New EDSP Medal

[Antonio Prieto]

A new Medal for the spanish troops pf the EU Congo Mission. The same ESDP medal, but with the bar with the inscription EUFOR RD CONGO

[Antonio Prieto]

The images. Obverse

[Antonio Prieto]

The reverse

[Antonio Prieto]

The ribbon bar

[Ed_Haynes]

Thanks for this!

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

Is this an EU medal or a Spanish one?

[Antonio Prieto]

This is a new EU MEdal for all the troops participating in this Missiom

I known this medal by the spanish troops. I supose that also has with yellow center stripe

White: For Planning and Support

Yellow: for HQ and Force

[Paul R]

Kinda bland looking...

[Riley1965]

Antonio,

Thank You for posting this new medal!! Paul, I think that it's design is very simple to the point of being rather dull.

Doc

[Chris Boonzaier]

Kinda bland looking...

None of the EU nations could agree on a design... so they decided to just accept this ....

[leigh kitchen]

It's disgusting, it vies for the title of the most uninspired, cheapest bit of tat of an excuse for a medal I've ever seen - in fact no it does'nt, I can't offhand think of a worse one. It really is an insult to give this to people.

Some countries can't afford to spend money to produce good quality medals, some have their own idea of what constitutes a suitable design for such things & good luck to them even if others think the design is over the top or whatever, but is there any excuse for an organisation like the EU to produce & award this?

No reflection on those who qualify for it, but I feel it shows little respect for their efforts.

[Antonio Prieto]

My opinion, and possibly the one of most of the members of the forum, is that it is truly a little simple, but she doesn't stop to represent the chosen signs or emblems to represent Europe: the twelve stars, the blue color of the ribbon, and the motto.

They have surely kept in mind the economy for their making, but I believe that the important thing is the own act of rewarding, it doesn't care if the medal is beautiful or ugly, simple or complex.

I'm sure that in many Armed Forces, this medal is valued, not for its design, but for added questions that it can bear: scale points for courses, promotionsa, posts, pride to shine it, sign of having participated in these missions, etc.

[leigh kitchen]

In British medal collecting circles, you hear stories of WWII veterans who threw their WWII campaign stars away in disgust because the things were so "cheap", but actually they were'nt that bad for a nation strapped for cash & tasked with the provision of campaign medals to millions of people just after the war.

At least the things were in a real metal, although it must have been a pain to polish them with brass cleaner, & some thought went in to their admittedly rather boring design, other than the fact that nobody seemed to care that the stars would damage other medals that they were worn with.

The point (no pun intended) there is that such economy was necessary - the EU does'nt have that excuse, it's produced these EDSP medals in a horrible, cheap slver-grey "antiqued" finish, the sort of plated base metal that novelty pencil sharpeners are made of.

The design is truly uninspired whether it bears some relevance to EU symbolism or not.

Heaven forbid it should display anything glorifying arms & the man, but 12 stars in a circle around a plain centre? Unless the centre is left plain to facilitate engraving with the recipients details (which no doubt the EU will not organise or fund) there's not much to look at there.

While the EU appears to have avoided repeatng the UN's initial introduction of a unique medal for each "campaign", it seems to be following the temporary UN practise of producing a "general purpose" medal & ribbon with distinguishing bars on the ribbon?

If that is the case then I wonder how long that will remain practical, before the medal ends up being issued with different coloured ribbons rather than bars.

The UN medals at least have a more pleasing design, & somehow don't look as nasty being in coppery, bronzy sort of finishes.

Recipents of this medal deserve something better than this, it's a poor way to reward service, & if it's the awarding rather than the award itself that counts, then it might as well be of plastic.

[Antonio Prieto]

Hello frieds

Any notice for the use of this medal in gold?

[Antonio Prieto]

Also I know the folloging missions, but only wth the medaillon in silver

[peter monahan]

I tend to agree with the 'cheap tat' thread here. Sure, getting it at all has some value, but soldiers like flash and glitter, hence the complete failure of every army I can think of to put all the guys and girls in the same uniforms, without the so aptly named 'tribal distinctions' for Grenadiers, Fusileers, Alpini, special forces and so on.

A boring hunk of cheap metal is what this is. As someone suggested, it looks like the stuff you find in souvenir shops next to national landmarks - pencil sharpeners, key chains and so on ad naseum. I also wonder how long it will take all the Planning and Support rear echelon types to swap off for the yellow stripe the sharp end troops get to wear. SIGH!

Edited November 23, 2010 by peter monahan

[Elvis]

EUTM gold?

I hvae contact to the mission:

EUFOR RD CONGO

EUTM SOMALIA

these where the last missions.

The medal and the clasp are (official) only in silver.

The different ribbon means:

With grey "Planning and Support"

With yellow "Headquarters and Forces"

So in my opinion it is just a fake - or some "gift" for collectors.

Best regards

Elvis

[Antonio Prieto]

Hello

This medal is for sale in any of the suppliers of this medal

Only for the mission of Afghanistan

I ask for these but at this momment I dont have the answer

http://www.eekelers-centini.be/catalog/index.php/cPath/26_127

[Veltro]

Apologizes for bringing this older topic back up, but I was wondering @Antonio Prieto if you received a reply on why the EUPOL-AFG, version was issued in gold. In a lot I bought a golden example was included, so I was wondering.

 

Greetings,

 

Christiaan