No extra medals for Australian Peacekeepers

[JPL]

The Australian government has accepted the recommendations of the independent Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal inquiry into recognition for Australian Defence Force personnel who served as peacekeepers from 1947 onwards.

The tribunal recommended that no change be made to the existing practice of awarding the Australian Service Medal or Australian Active Service Medal as the appropriate form of recognition for participation by Australian Defence Force personnel in peacekeeping operations.

It rejected suggestions that the government establish a new medal for general or specific recognition of peacekeeping service.

Neither will the government take any action to recognise awarding of the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize to UN peacekeepers.

The tribunal released its report last November after conducting a year-long inquiry into the issue of whether a special medal should be awarded to those who participated in more than 50 peacekeeping operations since 1947.

Those pushing for this change argued that peacekeeping service was special, unique, dangerous, frustrating and undertaken in more difficult operational circumstances than all other operations, apart from war service.

The tribunal said in most cases, those participating in peacekeeping operations received more than one medal, awarded by Australia and organisation such as the United Nations.

Read the complete article: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8281479/no-extra-medals-for-peacekeepers-govt

Link to the Tribunal Recommendations which also contains a link to the complete report: http://www.defence.gov.au/media/DepartmentalTpl.cfm?CurrentId=12202

Jean-Paul