Canadian SSM for latest NATO deployments

[TacHel]

RECOGNITION FOR OPERATION REASSURANCE AND OPERATION UNIFIER

REFS: A. CANFORGEN 073/16 CMP 076/16 251912Z APR 16 
B. CANFORGEN 003/09 CMP 002/09 081950Z JAN 09 
C. CANFORGEN 096/09 CMP 042/09 201315Z MAY 09 

FURTHER TO REF A, AFC HAS DETERMINED THAT THE USE OF THE EXISTING NATO AND EXPEDTION BARS TO THE SPECIAL SERVICE MEDAL IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND TIMELY METHOD TO RECOGNIZE SERVICE WITH OPS REASSURANCE AND UNIFIER RESPECTIVELY. HOWEVER, THE CDS HAS DIRECTED THE CF HONOURS POLICY COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT A HOLISTIC REVIEW OF THE SERVICE RECOGNITION FRAMEWORK AND INTENDS TO RECOMMEND TO THE GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES THAT THE TIME CRITERIA FOR CERTAIN MEDALS BE AMENDED IN DUE COURSE

CONSEQUENTLY, AFC HAS APPROVED THE ADDITION OF THE FOL SERVICE TO THE ELIGIBILITY LISTS FOR CERTAIN CAMPAIGN AND SERVICE MEDALS, AS FOLLOWS:

SPECIAL SERVICE MEDAL-NATO (SSM-NATO): 

(1) SERVICE OF CAF MEMBERS WHO DEPLOYED TO CAMPIA TURZII, ROMANIA, LITHUANIA AND SPANGDAHLEM AIRBASE IN GERMANY AS PART OF THE AIR TASK FORCE (ATF), INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE NATO BALTIC AIR PATROL (BAP), SINCE 29 APRIL 2014 (OP REASSURANCE). NO MULTIPLYING FACTOR 

(2) SERVICE OF CAF MEMBERS WHO DEPLOYED TO EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE AS PART OF THE LAND TASK FORCE (LTF), SINCE 29 APRIL 2014 (OP REASSURANCE). NO MULTIPLYING FACTOR 

(3) SERVICE OF CAF MEMBERS WHO SERVED ONBOARD HMC SHIPS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND BLACK SEAS UNDER NATO SNMG2, SINCE 29 APRIL 2014 (OP REASSURANCE), PROVIDED THE SERVICE IS NOT COUNTED TOWARDS A NATO MEDAL. NO MULTIPLYING FACTOR. ONLY TIME SPENT UNDER NATO COMMAND IS ELIGIBLE - TRANSIT TIME DOES NOT COUNT. SERVICE UNDER NATO OPS ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR AND SEA GUARDIAN COUNTS TOWARDS THE APPROPRIATE NATO MEDALS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED NUMERALS AND NOT FOR THE SSM-NATO 

(4) SERVICE OF CAF MEMBERS DEPLOYED TO FORWARD LOGISTICS SITES (FLS) IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF HMC SHIPS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND BLACK SEAS UNDER NATO SNMG2 (WHEN THE SHIPS ARE NOT UNDER OPS ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR OR SEA GUARDIAN), SINCE 29 APRIL 2014 (OP REASSURANCE). NO MULTIPLYING FACTOR 

(5) SERVICE OF CAF MEMBERS IN LATVIA AS PART OR IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF THE ENHANCED FORWARD PRESENCE (EFP) BATTLEGROUP LATVIA, SINCE 22 APR 2017 (OP REASSURANCE). NO MULTIPLYING FACTOR

SPECIAL SERVICE MEDAL-EXPEDITION (SSM-EXP): 

(1) SERVICE OF CAF MEMBERS WHO DEPLOYED TO UKRAINE TO PROVIDE MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO THE UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES, SINCE 13 JUNE 2015 (OP UNIFIER)

[peter monahan]

Written in a lovely blend of 'Military' and 'Govspeak'!  'If you can figure out what this means, there may be a medal bar in it for you!' 

Thanks for posting this, Frank!

[TacHel]

I was half expecting at the very minimum a new clasp to the SSM besides the EXPEDITION one...  Anybody who served in Germany before now going to Poland of the Baltic states gets nada...

Notice the new SSM?  Not the old rudely casted, barely filed down before triple plating like mine but new crisp, minted ones from the RCM.

[peter monahan]

A new, better casting?  Wow! You don't suppose we have someone in Ottawa who cares about the military, do you?  Na, couldn't be. 

Edited January 24, 2017 by peter monahan

[TacHel]

Not a new casting, the new medals are actually minted.  This predates the "current administration"...

