Ebola Medal?

[Megan]

Apparently Cameron has just announced that he will recommend to HM The Queen that a new medal be established to award to those who have gone to West Africa to help deal with the Ebola epidemic.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31133815

 

 

[Mervyn Mitton]

Megan  -  thankyou for this post.   I find it strange that for a humanitarian service as the volunteers have performed , that the award

is not under that heading  -  or, more fittingly - an Award from the Red Cross.    British medals have always been awarded very

sparingly  -  now Cameron just keeps handing them out.  This comment in no way detracts from the Bravery of these various

people  -  just that I don't see it as an award from one Country  -  they were drawn from many different places.    Mervyn

[Chris Boonzaier]

I think the Brits are having to keep up with the Neighbours... it probably does nothing for the Moral of the troops to have no medals when you are operating with other countries soldiers who have 4-5.... times change....

[Trooper_D]

I find it strange that for a humanitarian service as the volunteers have performed , that the award

is not under that heading  -  or, more fittingly - an Award from the Red Cross.

 

Your suggestion, if I am interpreting it correctly, that it should be a generic Humanitarian medal, rather than one which is specific to Ebola, is one I entirely agree with, Mervyn. It could then be awarded in future, similar situations without having to come up with a new medal each time. One of the problems with issuing new medals all the time is that it is increasingly difficult to come up with elegantly designed ribbons - as, I would suggest, recent medals demonstrate

[hucks216]

I would agree with Mervyn in that this should come under the Red Cross sphere for awarding if it goes ahead but with a new medal what does and what doesn't constitute Humanitarian Aid? Would there be a dividing line between such actions as going to an Ebola stricken area and deploying to the West Indies for 6 months every year (as RN warships do) to help rebuild local communities that are devastated by Hurricanes? And if so why?

Would there be retrospective awards for the Boxing Day Tsunami or the rescue crews who went to New Zealand and Japan after the earthquakes there?

I just can't help thinking Cameron has come up with this to try and have his name/tenure as PM associated with a new medal.

Edited February 8, 2015 by hucks216

[peter monahan]

Messina Earthquake Medal, anyone?  Back in the bad old days when Canada had a serious presence in peacekeeping, some Cdn servicemen served there 6, 8 or even 10 tours [6 months each] but got only 1 medal.  Eventually, a numbered device was authorized for wear on the ribbon.  It seems to me that, given the kind of work many modern armies do that a medal for humanitarian relief - along the line of some of the UN gongs - might be appropriate.  The criteria could be set by the usual committees and bars or devices issued as needed.  

 

I can see service personnel of logistics and health units in particular seeing service that puts them in at least as much peril as the NAAFI wallah and civilian contractors - no slight on them intended - at a base in the Middle east and it seems right to me that recognition be provided.

 

My tuppence worth! 

Peter

[Rogi]

I think the Brits are having to keep up with the Neighbours... it probably does nothing for the Moral of the troops to have no medals when you are operating with other countries soldiers who have 4-5.... times change....

I'd have to agree with Chris's point here. Plus it is always good browny/karma points in politics to awards medals to those that deserve it.

I think the valiant service of those that serve in these medical situations should definatley be rewarded somehow Although this kind of comes off as a commemorative medal/campaign medal.

[mariner]

What I find interesting about all this is that the PM has announced the Ebola Medal and said it'll be awarded by June, what about all the other humanitarian crisis's in Africa that haven't attracted the media coverage that Ebola has, are they to get some sort of medal as well?

 

Why has the Ebola Medal been pushed through so quickly and yet National Defence Medal is meeting so much resistance?

 

 

Also there has been no announcement whatsoever (that I'm aware of) with regards to any medal that will be awarded for the ongoing war against the Islamic State?

[paul wood]

I would have thought a general epidemics medal would be the right thing, I believe other countries have them, and could be used for future aid missions. Mind you ebola has the headlines whereas Malaria and water related diseased kills many times more people in Africa, perhaps the major killers don't have the same newsworthy appeal as they were there before and will be there long after ebola is forgotten.

 

Paul

[Paul R]

I am surprised the do not use the GSM or a generic Humanitarian Service Medals as well.

[Megan]

A Humanitarian Service Medal would be a neat idea. You could always have clasps for particular incidents if you wanted to show just what an individual helped with.

[Chris Boonzaier]

What I find interesting about all this is that the PM has announced the Ebola Medal and said it'll be awarded by June, what about all the other humanitarian crisis's in Africa that haven't attracted the media coverage that Ebola has, are they to get some sort of medal as well?

 

Why has the Ebola Medal been pushed through so quickly and yet National Defence Medal is meeting so much resistance?

 

 

Also there has been no announcement whatsoever (that I'm aware of) with regards to any medal that will be awarded for the ongoing war against the Islamic State?

I think the difference is many humanitarian crisis have no danger for westerners helping out.... when ebola hit the scene everyone was going "instant death! See it and die!!!"...... and in spite of that these people went there..... Ebola was thought of as sure death.... army gives a VC for people running to certain death..... I dont think this is an "Ordinary" case....

 

If I was a Medic I would have done everything to avaoid deployment... dont think there has been such a dangerous deployment since the plagues? Its different from going to help somewhere after the event....

[bigjarofwasps]

Can anyone confirm for me the order of wear for this medal, in respect of whether it comes before or after any long Service Medal? 

[Marcon1]

Hiya,

 

It's AFTER any long service medal.

See listings below.

 

 

 

Sorry for the fussy left, difficult to scan without it.

Hope it helps.

 

Marcon1.

 

The Ebola medal is listed on the 3rd. page on the left 13th from the top.