Canada Special Service Medal Bar EXPEDITION

[JPL]

A new bar, EXPEDITION, has been created for the SSM.

Details can be found here (refer to para 7) which also includes a list of eligible missions:

http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhr-ddhr/chc-tdh/chart-tableau-eng.asp?ref=SSM

Jean-Paul

[peter monahan]

Excellent - especially for the Rangers!

[JPL]

Hi Peter,

The only problem I have with the SSM and the various bars, is that a bar can only be awarded once.

In my case, I've completed 4 tours in Alert, but only get one bar.

How about our Canadian sailors who have been on multiple NATO cruises?

See what I mean?

Jean-Paul

[linden16]

I've personally always thought of the SSM like the old british GSM / CSM where no matter how many times you serve in the same area of operations you only get one bar. Personally I like it like that nice simple and not too cluttered.

My two cents

[peter monahan]

Didn't we get as high as a '10' to go on the ribbon of the UN Medal for guys who had multiple Cyprus postings - Signalers and so on? That might be one solution and perhaps a little tidier than multiple bars, which might end up looking like some of the Legion medals I see, with a 6" ribbon to accomadate the bars for each of 27 successive annual barbeques or whatever they are.

[linden16]

I like the numeral's Idea however the problem would be that then if you have 2 bars how do you show which bar the numerals go with?

Or are you meaning replace the bars with numerals?

Edited June 3, 2014 by linden16

[Laurence Strong]

Actually there are only 5 bars that are current.

Larry

[TacHel]

They could have the number coined/stamped/molded directly onto the clasp. The cost would be minimal.

Jean-Paul is quite right IMHO... 2 full years spent near the North Pole away from loved ones and in quite austere conditions should be better recognized. A clasp with "ALERT - 4" would be soooooo simple to produce.

Edited June 8, 2014 by TacHel

[linden16]

They could have the number coined/stamped/molded directly onto the clasp. The cost would be minimal.

Jean-Paul is quite right IMHO... 2 full years spent near the North Pole away from loved ones and in quite austere conditions should be better recognized. A clasp with "ALERT - 4" would be soooooo simple to produce.

Now that is a great idea.

[JPL]

Great comments.

When I joined up in 1970, there was talk about the creation of an Alert/Arctic medal, but that never happened.

Kind of sad, since the Canadian government is now making claims, along with Russia, Denmark, US in the Arctic for the rich mineral and oil deposits.

Arctic Sovereignty has been a Canadian priority for as long as I can remember and yet the British have the Polar Medal and the US has an Arctic Medal...

Jean-Paul

[linden16]

I agree it is odd that the US has a medal for Arctic service and we don't. I think part of the problem is that the Government doesn't want to issue more than one service medal (SSM) for service within Canada. Personally I would love to see a Canadian Arctic service medal then one could simply add rotation bars for multiple tours.

[TacHel]

It's already quite exceptional to receive a medal for service within our own national borders. Everything is about deployed international ops...