United Nations Medal

United Nations Medal

United Nations Medal awarded for service with UNMEE
Awarded by The United Nations
Type Service medal
Awarded for Service with a designated United Nations peacekeeping mission
Status Currently awarded
This article is about awards for participation in UN operations. For the diplomatic and souvenir medal, see United Nations Peace Medal.

A United Nations Medal is an international decoration awarded by the United Nations (U.N.) to the various world countries militaries for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief.[1] The medal is ranked in militaries and police forces as a service medal. The United Nations awarded its first medal during the Korean War (1950-53). Since 1955, many additional United Nations medals have been created and awarded for participation in various United Nations missions and actions around the world.

United Nations Medal

United Nations Medal

The most common United Nations medal is the standard U.N. decoration known simply as the United Nations Medal. Most countries bestow this award for any action in which a member of the military participated in a joint U.N. activity.

In situations where a service member participated in multiple U.N. operations, service stars,[2] campaign clasps,[3] or award numbers are authorized as attachments to the United Nations Medal. These devices vary depending on the regulations of the various armed forces.[4]

The UN has authorised the award of numerals to be attached to the medal ribbon. The qualification for these numerals is not to indicate the number of campaigns served in, but rather the number of qualifying periods of service, which are counted as 180 consecutive days after the initial qualifying period of ninety days. [5]

United Nations Korea Medal

UN Korea Medal

The first United Nations medal to be created was the United Nations Service Medal, also known as the United Nations Service Medal Korea, was awarded to any military service member, of an Armed Force allied with South Korea, who participated in the defense of South Korea from North Korea between the dates of 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1953. The military forces of the Netherlands are awarded the medal for service to January 1, 1955, while the armed forces of Thailand and Sweden grant the award to July 27, 1955.[6]

United Nations Emergency Force Medal

UNEF

In 1956, to maintain the peace which brought the end of the Suez Crisis the United Nations Emergency Force was established. This was the first Peacekeeping operation of the United Nations.[7] To reward the service of troops from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, India, Norway, Sweden and Yugoslavia those troops who completed ninety days of service with the UNEF were awarded the United Nations Emergency Force Medal. The mission lasted from November 1956 until June 1967.[8] It is unique from other United Nations Medals in that instead of saying UN on the obverse, it says UNEF. Subsequent missions did not use the missions abbreviation on its medals.

United Nations Medal ribbons

In most nations, the standard United Nations Medal is awarded in lieu of a campaign specific medal. Most operations utilize a different ribbon for each mission, though there have been some notable exceptions. In some countries where the UN Security Council determines a mission in the same geographic region, but changes the mission mandate by way of Security Council Resolution, there may be a number of missions which have identical campaign ribbons and then later will change the ribbon to reflect the changing environment.

The United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) was originally established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 867 on 23 September 1993 and lasted until in June 1996. This mission was an effort to end the conflict and instability caused by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état. Subsequent missions to maintain stability and train the Haitian National Police were undertaken under UNSMIH, UNTMIH, MIPONUH, and MICAH. These subsequent missions all used the same medal as UNMIH.[9]

In East Timor, the medals awarded for UNAMET, UNTAET and UNMISET all have the same ribbon.[10]

Years Ribbon bar Operation Operation area
1948– UNTSO Middle East
1949– UNMOGIP India, Pakistan
1958 UNOGIL Lebanon, Syria
1960–1964 ONUC Congo
1962–1963 UNSF West-Papua and Indonesia
1963–1964 UNYOM Yemen
1964– UNFICYP Cyprus
1965–1966 UNIPOM India, Pakistan
1973–1979 UNEF II Egypt, Israel
1974– UNDOF Golan Heights
1978– UNIFIL Lebanon
1988–1991 UNIIMOG Iraq, Iran
1988–1990 UNGOMAP Afghanistan, Pakistan
1988–1991 UNAVEM I Angola
1989–1990 UNTAG Namibia
1989–1992 ONUCA Central America
1991–2003 UNIKOM Kuwait, Iraq
1991– MINURSO Western Sahara
1991–1995 UNAVEM II Angola
1991–1995 ONUSAL El Salvador
1991–1992 UNAMIC Cambodia
1992–1995 UNPROFOR Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
during the Yugoslav Wars
1992–1993 UNTAC Cambodia
1992–1993 UNOSOM I Somalia
1992–1994 ONUMOZ Mozambique
1993–1995 UNOSOM II Somalia
1993–1994 UNOMUR Rwanda, Uganda
1993–2009 UNOMIG Georgia
1993–1997 UNOMIL Liberia
1993–1996 UNAMIR Rwanda
1993–1996 UNMIH Haiti
1994–2000 UNMOT Tajikistan during civil war
1995–1997 UNAVEM III Angola
1995–1999 UNPREDEP Macedonia
1995–1996 UNCRO Croatia
Years Ribbon bar Operation Operation area
1995–2002 UNMIBH Bosnia-Herzegovina
1996–1998 UNTAES Croatia
1996–1997 UNSMIH Haiti
1996–2002 UNMOP Croatia
1997 MINUGUA Guatemala
1997–1999 MONUA Angola
1997 UNTMIH Haiti
1997–2000 MIPONUH Haiti
1998 UNPSG Croatia
1998–2000 MINURCA Central African Republic
1998–1999 UNOMSIL Sierra Leone
1999– UNMIK Kosovo
1999 UNAMET East-Timor
1999–2005 UNAMSIL Sierra Leone
1999–2002 UNTAET East-Timor
1999–2010 MONUC Democratic Republic of the Congo
2000–2001 MICAH Haiti
2000–2008 UNMEE Eritrea, Ethiopia
2002–2005 UNMISET East-Timor
2003– UNMIL Liberia
2003–2004 MINUCI Ivory Coast
2004– UNOCI Ivory Coast
2004– MINUSTAH Haiti
2004–2006 ONUB Burundi
2005–2011 UNMIS Sudan
2006–2012 UNMIT East-Timor
2007– UNAMID Sudan
2007–2010 MINURCAT Central African Republic, Chad
2010– MONUSCO Democratic Republic of the Congo
2011– UNISFA Sudan
2011– UNMISS South Sudan
2012 UNSMIS Syria
2013– MINUSMA Mali
2014– MINUSCA Central African Republic
1974– UNHQ For service in the United Nations Headquarters

