Australian Active Service Medal

The Australian Active Service Medal (AASM) is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised on 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in "warlike" operations, backdated to February 1975.[1] It is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the medal are made in the form of additional clasps.[2] In 2012, it was announced that the medal would no longer be issued for future operations, with the AASM and the Australian Service Medal being replaced by the Australian Operational Service Medal.[3]

For other uses, see Australian Service Medal (disambiguation).

Australian Active Service Medal


Obverse of medal (with East Timor clasp) and ribbon
TypeCampaign medal
Awarded forService in prescribed warlike operations
Presented byAustralia
Established13 September 1988
Total62,210 as at 30 June 2010
Order of Wear
Next (higher)Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975
Next (lower)International Force East Timor Medal (INTERFET)
RelatedAustralian Active Service Medal 1945–1975

Description

The AASM is a circular nickel-silver medal ensigned with the Crown of St Edward. The obverse has a Federation Star within a wreath of mimosa and bears a laurel wreath surrounding the inscription 'FOR ACTIVE SERVICE'.[1][2]

The medal ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and has a central red stripe to symbolise the danger of warlike operations. It is flanked by stripes of silver-green which in turn are flanked by stripes of light green, gold, dark green and brown.[2]

The ribbon bar consists of a strip of full-sized ribbon with no emblem.[2]

AASM Afghanistan 2015-2021 Debate

Veterans and current serving ADF personnel have proposed that a new AASM be issued incorporating clasps for warlike operations in Afghanistan (ICAT), Syria and Iraq.[4] In 2015, the AASM ceased being issued by the Australian Government and was replaced by the Operational Service medal (OSM). Unlike the AASM, the OSM for Middle East deployments does not distinguish between the active and warlike service of deployed personnel serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, compared with support personnel serving in places such as the UAE who receive the same medal as personnel service on warlike operations. Alternately the current AASM could be issued for active service in those countries, with clasps for ICAT, Iraq and Syria.

This has caused concern to personnel who believe a new AASM should be issued alongside the OSM to recognise warlike service of those operations, including the AASM for service in Afghanistan from 2015 to the evacuation in 2021. [5]

Clasps

The following clasps were authorised for issue with the AASM:[6]

Balkans
1 day of service (or 1 sortie) with the United Nations (UNPROFOR, UNMIBH, UNCRO, UNPREDEP, UNTAES) or North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) peacekeeping activities in the former Yugoslavia between 12 January 1992 and 24 January 1997.[7]

Cambodia
1 day of service (or 1 sortie) with the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) from 20 October 1991 to 7 October 1993.

East Timor
1 day of service (or 1 sortie) with the:
See also INTERFET Medal.

ICAT
1 day of service (or 1 sortie) as part of the International Coalition Against Terror:
  • with the ADF contribution deployed overseas to the United States-led military response to international terrorism, Operation Slipper, from 11 October 2001 to 5 December 2002, and from 1 January 2009 to the present.
  • in Diego Garcia (for 30 days/30 sorties) from 11 October 2001 to 1 August 2002.
  • as part of the ADF Support to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Operation Palate, from 18 April 2003 to 4 July 2004.
  • as part of the ADF Support to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Operation Palate II, from 27 June 2005 to the present.[8]
See also Afghanistan Medal.

Iraq
1 day of service (or 1 sortie) in the area comprising Iraq for service as a member of the ADF assigned for service to:
  • Operation Jural with the United Kingdom elements of the coalition force from 30 June 1991 to 12 January 2003.
  • Operation Provide Comfort with the United States elements of the coalition force from 11 August 1991 to 15 December 1996.
  • Operation Bolton with the United Kingdom elements of the coalition force from 31 August 1992 to 12 January 2003.
  • Operation Southern Watch with the United States elements of the coalition force from 31 August 1992 to 12 January 2003.
  • Operation Northern Watch with the United States elements of the coalition force from 1 January 1997 to 12 January 2003.[9]

Iraq 2003
1 day of service (or 1 sortie) in the Middle East Area as part of the:
  • ADF contribution deployed overseas to the United States-led military coalition operations to remove the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, Operation Falconer, from 18 March 2003 to 22 July 2003.
  • ADF participation in United States-led coalition in Iraq, to support the effort to assist with the rehabilitation of Iraq, and to remove the threat posed to world security by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capability, Operation Catalyst, from 16 July 2003 to 31 July 2009.
  • ADF participation to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Operation Riverbank, from 21 July 2008.
  • ADF participation to the provision of security in Iraq, Operation Kruger, from 1 January 2009.[10]
See also Iraq Medal.

