If you're suggesting that there is a Canadian regulation preventing any medal from being optional then couldn't Canada modify that regulation for this proposed one?
Iterator, you make a good point: we can make the reg's for a new medal say anything we want. But if we're going to make it just like the wound stripe reg's, with all the flexibility that implies, then why the push for a medal? If all the circumstances surrounding its awarding and wear remain the same, you're simply exchanging a piece of braid on the sleeve for a piece of metal on the chest. A worthwhile trade if you value the metal more than the braid, I guess.
You could make the argument that the distinctive braid, in an exclusive position on the cuff of uniform and civilian dress, makes the wound stripe all the more special. It doesn't get lost in a sea of campaign medals, long-service decorations, or stuck behind medals for valour.
And couldn't the "wear it whenever advantage" be applied to everything (all badges no medals)? I see it the opposite way - the medals format keeps these items in their proper place and at the proper times.
Perhaps you're correct, and recognition for wounds should only be worn with other distinctions. But that line of argument lumps recognition for a wound in with all the other recognitions you wear on your chest. As it stands, they have their place, and the wound stripe has its own - no greater or lesser, but simply different.
My bottom line is this: I don't know that the soldier, or the CF, or the Canadian people gain anything by telling a wounded service member that they
have to wear a symbol of their trauma in uniform, or
have to wear it with the rest of their decorations. As I understand it, a wound is a very personal thing, and so I believe it should be left as much as possible to the wounded to determine how they want to recognize their own sacrifice.
