Operational Service Medals?

[aesop081]

What is that Command in Florida, and what medal are they receiving?

CENTCOM. IIRC, they got the GSM (as far as Afghanistan is concerned).

 

[eliminator]

South-West Asia Service Medal without Afghanistan bar

Interim Staging Team (IST), Istanbul, Turkey
18 Oct 05 - 30 Jul 06

Strategic Airlift Det, Ramstein, Germany
01 Oct 01 - 16 Aug 03

Task Force Tampa, Florida, USA
11 Sep 01 - 29 Aug 03

Strategic Lines of Communications (LOC) Dets, USA and Europe
01 Oct 01 - 16 Aug 03

Military Police Security Implementation Teams, Europe & N. Africa
01 Jan 02 – 31 Jul 09

Too bad we have 4 different medals for operations in Afghanistan.....

 

[Ostrozac]

Too bad we have 4 different medals for operations in Afghanistan.....

Our honours system issued/approved 12 different medals for service in Former Yugoslavia. I think that Afghanistan has been a remarkable improvement in that regard.

 

[CombatDoc]

CENTCOM. IIRC, they got the GSM (as far as Afghanistan is concerned).

Also, previously when we were giving out SWASMs they received the SWASM without the "Afghanistan" bar.

 

[eliminator]

I got word from DH&R that a proposal was forwarded to the Chancellery of Honours for consideration by the Government Honours Policy Committee at Privy Council Office (PCO) to have the NATO medal for OUP in Libya approved for wear by Canadians.  They are now currently awaiting PCO Order-in-Council approval process and a CANFORGEN will follow soon after.

So, no GSM/GCS/OSM for Op Mobile....

 

[jollyjacktar]

I dont think the issue with the GCS/GSM is inside versus outside the wire, it's more about inside versus outside the country where the hostilities are taking place.

I'm with you there.  I earned my GCS and Bar sand side both times.  I pisses me off to see fellow Sailors' wearing the GCS with SWA ribbon for hassling seaborne skinnies.  If they want to give the GCS for "Pirates of the ... tours" then they can fracking well come up with another ribbon etc.  :2c:

 

[eliminator]

I'm with you there.  I earned my GCS and Bar sand side both times.  I pisses me off to see fellow Sailors' wearing the GCS with SWA ribbon for hassling seaborne skinnies.  If they want to give the GCS for "Pirates of the ... tours" then they can fracking well come up with another ribbon etc.  :2c:

I'm not up on the Navy stuff anymore, but I think there's some confusion with the what medals to award for navy ops relating to the "War on Terrorism", since some ships got the NATO Article-5 medal while others got the GCS-SWA or SWASM. Maybe someone on this forum can clarify.

 

[misratah500]

well if they do go the NATO route, I know a lot of people will be dissatisfied. My buddies were waiting for a gcs. I think we'd be willing to wait longer to get it over NATO. Their medals are so cheap looking/feeling.

 

[aesop081]

I know a lot of people will be dissatisfied.

They'll get over it.

My buddies were waiting for a gcs.

The ones who never left Sicily ? The ones in Naples ?

 

[brihard]

The ones who never left Sicily ? The ones in Naples ?

From his profile, I'm gonna take a stab in the dark and suggest he might mean his buddies on Vancouver- and I'm sure he has friends on Charlottetown as well.

 

[eliminator]

well if they do go the NATO route, I know a lot of people will be dissatisfied. My buddies were waiting for a gcs. I think we'd be willing to wait longer to get it over NATO. Their medals are so cheap looking/feeling.

Agreed, especially since NATO seems to be done with designing unique ribbons for each mission and are continuing to award either Article5 or non Article5 ribbons with whatever mission bar. Potentially you may have a CF member with a row of identical medals/ribbons with just different mission bars. (at least the UN medals have unique mission ribbons)

However, a NATO medal is at least a medal and whenever the final decision is cut, it will likley be lightyears ahead of some of the other participating nations, particularly the UK.