Kuwait
Service with the multinational deployment in the Persian Gulf from 17 January 1991 to 28 February 1991.
Service on HMAS Canberra during Operation Damask VI from 13–19 January 1993.[11]

Middle East
Service of 1 or more days with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in southern Lebanon from 12 July 2006 to 14 August 2006.

Namibia
30 days of service with the United Nations Transitional Assistance Group (UNTAG) from 18 February 1989 to 10 April 1990.

Rwanda
1 day of service with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, Operation Tamar, from 25 July 1994 to 8 March 1996.

Sierra Leone
Service of 1 or more days with the International Military Advisory and Training Team or attached to British forces involved in Operation Husky from 15 January 2001 to 28 February 2003.

Somalia
1 day of service (or 1 sortie) with the:

Vietnam 1975
1 day of service associated with RAAF activities with Transport Support Flight Butterworth or HQ Richmond Detachment 'S' to UNICEF, from 29 March 1975 to 28 April 1975.

Returned from Active Service Badge

Recipients of the Australian Active Service Medal are also entitled to the issue of the Returned from Active Service Badge (RASB).[13]

The RASB is the only campaign service badge awarded post-World War II. It is worn on the left lapel and only in civilian attire, to reflect that the recipient has been involved in warlike service.[14] The brass badge has a serial number with a prefix denoting the member's service,[15] and has been awarded since 1945 where the only change to its appearance has been the replacement of the King George VI's crown with that of the Queen Elizabeth's.[13]

Unlike most awards, the RASB is not issued to deceased members or the next-of-kin, as the badge represents a return from the member's warlike service.[14][16] The replacement of the AASM with the Operational Service Medal was announced in May 2012;[3] as a result, the RASB has been retired with the AASM, with the Operational Service Badge filling the role of being a badge indicative of a members' warlike service.[17]

A separate campaign medal in the Australian system is awarded for major operations and wars, and several – such as the Afghanistan Medal and the Iraq Medal[18] – were issued concurrently with the AASM. These are referenced under their respective clasps, such as the "ICAT" clasp.[19] Personnel who received this medal may also be entitled to receive a service or campaign medal from an international organisation or the host country – such as the NATO Medal – if they meet the eligibility criteria for those medals.[20] These are treated as foreign medals in the Australian system, and if approved for wear on service uniforms, are worn after Australian medals in the order they are received. Recipients of the ASM may be authorised to wear two or three further medals for the same period of service; an Australian campaign medal, a medal from an international organisation and a medal from a host nation. Some of the international and host nation medals have been granted a blanket authority for all recipients to wear. Others are approved on an individual basis.[21]

See also

Notes
  1. "It's an Honour: Australian Active Service Medal". Australian Government. Archived from the original on 20 November 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  2. Maton 1995, p. 56.
  3. "Australian Operational Service Medal (OSM)". Defence Honours and Awards, Defence Support Group. Canberra, Australia: Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  4. "Australian Operational Service Medal". gg.gov.au. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  5. {{cite web https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/media-releases/2022-04-08/more-400-personnel-be-recognised-emergency-evacuations-afghanistan
  6. "Australian Active Service Medal clasps: Eligibility criteria". Department of Defence. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  7. "S102: Declaration and Determination under the Australian Active Service Medal Regulations" (PDF). Gazette Special. Commonwealth of Australia. 27 March 2001. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  8. "S47" (PDF). Gazette Special. Commonwealth of Australia. 7 April 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  9. "S136" (PDF). Gazette Special. Commonwealth of Australia. 24 August 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  10. "S153" (PDF). Gazette Special. Commonwealth of Australia. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  11. "S188" (PDF). Gazette Special. Commonwealth of Australia. 13 November 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  12. "S86" (PDF). Gazette Special. Commonwealth of Australia. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  13. "Returned from Active Service Badge: Royal Australian Air Force". Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013.
  14. "Returned from Active Service Badge". Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  15. "Medals, badges and awards". HQ 1ATF. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  16. "Badges for campaign service". Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  17. "Australian Operational Service Medal". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  18. "Iraq Medal". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  19. "Afghanistan Medal". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  20. "North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal with Clasp". Department of Defence. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  21. "Chapter 35: Foreign Awards" (PDF). Defence Honours and Awards Manual, Volume 1. Australian Government. Retrieved 14 January 2019.

References
  • Maton, Michael (1995). The National Honours & Awards of Australia. Kenthurst: Kangaroo Press. ISBN 0-86417-679-1.
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