian organisations from 1 July 1979 to 31 December 1993- East Timor
- 30 days service with civilian organisations in East Timor from 1 June 1999 to 19 May 2002
- Great Lakes
- 30 days service with civilian organisations in the African Great Lakes area from 1 May 1994 to Present
- Indian Ocean
- Civilian, Police and Military service providing assistance following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake2004 Indian Ocean earthquakeThe 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
- 7 days service in the period 26 December 2004 - 8 January 2005
- 14 days service in the period 26 December 2004 - 12 February 2005
- Civilian and Military service providing assistance following the 2005 Sumatra earthquake2005 Sumatra earthquakeThe 2005 Sumatra earthquake, referred to as the Nias Earthquake by the scientific community, was a major earthquake on 28 March 2005, located off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Approximately 1300 people were killed by the earthquake, mostly on the island of Nias...
- 7 days service in the period 28 March 2005 - 18 April 2005
- Iraq
- 30 days service with civilian organisations in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
from 20 March 2003 to Present- Mozambique
- 30 days service with civilian organisations in MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
from 10 October 1985 to 31 January 1995- Northern Iraq
- 30 days service with civilian organisations in Northern Iraq from 1 February 1991 to 31 May 1995
- Pakistan
- Civilia and Military assistance following the 2005 Pakistan earthquake
- 14 days service in the period 8 October 2005 - 8 November 2005
- 30 days service in the period 8 October 2005 - 31 May 2006
- Somalia
- 30 days service with civilian organisations in SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
from 1 March 1992 to 1 January 1996- South Sudan
- 30 days service with civilian organisations in Southern SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
from 23 May 1992- South Vietnam
- 30 days service with civilian organisations South VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
from 29 May 1964 to 30 April 1975
Recipients
As of June 2006, 1,293 awards, including medals and additional clasps, had been made.Notable recipients of this award include:
- Andrew MacLeodAndrew MacLeodAndrew MacLeod is the CEO of the Committee for Melbourne, Foundation Chair of the United Nations Global Compact Principles for Social Investment and a member of the United Nations Expert Group on Responsible Business and Investment in High-Risk Areas...
- the eleven ADFAustralian Defence ForceThe Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
personnel involved in the 2005 Nias Island WS-61 Sea King crash crash, including the nine that died - military personnel involved in OP SUMATRA ASSIST I and II who meet the eligibility criteria
Declared eligible organisations must be part of an Australian humanitarian response, or an Australian contingent to an international response. Accordingly, it is possible for non-Australians participating in such a group to be eligible for the medal.