Medals for service Afganistan

[Tiger-pie]

We have covered Iraq, but for some reason Afganistan has missed out. I am confident that medals for service there stretch waaaaay back, and from many countries. I will kick it off with the current Australian medal for Afganistan.

The medal riband has a central vertical stripe of red, signifying the conflict in Afghanistan. This is flanked by stripes of purple representing the three arms of the Australian Defence Force. Stripes of khaki, white and light blue border the inner stripes. They symbolise the Afghanistan terrain, the snow-peaked mountains and the sky above, respectively.

The front of the medal shows the Coat of Arms

The reverse of the Afghanistan Medal shows a snow-capped mountain range with a multi-rayed sun rising behind the mountains. The mountains represent the dominant terrain of the country and the rising sun signifies a 'new dawn' for the nation

Regards;

Johnsy

Edited May 8, 2007 by Tiger-pie

[Tiger-pie]

The New Zealand medal for service in Afghanistan. The medal is in fact a General Service Medal, but the riband is different depending on the area of operations.

The ribbon is comprised of stripes of black, red and green. These colours have been used as the basic colours of a variety of traditional Afghanistan flags since 1900, and in 1929 were recognised as the national colours of the country. It is generally accepted that black alludes to the past, red to blood shed for independence, and green to hope. Green also represents the Islamic faith and is regarded as a sacred colour.

Regards;

Johnsy

Edited May 8, 2007 by Tiger-pie

[bigjarofwasps]

We have covered Iraq, but for some reason Afganistan has missed out. I am confident that medals for service there stretch waaaaay back, and from many countries. I will kick it off with the current Australian medal for Afganistan.

The medal riband has a central vertical stripe of red, signifying the conflict in Afghanistan. This is flanked by stripes of purple representing the three arms of the Australian Defence Force. Stripes of khaki, white and light blue border the inner stripes. They symbolise the Afghanistan terrain, the snow-peaked mountains and the sky above, respectively.

The front of the medal shows the Coat of Arms

The reverse of the Afghanistan Medal shows a snow-capped mountain range with a multi-rayed sun rising behind the mountains. The mountains represent the dominant terrain of the country and the rising sun signifies a 'new dawn' for the nation

Regards;

Johnsy

Johnsy, what a truely naff looking medal, nearly as bad as the Yank one...

[bigjarofwasps]

The New Zealand medal for service in Afghanistan. The medal is in fact a General Service Medal, but the riband is different depending on the area of operations.

The ribbon is comprised of stripes of black, red and green. These colours have been used as the basic colours of a variety of traditional Afghanistan flags since 1900, and in 1929 were recognised as the national colours of the country. It is generally accepted that black alludes to the past, red to blood shed for independence, and green to hope. Green also represents the Islamic faith and is regarded as a sacred colour.

Regards;

Johnsy

Now this ones a bit better, but I prefer the British one....

There is a lot of confusion over this medal, as at one time it was issued with no bar, then a rossette, then with a clasp? Can anyone shine any light on this?

[bigjarofwasps]

Are the Ozzy & Kiwi medals issued named?

[bigjarofwasps]

NATO

[Ed_Haynes]

Nice thread. Let me dig out some things to add.

In the interim, you may wish to glance at:

http://faculty.winthrop.edu/haynese/medals/Afghan/fifth.html

I have, however, stopped any online updating after large parts of my site were stolen and put verbatim into a JOMSA article.

[bigjarofwasps]

I can think of a few other British Medals....

Afgan Campaign Medal 1880

India General Service Medal Calsp afgan 1919, sure there`s a few other clasps- a long the NWF lines.

I`m sure the Russians must have had one as well?

[Ed_Haynes]

I can think of a few other British Medals....

Afgan Campaign Medal 1880

India General Service Medal Calsp afgan 1919, sure there`s a few other clasps- a long the NWF lines.

I`m sure the Russians must have had one as well?

I also have similar pages on the other four Afghan Wars: 1839-42, 1878-80, 1919, and 1979-89. Not just the Fifth Afghan War, 2001--.

Do we want this thread to include ALL these or just the current war? I'd think that, given the ficus of the sub-forum, we'd just do the 5th here?

[Ulsterman]

OK-coming out of left field here-but what about Afghani medals for their wars (and side of the confilict versus the Europeans?).

