Mongolia Sgt. Gambold Azzaya

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Here is a photo of Sgt-Maj. Gambold Azzaya from the Mongolian contingent of the Multinational Division Centre-South in Iraq.

On 18th February, 2004 Gambold Azzaya was standing sentry in Charlie Camp. At about 7 a.m. the camp was attacked by insurgents in two booby-trap cars filled with explosives. Azzaya shot the driver of the first one, and injured the second one. The driver jumped out of the vehicle which hit the camp wall and exploded releasing about 700 kilograms of TNT. In the attack 6 Iraqis were killed and 44 injured. The glass splinters also injured 12 Polish soldiers.

As soldiers serving in the second rotation recall, but for the quick reaction of a sentry officer, the death toll could have come in hundreds. The explosion left a moon-crater hole in the camp and parts of the pick-up were later found in the 250m distance. The injured were provided with help and dressed by Polish and Slovakian doctors. Fortunately, Gambold Azzaya was not hurt.

For his brave conduct Sgt. Azzaya was awarded the Polish Army Medal in silver, which seems a fairly low decoration for what he did.

In 2006 Azzaya served in the peace mission in Sierra Leone, for which was awarded with ?Medal for Peace? and medal of the UN.

I have found the photo of Sgt. Azzaya in a Polish military magazine. He is wearing the Polish Army Medal in silver, Commemorative Medal of the Multinational Division Centre-South, UN Medal and two unknown Mongolian medals. The first of them may be the "Medal for Peace". Above them there is the Order of Military Valour.

The photo was of even better resolution but due to server's limitations it had to be resized. Perhaps someone will have further information about the two Mongolian medals of Sgt. Azzaya.

Regards,

Lukasz

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Sgt. Azzaya's medals.

[Ed_Haynes]

See: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16218

[Ed_Haynes]

He obviously just wears his medals in an order based on size. Inventive, but non-standard.

The last two are his Mongolian awards:

4- The Mongolian medal for overseas/peacekeeping operations.

5- Unknown, something new. The first time I have seen it! The design would suggest it is Mongolian, though. Shall shoot a query off to Ulanbaatar!

And, above, the Order of Combat Valor.

Edited July 12, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Thanks Ed, it is interesting that the enamel on Sgt. Azzaya's medal is much darker. And I wonder what his other medal can be.

Best,

Lukasz

[Ed_Haynes]

Thanks Ed, it is interesting that the enamel on Sgt. Azzaya's medal is much darker.

I suspect it is intended to be "UN blue" but, as other countries have discovered, that seems to be a hard color to get right consistently.

And I wonder what his other medal can be.

Best,

Lukasz

Have already sent an e-mail to Ulanbaatar!

[Ed_Haynes]

So, to summarise (and working from my favorite site on Polish awards -- yours, Lukasz!):

Order of Combat Valor

1- POLAND - Polish Army Medal (Medal Wojska Polskiego) in silver

2- POLAND - Multinational Division Central-South Commemorative Medal (Medal pamiatkowy Wielonarodowej Dywizji Centrum-Poludnie) - unofficial commemorative

3- UNITED NATIONS - UNMIL (United Nations Mission in Liberia) - where I was unaware Mongolians had been deployed??!!

4- The Mongolian medal for overseas/peacekeeping operations, but who knows what the proper name is.

5- Unknown Mongolian.

While I have both the badges (above his right pocket and below the medals), they have so far eluded identification (well, I've never asked -- shall do so now ).

Edited July 12, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[Guest Rick Research]

Mongolian forces in ... Sierra Leone!!!!

[Ed_Haynes]

Mongolian forces in ... Sierra Leone!!!!

Possibly, but his medal is for Liberia (UNMIL -- http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/medals/unmil.htm -- where no Mongolian forces are shown), not Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL/UNAMSIL -- http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/medals/unomsil.htm -- where no Mongolian forces are shown either).

.

Edited July 12, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[Dave Danner]

Possibly, but his medal is for Liberia (UNMIL -- http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/medals/unmil.htm -- where no Mongolian forces are shown), not Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL/UNAMSIL -- http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/medals/unomsil.htm -- where no Mongolian forces are shown either).

.

Mongolia is listed on the UNMIL information site: http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmil/facts.html

There are no Mongolian troops currently in Liberia, but as of the Secretary General's December 2006 mission report, there were 250. They were an infantry company (reinforced) providing security for the Special Court for Sierra Leone

[Dave Danner]

Mongolians were also in Sierra Leone. I had to chop the article in half and shrink it to fit the GMIC size restrictions, but it is about Sierra Leone:

[Ed_Haynes]

Thanks Dave. Mongolia seems to have warned to peacekeeping, though with shrinking size of overall military force, it happens as small-to-microscopic units.