United Nations Special Service Medal

UNSSM ribbon

For 90 days of service with a United Nations mission or organization where there is no specific approved United Nations medal, personnel may be eligible for the United Nations Special Service Medal (UNSSM). Some examples of qualifying service are the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, or the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs Accelerated De-Mining Programme (MADP) in Mozambique.

Receipt and wear of UN Medals

France, Australia, Canada and New Zealand

Some nations, such as France, the Commonwealth of Australia, Canada and New Zealand permit members of the military and police to receive and display multiple United Nations Medals as separate decorations.

United Kingdom

Other countries, in particular the United Kingdom, permit a service member to receive the relevant United Nations medal and authorization for it to be worn is given by the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office), Numerals may be added to denote multiple tours to one mission, the medals are worn in order of award and take precedence alongside British campaign medals.

United States

In the United States armed forces, prior to 13 October 1995, all US military personnel wore the blue and white United Nations Ribbon regardless of the ribbon awarded. On 13 October 1995, the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) approved a change to the wear policy of the United Nations Medal. Effective on that date, personnel who are awarded the United Nations Medal may wear the first medal and ribbon for which they qualify, adding a bronze service star for subsequent awards of the United Nations Medal for service in a different mission. No more than one UN medal or ribbon may be worn at a time.[11][12]

US military personnel are eligible to wear the medal from one of the following United Nations operations as their one approved medal:[13]

  • UN Truce Supervisory Organization in Palestine (UNTSO)
  • UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)
  • UN Observation Group in Lebanon
  • UN Security Forces, Hollandia (UNSFH)
  • UN Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA)
  • UN Security Force in West New Guinea [West Irian] (UNSF)
  • UN Iraq/Kuwait Observation Group (UNIKOM)
  • UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)
  • UN Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC)
  • UN Protection Force in Yugoslavia (UNPROFOR)
  • UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC)
  • UN Operation Somalia (UNOSOM)
  • UN Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ)
  • UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)
  • UN Mission in Haiti (UNMIH)
  • UN Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP)
  • UN Transitional Administrational Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirium (UNTAES)
  • UN Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH)
  • UN Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA)
  • UN Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK)
  • UN Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET)
  • UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)
  • UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
  • UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)
  • UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET)
  • UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
  • UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
  • African Union / United Nations Hybrid Operation In Darfur (UNAMID)
  • UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT)
  • UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)
  • U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)
  • U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)

Argentina

Members of the Argentinian Armed Forces are allowed to wear the different UN medals as separated decorations. However, authorization for use must be formally requested for every single medal, and is granted on an individual basis. Regulations for the use of either medals or ribbons apply for each uniform. In the Argentinian Army, a national-issued, maroon-and-white bar showing the number of tours of duty may be worn in lieu of (but not together with) the UN-issued ribbons.

See also

References

  1. "UN peacekeeping - Medals: background". United Nations. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  2. "United Nations Medals". The Institute of Heraldry. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  3. "DH&R - Canadian Honours Chart". Cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  4. "Retrospective Awards of the United Nations Medal and Ribbon Numerals" (PDF). Defence Honours and Awards. Government of Australia Department of Defence. p. 2. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  5. "UN MEDAL RIBBON NUMERALS". Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veteran's Association. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  6. "Regulations United Nations Service Medal Korea" (PDF). Australian Government, Department of Defence. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  7. "United Nations Emergency Force (Egypt)-UNEF". Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  8. "UN Medals - UNEF". United Nations. 16 June 1997. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  9. "UN Medals - UNMIH". United Nations. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  10. "UN Medals - UNAMET/UNTAET". United Nations. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  11. "United Nations Medals". The Institute of Heraldry. Department of the Army. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  12. "United Nations Medal". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  13. "DoD Approved U.N. Missions and Actions for Acceptance of the U.N. Medal" (PDF). Manpower and Reserve Affairs The Office of the Assistant Secretary Defense. Department of Defense. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
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