Guest Darrell Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 I found this medal on a dealers site. Never seen or heard of it before. Can anyone shed some light? Was this a medal designed but never issued?
Ed_Haynes Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 My understanding is that it is an Afghan (not US) medal, intended for award to foreigners who served there. The US never allowed their troops to accept it, so it is pretty much of an orphan.
Christophe Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 Please, have a look at this thread (in french) :http://www.phaleristique.net/forum/viewtop...f=16&t=1934Cheers.Ch.
Guest Darrell Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 (edited) Capt. forwarded me a link to a thread on OMSA. Mike picked one of these up a few months back. The ones I have seen are US made. I guess they are much like the Gulf War and Vietnam medals that the US picked up on and produced themselves?http://www.omsa.org/forums/showpost.php?p=...mp;postcount=13 Edited February 16, 2009 by Darrell
Guest Darrell Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Geez, did an e-bay search and suddenly they are offered all over the place .... :rolleyes:
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 The quality of the die/Stamping seems to be very good.Not the worse looking medal we have seen in the last decade....
Guest Darrell Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 Here's a nice quality scan of the medal (had to get one ).Very hard to scan shiney gold medals.Obverse:
Ulsterman Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 Do other countries allow their troops to take this medal?
Paul R Posted March 7, 2009 Posted March 7, 2009 Do other countries allow their troops to take this medal?I am puzzled as to why we would not be allowed to wear this medal... From Desert Storm, we are allowed to wear Kuwaiti and Saudi medals...
Guest Darrell Posted March 7, 2009 Posted March 7, 2009 (edited) I am puzzled as to why we would not be allowed to wear this medal... From Desert Storm, we are allowed to wear Kuwaiti and Saudi medals...Politics I would imagine. Not sure what source the first post came from where they state "intended" to be awarded to ... sounds like an idea that was abandoned. Edited March 7, 2009 by Darrell
Ed_Haynes Posted March 7, 2009 Posted March 7, 2009 You expect these decisions to make sense, Paul???
Paul R Posted March 7, 2009 Posted March 7, 2009 You expect these decisions to make sense, Paul???LOL! You are exactly right... I dont know what I was thinking.
Megan Posted March 11, 2009 Posted March 11, 2009 So is this an official Afghani medal or a private-purchase commemorative?
Ulsterman Posted March 11, 2009 Posted March 11, 2009 Don't know, but I can find out . I wonder if any state National Guards allow the wear of this medal.
Ed_Haynes Posted March 11, 2009 Posted March 11, 2009 It is my understanding (from Afghan friends in Kabul) that it was to be an Afghan award, but when the major body of potential recipients were to be disallowed to accept it, they dropped the idea. It probably would have cost too much anyway.It has now been "adopted" by several US-based medal manufacturers, so it is slipping down into the sewer of the commemoratives.It would ge great, someday, to lay hands on the relevant Afghan and US sources and disentangle the tale. Unlikely, but great.
Megan Posted March 11, 2009 Posted March 11, 2009 Thanks for that, Ed - so probably best NOT to add it to my current Afghanistan listing until this is cleared up...
Guest Darrell Posted March 11, 2009 Posted March 11, 2009 It will be interesting to observe how many become available on e-bay. So far you can do a search and come up still only 2 or 3 dealers offering these for sale. So they haven't flooded the market yet. Maybe soon?
Harvey Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 Give it time - I'm sure they'll be made available & authorized for wear by US troops eventually. I remember when the GWOT medals were first being discussed - it took awhile, but eventually they were both adopted. I just saw a dog-eared copy of the Armed Forces ribbon guide at the NEX last week that had this Afghan medal listed - it said "Pending Approval" beneath it.
ostprussenmann_new Posted June 7, 2012 Posted June 7, 2012 I just stumbled upon this thread. I would say that when we are old and gray and don't care anymore, they will be authorized. The example that comes to mind is with what was done to the Korean (US) veterans. The ROK Defense Medal was authorized either in the late 1990s or early 2000's, which was a ROK award authorized to US personnel. Other point mentionon another sites is "Is Afghanistan really Free?" Right now, I would say no. Overall, great discussion.
Harvey Posted June 7, 2012 Posted June 7, 2012 Actually, the ROK Defense Service Medal was created by the US - not by South Korea. The Department of Defense press release from Feb. 9, 2004 had this to say: The KDSM is a service medal to give special recognition for the sacrifices and contributions made by members of the U.S. armed forces who have served or are serving in the Republic of Korea. Public Law 107-314 legislated the creation of a new medal to recognize military service in the Republic of Korea and the surrounding waters. Members of the armed forces authorized the KDSM must have served in support of the defense of the Republic of Korea. The area of eligibility encompasses all land area of the Republic of Korea, and the contiguous water out to 12 nautical miles, and all air spaces above the land and water areas. The KDSM period of eligibility is July 28, 1954, to a future date to be determined by the secretary of defense. Servicemembers must have been assigned, attached, or mobilized to units operating in the area of eligibility and have been physically deployed in the area of eligibility for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days or meet one of the following criteria: Be engaged in actual combat during an armed engagement, regardless of the time in the area of eligibility. Is wounded or injured in the line of duty and requires medical evacuation from the area of eligibility. While participating as a regularly assigned air crewmember flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the area of eligibility in support of military operations. Each day that one or more sorties are flown in accordance with these criteria shall count as one day toward the 30 or 60-day requirement. Personnel who serve in operations and exercises conducted in the area of eligibility are considered eligible for the award as long as the basic time criteria is met. Due to the extensive time period for KDSM eligibility, the nonconsecutive service period for eligibility remains cumulative throughout the entire period. The KDSM may be awarded posthumously, and only one award of the KDSM is authorized for any individual.
Paul R Posted June 9, 2012 Posted June 9, 2012 They are still bouncing around with the idea of the Cold War Victory Medal... 20 years later.
Doc Posted June 9, 2012 Posted June 9, 2012 The Korea Defense Service Medal (see post 21) is different from the Republic of Korea War Service Medal. This latter is actually an award created in 1951 by the ROK for presentation to foreign military personnel who served in Korea during the Korean War. It was not approved by the US for acceptance or wear until 1999. Generally, the US has always been slow to accept medals which are not also available to troops from the issuing country, though they have come around in several instances (e.g. Saudi Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, ROK War Service Medal). Doc
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