I have seen several rebellion medals and bravery medals for the 1919 war at auction, not to mention the communist regimes' awards.

[Ed_Haynes]

The only ones I have seen for repulsing foreign invaders are the somewhat mysterious Medal for Kabul, 1890. I believe this a kind of victory medal for defeating the British invaders.

A rather worn specimen.

[Ed_Haynes]

And the Independence Medal, for the Afghan declaration of independence in 1309 (= 1931 C.E.) after their defeat of the British invasion in 1919. While not a medal for the war as such, it is seen as the logical outgrowth of that conflict.

(And, yes, I reflect the habitual Afghan version of their history, that even since the Greek invasion, they have eventually defeated foreign invaders.)

The Independence Medal.

Edited May 8, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[Ed_Haynes]

I am ignoring Afghan awards for the First Afghan War (the Order of the Durrani Empire and the Ghuznee Medal, 1839) as these are awards by the collaborationist Afghan government to foreign occuipation forces. (Again, an Afghan historical understanding here.)

[Ulsterman]

Very nice!

[Ed_Haynes]

And back on topic, the US medal. A piece of work. Well, a piece of something.

[Ed_Haynes]

And one of those "commemorative" abominations making the rounds in the US for those who need some phaleristic Viagra.

[Ed_Haynes]

And, though already shown, here is the obverse and reverse of the NATO medal for ISAF, the International Security Assistance Force (though known on the famous Chicken Street in Kabul as the "International Shopping Assistance Force").

[Dave Danner]

Nice thread. Let me dig out some things to add.

In the interim, you may wish to glance at:

http://faculty.winthrop.edu/haynese/medals/Afghan/fifth.html

I have, however, stopped any online updating after large parts of my site were stolen and put verbatim into a JOMSA article.

An update to Norway:

The Armed Forces Operations Medal (Forsvarets operasjonsmedalje) was established effective 1 April 2005. It supersedes the Armed Forces Medal for International Operations (Forsvarets medalje for internasjonale operasjoner) for designated operations. The statutes (Word format) identify the following operations so far: "Operation Iraqi Freedom", "Operation Enduring Freedom", "Operation Active Endeavour", "Operation Baltic Accession", and "International Stabilisation Force in Afghanistan", contingents 1, 2 and 3.

The medal is the same for all operations. The ribbons are a bit unclear. The only one I've seen is that illustrated above, for Iraq. However, the statutes seem to state that where practical, different ribbons will be used incorporating the colors of Norway and the country/region at issue. (Selve medaljen er ens for alle misjonsspesifikke milit?re internasjonale operasjoner, men utstyres med forskjellige medaljeb?nd for de ulike land/omr?der innsatsen gjennomf?res i, komponert ut fra Norges og vedkommende lands/omr?des farger).

2005 also saw the establishment of the Armed Forces Medal for Wounded in Action (Forsvarets medalje for s?rede i strid) and the Armed Forces Medal for Killed in Action (Forsvarets medalje for falne i strid).

[Tiger-pie]

Are the Ozzy & Kiwi medals issued named?

Australian medals are engraved before issue, I don't know if modern Kiwi ones are.

Regards;

Johnsy

[bigjarofwasps]

Australian medals are engraved before issue, I don't know if modern Kiwi ones are.

Regards;

Johnsy

Johnsy, that is interesting, what details to they give.

Example- British Medals, give number, rank, name (with initials) and Regt or Corps.

[Tiger-pie]

Johnsy, that is interesting, what details to they give.

Example- British Medals, give number, rank, name (with initials) and Regt or Corps.

Just the name and number BJoW, which has historical precedence as I know that they engraved medals in WW1. I'm not sure if that applies to pre-WW1 medals, as I don't own any Aussie groups from that time.

See this link: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18524

Regards;

Johnsy

Edited May 24, 2007 by Tiger-pie

[JensF.]

Not to forget our "Einsatzmedaille der Bundeswehr" with "ISAF"-clasp.

http://faculty.winthrop.edu/haynese/medals.../GermanISAF.jpg

[Ed_Haynes]

Russia (quasi-official?) Medal for 15th Anniversary of the Soviet Withdrawal from Afghanistan

[Ed_Haynes]

And document, outside.

[Ed_Haynes]

And inside (unissued).