Accumulated Campaign Service Medal

[Megan]

The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal was insituted in January 1994 and since then has been awarded for 36 months of repeat operational service for which the General Service Medal 1962 with appropriate clasp or the Operational Service Medal is awarded.

It has just been announced (1 July 2011) that the amount of service required for award will be reduced to 24 months. Anyone serving on or after 1 January 2008 who has appropriate qualifying service will be eligible.

Service marked by the following medals qualifies:

• General Service Medal with clasps: Northern Ireland, Dhofar, Lebanon, Mine Clearance Gulf of Suez, Gulf, Kuwait, N Iraq & S Turkey, or Air Operations Iraq
  
• OSM Sierra Leone
  
• OSM Afghanistan
  
• OSM Democratic Republic of Congo
  
• The Iraq Medal
  
• Multinational campaign medals - approved since 1 April 2000
  

The ribbon is being changed to one with a double gold stripe instead of the single one currently used.

Bars will be awarded for each additional 24 months' qualifying service.

[army historian]

I take it that this is a British or Canadian award? Cheers Captain Albert

[Megan]

British...

[IrishGunner]

I didn't realize this decoration existed. It's a very appropriate change to the criteria. Well done, Your Majesty.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Thankyou Megan - it's good that Members are kept up-to-date on changes. Would you perhaps have an illustration for those who don't know this award ? Mervyn

[bigjarofwasps]

Just out of interest, as the ribbons are different, but the medal is not. What would happen say if you`d qualified for the old ACSM, but not enough for a bar under the old rules, but you do under the new rules, what happens then? Would you have the old ribbon but with bar, which would appear to be misleading, with regards time served. The same being true if you had to exchange the old ribbon for the new one? Or do you in fact qualify for a second medal?

[hucks216]

I didn't realize this decoration existed. It's a very appropriate change to the criteria. Well done, Your Majesty.

Here is mine - it is the third one from the left on the first image. Awarded for 36 months Campaign Service (not including leave periods) in Northern Ireland in the Royal Navy - and I was only supposed to be there for 9 months!!

Edited February 10, 2012 by hucks216

[Ulsterman]

why oh why the new ribbon? To distinguish 36 months from 24?

[Tony Farrell]

It was decided to introduce a revised ribbon to reflect the differing criteria and to denote repeated tours in the post-Banner era.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Awarded for 36 months Campaign Service (not including leave periods) in Northern Ireland in the Royal Navy - and I was only supposed to be there for 9 months!!

So, the job could technically have been done in 9 months.... but it took you 36 ?? :-)

[hucks216]

So, the job could technically have been done in 9 months.... but it took you 36 ?? :-)

I would of stayed for longer but, a) the base was closing down, and b) they offered me 2 & a half years in Gibraltar - didn't take me long to think that one over!