Australian Active Service Medal
Encyclopedia
The Australian Active Service Medal is an Australia
n military decoration
. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in 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 additional clasps.
. The obverse has a Federation Star
within a wreath of mimosa
and bears a laurel wreath
surrounding the inscription 'FOR ACTIVE SERVICE'.
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.
The ribbon bar consists of a strip of full-sized ribbon with no emblem.
Personnel who receive this medal may also be entitled to receive a service or campaign medal from an international organisation or the host country, if they meet the eligibility criteria for those medals. 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.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n military decoration
Military decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in warlike operations
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
. 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.
Description
The AASM is a circular nickel-silver medal ensigned with the Crown of St EdwardSt. 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...
. The obverse has a Federation Star
Commonwealth Star
The Commonwealth Star is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901....
within a wreath of mimosa
Mimosa
Mimosa is a genus of about 400 species of herbs and shrubs, in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the legume family Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word μιμος , meaning "mimic."...
and bears a laurel wreath
Laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
surrounding the inscription 'FOR ACTIVE SERVICE'.
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.
The ribbon bar consists of a strip of full-sized ribbon with no emblem.
Balkans
- 1 day of service (or 1 sortie) with the United Nations Peacekeeping activities in the former Yugoslavia (UNPROFORUnited Nations Protection ForceThe United Nations Protection Force ', was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav wars. It existed between the beginning of UN involvement in February 1992, and its restructuring into other forces in March 1995...
, UNMIBHUnited Nations Mission in Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international organization formed under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1035 on 21 December 1995. It completed its mandate on 31 December 2002, when it was succeeded by the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and...
, UNCROUnited Nations Confidence Restoration OperationThe United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation, commonly known as UNCRO is a completed UN Mission. It replaced the United Nations Protection Force in Croatia.- Mission :...
, UNPREDEP, UNTAESUnited Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western SirmiumThe United Nations Transitional Authority in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium was a UN peacekeeping mission in eastern parts of Croatia between 1996 and 1998...
) from 12 January 1992 to 24 January 1997.
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:
- United Nations Assistance Mission in East TimorUnited Nations Mission in East TimorThe United Nations Mission in East Timor was established by Security Council Resolution 1246 on 11 June 1999 for a period up to 31 August 1999...
(UNAMET), Operation Faber, from 16 September 1999 to 23 February 2000. - ADF contribution to the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET), Operation Warden, from 16 September 1999 to 10 April 2000.
- See also INTERFET MedalInternational Force East Timor MedalThe International Force East Timor Medal recognises members of the Australian Defence Force who served for 30 days in East Timor during the INTERFET campaign...
.- UN mandated International Force for East Timor (INTERFET), Operation Stabilise, from 16 September 1999 to 23 February 2000.
- United Nations Transitional Administration in East TimorUnited Nations Transitional Administration in East TimorThe United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor provided an interim civil administration and a peacekeeping mission in the territory of East Timor, from its establishment on October 25, 1999 until its independence on May 20, 2002 following the outcome of the East Timor Special...
(UNTAET), Operation Tanager, from 20 February 2000 to 19 May 2002. - United Nations Mission of Support to East TimorUnited Nations Mission of Support to East TimorThe United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor was established on 20 May 2002, the same day which East Timor became an internationally recognized independent state and the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor came to an end.Military and police forces from contributing...
(UNMISET), Operation Citadel, from 20 May 2002 to 17 August 2003.
- United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor
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 SlipperOperation SlipperOperation Slipper is the Australian Defence Force contribution to the war in Afghanistan. The operation commenced in late 2001 and is ongoing...
, 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.
- See also Afghanistan MedalAfghanistan Medal (Australia)The Afghanistan Medal was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2004. The Afghanistan Medal is awarded to Australian defence force personnel who served in or around Afghanistan after 11 October 2001...
.
- with the ADF contribution deployed overseas to the United States-led military response to international terrorism, Operation Slipper
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.
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.
- See also Iraq MedalIraq Medal (Australia)The Iraq Medal was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2004. The Iraq Medal is awarded to Australian Defence Force personnel who served in or around Iraq after 18 March 2003...
.
Kuwait
- Service with the multinational deployment in the Persian Gulf from 17 January 1991 to 28 February 1991.
- Service on HMAS CanberraHMAS Canberra (FFG 02)HMAS Canberra was an Adelaide class guided missile frigate of the Royal Australian Navy . Based on the Oliver Hazard Perry class design, Canberra was one of four Adelaide class ships constructed in the United States of America, and one of six to serve in the RAN.The frigate entered service in 1981...
during Operation Damask VI from 13-19 January 1993.
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 RwandaUnited Nations Assistance Mission for RwandaThe United Nations Assistance Mission In Rwanda was a mission instituted by the United Nations to aid the implementation of the Arusha Accords, signed August 4, 1993, which were meant to end the Rwandan Civil War. The mission lasted from October 1993 to March 1996...
, Operation Tamar, from 25 July 1994 to 8 March 1996.
Somalia
- 1 day of service (or 1 sortie) with the:
- Battalion Group for Operation SolaceOperation SolaceOperation Solace was the Australian Defence Force's main contribution to the Unified Task Force which was a United States led, United Nations sanctioned, multinational force which operated in the Republic of Somalia from 9 December 1992 to 4 May 1993...
as a part of UNOSOM IUNOSOM IUnited Nations Operation in Somalia I was the first part of a United Nations sponsored effort to provide, facilitate, and secure humanitarian relief in Somalia, as well as to monitor the first UN-brokered ceasefire of the Somali Civil War conflict in the early 1990s.The operation was established...
from 10 January 1993 to 21 May 1993. - Land components of the United Nations Operation in Somalia II from 1 May 1993 to 28 March 1995.
- Air components of the United Nations Operation in Somalia II from 1 May 1993 to 28 March 1995.
- Battalion Group for Operation Solace
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.
Related medals
Recipients of this medal are also entitled to the issue of the Returned from Active Service Badge. A separate campaign medal in the Australian system is also awarded for major operations and wars, and is issued concurrently with the AASM. These are referenced under their respective clasps.Personnel who receive this medal may also be entitled to receive a service or campaign medal from an international organisation or the host country, if they meet the eligibility criteria for those medals. 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.
See also
- Australian campaign medalsAustralian campaign medalsAustralian campaign medals in order of precedence as defined in references below. Those campaign medals which have been independently issued by Australia to its armed forces are in bold.-South African War:* Queen's South Africa Medal...
- Australian Honours Order of PrecedenceAustralian Honours Order of Precedence- Order of wear :Order of precedence for the wearing of decorations and awards within the Australian Honours System.Articles marked with * are awards of the British Empire/United Kingdom and are now considered foreign....
- 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...
- United Nations MedalUnited Nations MedalThe term United Nations Medal refers to one of several international decorations which are issued by the United Nations to the various militaries of the world for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief...
- List of United Nations peacekeeping missions