German Armed Forces Service Medal
Encyclopedia
The German Armed Forces Service Medal (German
: Einsatzmedaille der Bundeswehr) is a decoration of the Bundeswehr
, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany
.
The decoration is awarded for military service in a designated military campaign. It is awarded to all German soldiers regardless of rank. It is also the only type of German campaign medal awarded, the only difference is the campaign bar worn on the medal and ribbon.
The decoration has three grades: The grade is not awarded by the persons rank but by the time a person served in the designated campaign area.
In November 2010, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
, the German minister of defense, introduced a special grade: the Gefechtsmedaille der Bundeswehr
(Combat Action Medal of the Bundeswehr).
surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves, the reverse side is plain. The combat version differs slightly from standard grades in that the medal is always golden with a black and red rim and a black eagle.
The ribbon has two black stripes on the edges with two red stripes beside it and two golden stripes on the in side with another bold red stripe in the middle, the ribbon bar has the campaign bar attached to it.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Einsatzmedaille der Bundeswehr) is a decoration of the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The decoration is awarded for military service in a designated military campaign. It is awarded to all German soldiers regardless of rank. It is also the only type of German campaign medal awarded, the only difference is the campaign bar worn on the medal and ribbon.
The decoration has three grades: The grade is not awarded by the persons rank but by the time a person served in the designated campaign area.
- Bronze for 30 days in country.
- Silver is for 360 days in country.
- Gold for 690 days in country.
In November 2010, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg is a German politician of the Christian Social Union ....
, the German minister of defense, introduced a special grade: the Gefechtsmedaille der Bundeswehr
Combat Action Medal of the Bundeswehr
The Combat Action Medal of the Bundeswehr is a military decoration awarded by the German Bundeswehr. The medal is awarded for active participation in combat actions or for the suffering from terrorist attacks...
(Combat Action Medal of the Bundeswehr).
Design
The medal is round, on its center is displayed the German eagleCoat of arms of Germany
The coat of arms of Germany displays a black eagle on a yellow shield ....
surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves, the reverse side is plain. The combat version differs slightly from standard grades in that the medal is always golden with a black and red rim and a black eagle.
The ribbon has two black stripes on the edges with two red stripes beside it and two golden stripes on the in side with another bold red stripe in the middle, the ribbon bar has the campaign bar attached to it.
Campaign Bars
- UNPF, SFORSFORThe Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
, IFORIFORThe Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
, EUFOR - awarded respectively for service in Bosnia-Herzegovina - UNOMIG - awarded for United Nations service in GeorgiaGeorgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
- UNSCOM - awarded for a special commission in Iraq
- UNHCR - awarded for humanitarian service with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- UNMEE - awarded for United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea
- UNIFIL - awarded for operations in Lebanon
- OSZE 1 - awarded for missions in the name of the OSCE
- KFOR - awarded for service in Kosovo
- KVM - awarded for the Kosovo Verifications Mission of the OSCE
- FOX - awarded for Operation Amber Fox in the 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...
- EU 1 - awarded for the follow-up mission of Amber Fox
- ALLIED HARVEST - awarded for operations in Macedonia
- ALLIED HARMONY - awarded for the NATO peacekeeping-mission in the Republic of Macedonia
- SHARP GUARD - awarded for Operation Sharp GuardOperation Sharp GuardOperation Sharp Guard was a multi-year joint naval blockade in the Adriatic Sea by NATO and the Western European Union on shipments to the former Yugoslavia. Warships and maritime patrol aircraft from 14 countries were involved in searching for and stopping blockade runners.The operation began on...
- UNMAC - awarded for United Nations Mission in the Republic of Macedonia
- AFOR - humanitarian assistance in 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...
- ACT.ENDEAVOUR - awarded for Operation Active EndeavourOperation Active EndeavourOperation Active Endeavour is a maritime operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It operates in the Mediterranean Sea and is designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction. It has also collateral benefits in enhanced security of shipping in general...
- INTERFETINTERFETThe International Force for East Timor was a multinational peacekeeping taskforce, mandated by the United Nations to address the humanitarian and security crisis which took place in East Timor from 1999–2000 until the arrival of United Nations peacekeepers...
- awarded for UN service in East-Timor - E.FREEDOM - awarded for Operation Enduring Freedom
- EAGLE ASSIST - awarded for Operation Eagle AssistOperation Eagle AssistFollowing the attacks of September 11, 2001, Operation Eagle Assist began on October 9, 2001 after the North Atlantic Council's October 4 decision to operationalize Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, and ended on May 16, 2002...
- ISAFInternational Security Assistance ForceThe International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
- awarded for service 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... - ACEH - humanitarian assistance in AcehAcehAceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
, IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
after 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... - SWIFT RELIEF - humanitarian assistance in PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake2005 Kashmir earthquakeThe 2005 Kashmir earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad, affecting Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October 2005... - GEFECHTCombat Action Medal of the BundeswehrThe Combat Action Medal of the Bundeswehr is a military decoration awarded by the German Bundeswehr. The medal is awarded for active participation in combat actions or for the suffering from terrorist attacks...
- awarded for valorous combat action regardless of the mission name
See also
- Order of Merit Cross of the German Federal RepublicBundesverdienstkreuzThe Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
- Bundeswehr Crosses & Medal of HonorBadge of Honour of the BundeswehrThe Badge of Honour of the German Armed Forces is a series of military decorations of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany...
- German Armed Forces Flood Service MedalGerman Armed Forces Flood Service MedalThe German Flood Service Medal 2002 is a decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany.The decoration was awarded to all German military members, foreign armed service members, civilian rescue forces and civilians, who had collaborated with the flood disaster relief efforts in Germany in the...
- German Armed Forces Badge for Military ProficiencyGerman Armed Forces Badge for Military ProficiencyThe German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency is a decoration of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany....
- German Armed Forces Badge of MarksmanshipGerman Armed Forces Badge of MarksmanshipThe German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency is a decoration of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany....
- German Parachutist Badge
- German Sports BadgeGerman Sports BadgeThe German Sports Badge is a decoration of the German Olympic Sports Federation DOSB, of the Federal Republic of Germany...