The Overseas Medal is a commemorative or campaign 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...

 issued to members of the French Armed Forces for participating in operations outside national territory. It replaced the French Colonial Medal

Colonial Medal

The Colonial Medal was a French decoration created by the "loi de finances" of 26 July 1893 to reward "military services in the colonies, resulting from participation in military operations, in a colony or a protectorate"...

 by decree on 6 June 1962.

Description

• Ribbon: sky blue with three vertical white bands, the two side ones of 2mm and the central one of 7mm
• Medal: the work of engraver Georges Lemaire
  Georges Lemaire
  Georges Lemaire was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer, who became Belgian road race champion in 1932. In 1933, he finished the Tour de France in 4th place, having worn the yellow jersey for two days...
  
  , in silver. A helmeted allegorical effigy of a woman as the personification of the French Republic, circled by the words "République française". The reverse shows a terrestrial globe on top of trophies of military conquest with the words "MEDAILLE D'OUTRE-MER"
• Link: Silver laurel branches.
• Bars: Gilt, showing the territory where the campaign occurred.

Campaign Clasp

The areas of service are indicated by a gilt silver campaign clasp, there are currently 13 available:

• Cambodge (Cambodia)
• Liban (Lebanon)
• Chad (Tchad), awarded to all French personnel, military or otherwise, who served in Chad regardless of the length of service from March 15, 1960 to January 27, 2008 . As of January 28, 2008, the campaign clasp is awarded for fifteen days of consecutive service or a cumulative equivalent of non-consecutive days.
• Mauritania (Mauritanie), awarded to all French personnel, military or otherwise, who served in Mauritania from November 1977 to July 1990, regardless of length of service.
• Moyen-Orient (Middle East)
• Ormuz (Hormuz)
• République centrafricaine (Central African Republic)
• République de Côte d'Ivoire (Republic of Cote d'Ivoire)
• République démocratique du Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo)
• République du Congo (Congo)
• Rwanda (Rwanda)
• Somalie (Somalia)
• Zaïre (Zaire)

Source

Les décorations françaises, ISBN 2911468996 http://www.france-phaleristique.com/accueil.htm