Operational Service Medal (Canada)
Encyclopedia
The Operational Service Medal is a campaign medal
created in 2010 by the Canadian monarch-in-Council
to recognize members of the Canadian Forces
, allied forces, Canadian police officers, or Canadian civilians working for 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 lowest of the war and operational service medals.
disc
with, on the obverse, the words ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA and CANADA (Latin abbreviation for: Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God Queen of Canada) separated by small maple leaves
and surrounding an effigy
of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a Canadian diadem
of maple leaves and snowflakes, symbolizing her roles as both fount of honour
and Commander-in-Chief
of the Canadian Forces. On the reverse is a representation of the globe
resting above two crossed branches of laurel
and oak
leaves and surmounted by a St. Edward's Crown that is flanked on both sides by three maple leaves on a single stem.
This medallion is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 31.8mm wide ribbon with thin, vertical stripes in Canada's official colours of red and white flanking a central band; the colour of the middle band reflects the specific theatre
or task for which the medal is being awarded: sand for South-West Asia, light green for Sierra Leone
, royal blue for Haiti
, dark green for Sudan
, white for Humanitas and light grey for Expedition.
under Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
, created the Operational Service Medal to recognize members of the Canadian Forces
, allied foreign forces, Canadian police officers, or Canadian civilians working for the Canadian Forces who had served full-time in the theatre
of war or peacekeeping
, or participated in the support of such missions. The medal was first presented on 6 December 2010.
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 2010 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."...
, allied forces, Canadian police officers, or Canadian civilians working for the Canadian 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 lowest of the war and operational service medals.
Design
The Operational Service Medal is in the form of a 36 millimetres (1.4 in) diameter cupro-nickelCupronickel
Cupronickel or copper-nickel or "cupernickel" is an alloy of copper that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. Cupronickel is highly resistant to corrosion in seawater, because its electrode potential is adjusted to be neutral with regard to seawater...
disc
Disk (mathematics)
In geometry, a disk is the region in a plane bounded by a circle.A disk is said to be closed or open according to whether or not it contains the circle that constitutes its boundary...
with, on the obverse, the words ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA and CANADA (Latin abbreviation for: Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God Queen of Canada) separated by small maple leaves
Maple leaf
The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada.-Use in Canada:At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000...
and surrounding an effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a Canadian diadem
Diadem
Diadem may refer to:*Diadem, a type of crown-Military:*HMS Diadem was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line in the Royal Navy launched in 1782 at Chatham and participated in the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1787...
of maple leaves and snowflakes, symbolizing her 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
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Canadian Forces. On the reverse is a representation of the globe
Globe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
resting above two crossed branches of laurel
Bay Laurel
The bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
leaves and surmounted by a St. Edward's Crown that is flanked on both sides by three maple leaves on a single stem.
This medallion is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 31.8mm wide ribbon with thin, vertical stripes in Canada's official colours of red and white flanking a central band; the colour of the middle band reflects the specific theatre
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....
or task for which the medal is being awarded: sand for South-West Asia, light green for Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, royal blue for Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, dark green for Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , 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...
, white for Humanitas and light grey for Expedition.
Eligibility and presentation
On 5 July 2010, 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...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, created the Operational Service Medal 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."...
, allied foreign forces, Canadian police officers, or Canadian civilians working for the Canadian Forces who had served full-time in the theatre
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....
of war or peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
, or participated in the support of such missions. The medal was first presented on 6 December 2010.
| Ribbon | Campaign |
|---|---|
| Awarded for service in South-West Asia | |
| Awarded for service in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4... |
|
| Awarded for service in Haiti Haiti Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island... |
|
| Awarded for service in Sudan Sudan Sudan , 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... |
|
| Awarded for service in humanitas Humanitas The word humanitas was used by Cicero to describe the formation of an ideal speaker who he believed should be educated to possess a collection of virtues of character suitable for an active life of public service; these would include a fund of learning acquired from the study of bonae litterae ,... missions |
|
| Awarded for service in expedition missions |
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:...
- Operational Service Medal (United Kingdom)