 

[NavyShooter]

Rumble I heard is that VAN won't be eligible for the medal due to not enough time on station....

So basically, the only folks in the entire CF that would get any medal out of the actions off Libya would be the zoomies like CDN and others who helped get the birds in the air, the HQ staff wherever they were, and the crew on CHA.

That said, the thing that bothers me most about the whole situation is that there was a huge rush to get the guy in charge recognized, right up to getting stuff presented to him in the Senate chamber and everything, and here we are, 7 months later, and still nothing for the troops who enabled the mission which he's already been recognized for.

*shrug*

Nothing I can do to influence the situation, so it's a waiting game.

NS

 

[eliminator]

Does anyone know many days the VAN participated in Op Mobile? CEFCOM says: "Joined SNMG2, tasked to Task Force Endeavour 15 November 2011
Departed Joint Operational Area 10 January 2012"

So while they may not qualify for the 30-day minimum for the NATO OUP Libya medal, they will potentially qualify for an NATO Article 5 medal relating to OP ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR (or possibly even an "Expedition" GCS or OSM)

 

[eliminator]

CEFCOM:

Roto 0 (17 March–18 August 2011): Task Force Charlottetown
Roto 1 (19 August–31 October 2011): Task Force Vancouver

Looks like both ships meet the 30-day req.

 

[misratah500]

Yeah, Don't NATO medals have 30 day requirements. Vancouver should be good to go for the OUP medal. Unless they're making up an excuse not to go with NATO medals to make a Canadian one. Would NATO feel that was a snub at all?

 

[eliminator]

Yeah, Don't NATO medals have 30 day requirements. Vancouver should be good to go for the OUP medal. Unless they're making up an excuse not to go with NATO medals to make a Canadian one. Would NATO feel that was a snub at all?

Well, a Canadian was in charge, so that might be abit of a "snub". I bet most participating nations award their own medal AND accept the NATO medal for wear.

Canadians don't accept the NATO ISAF medal, so its not like we accept every NATO medal. (Brits accept, but cannot wear the ISAF medal....although some feel the need to mount it for wear anyways, especially in miniature form)

I predict the next question will be "does participation in Op Mobile qualify for the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal" - no

 

[eliminator]

end rant

 

[dogger1936]

How does the navy "begin" it's service dates? Do your Operation start day 1 when you leave port Canada side? Or does it only count when your in Libyan waters (22.2km off shore according to google)?

Or is it a medal that is awarded for the ship being "tasked" in support of operations.

For the GCS wouldn't you need to be in Libyan waters under: " Canadian Forces who deploy into a defined theatre of operations to take part in operations in the presence of an armed enemy."

Was there a armed enemy at sea outside Libya's waters?

 

[eliminator]

How does the navy "begin" it's service dates? Do your Operation start day 1 when you leave port Canada side? Or does it only count when your in Libyan waters (22.2km off shore according to google)?

Or is it a medal that is awarded for the ship being "tasked" in support of operations.

For the GCS wouldn't you need to be in Libyan waters under: " Canadian Forces who deploy into a defined theatre of operations to take part in operations in the presence of an armed enemy."

Was there a armed enemy at sea outside Libya's waters?

Food for thought: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/06/02/ns-hmcs-charlottetown-rockets.html

 

[dogger1936]

Food for thought: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/06/02/ns-hmcs-charlottetown-rockets.html

If it's the old Grad they would have around a 22ish km range. How long were they operating in Libyan waters would be something that I would think would need to be determined to award a GCS.

On your article you just posted: "She said HMCS Charlottetown was not hit because the crew considers the enemy's weapons capabilities and sails outside the maximum range."

So would that be operating in a area with armed enemy?

edit to add: I personally know traffic techs who worked in mirage but didnt get their GCS for 10-15 days spent in KAF. Wouldnt the same apply in this case?