[peter monahan]

Nice to hear some good news out of the nation's capital, whatever one's political stripe! 

[Laurence Strong]

On 1/23/2017 at 19:22, TacHel said:

I was half expecting at the very minimum a new clasp to the SSM besides the EXPEDITION one...  Anybody who served in Germany before now going to Poland of the Baltic states gets nada...

So.....since 2001 how many troops are in Germany? Those that were there prior to 2001 were entitled to the NATO bar.

 

Current regs for the NATO bar.....

 

Since 21 June 2001, no further missions are approved for this bar. Peacekeeping service eligibility is now counted towards the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal (CPSM).

4. NATO

(Authorized by PC 2006-0810)

NATO service between 1951 and 2004:

An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) area of responsibility between 1 January 1951 and 19 October 2004. Qualifying service is service while posted to a NATO unit, or to a Canadian Forces or allied formation or unit outside territorial limits of Canada under the operational control of a NATO headquarters, or in Canada on an operational staff directly participating in the operational control of such formations and units. In the latter case, only those staff personnel serving in an operations room directly participating in the control of ships and aircraft in NATO operations and exercises qualify for this service. Persons in eligible positions or operations on 19 October 04 can continue to count their time until the end of that posting or deployment only. NOT ALL time served in Europe nor at sea can be counted towards this bar.

NATO service since 2004:

An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service performed in approved locations or tasks outside Canada from 20 October 2004 as part, or in direct support, of NATO operations or mission provided the service in question is not recognized by another medal. Eligibility is limited to the following list:

• Service onboard ships deployed under the NATO Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) renamed the Standing NATO Reaction Force Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1) on 1 Jan 06 (currently known as Op SEXTANT). Only time spent under NATO command is eligible - transit time does not count. No multiplying factor;
• Aircrews flying NATO surveillance missions outside Canadian airspace. Only actual NATO missions (as opposed to training, exercises or Canadian missions) flown outside the territorial waters and airspace of Canada are eligible. Flight log excerpts or other supporting documents are required to substantiate eligibility. Aircrews flying into the eligible zone accumulate one day of service for the first and all sorties flown on any given day. No multiplying factor;
• CC NATO Airborne Early Warning Force (CC NAEWF; i.e. NATO AWACS), Geilenkirchen, Germany. Only actual NATO missions flown by AWACS aircrews (as opposed to training and exercises) will be eligible. Missions that are flown into a theatre of eligibility for a NATO medal (such as the Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for the Balkans) shall be counted toward the appropriate NATO mission medal and not toward the NATO bar. Flight log excerpts to be used to substantiate eligibility. Aircrew accumulate one day of service for the first and all sorties flown on any given day. No multiplying factor;
• Service in support of Op ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR (Canadian Op SIRIUS), provided the service has not been acknowledged by award of the NATO Article 5 Medal for ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR. The service concerned is mainly support provided from the base in Sigonella, Italy, which is outside the theatre of operations and did not qualify for the NATO medal. Multiplying factor of 6 to equate to the NATO Medal;
• Service with the Forward Logistics Site (FLS) – Host Nation, in support of NATO operations and activities in relation to Africa from 1 Jan 08, provided said service has not been acknowledged by the award of the Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for NAC Approved NATO Operations and Activities in Relation to Africa for Ops ALLIED PROVIDER, ALLIED PROTECTOR or OCEAN SHIELD. The service concerned here is mainly support provided from the Host Nation located outside the theatre of operations and does not qualify for the NATO medal. Multiplying factor of 6;
• Service of Canadian personnel participating in the NATO-Iceland Air Policing Program (IAP) since 27 Mar 11 (OP IGNITION);
• Service of Canadian personnel serving with the CC-NAEWF deployed to FOB Konya, Turkey, in direct support to Op AFGHAN ASSIST, since 10 Jan 11. Multiplying factor of 6. Days flown by aircrew into Afghanistan may not be counted since they already count for the General Campaign Star with SOUTH-WEST ASIA ribbon.

Cheers

Larry

[peter monahan]

And our men and women now in the Baltic?  Do they get something shiny as well?

[Laurence Strong]

15 hours ago, peter monahan said:

And our men and women now in the Baltic?  Do they get something shiny as well?

See the start of this thread...that's the bar issued to Operation REASSURANCE

 

http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/honours-history-medals-chart/medal-ssm.page

 

 

Cheers

Larry

Edited January 21, 2018 by Laurence Strong

[peter monahan]

Thanks, Lawrence!  I should have scrolled up before asking.  On a related note, how would YOU feel about being part of 'Operation Reassurance' ?

'We don't actually get to fight, but we do try hard to make people feel comfortable.'  Or is that just too cynical for words?

[SemperParatus]

What's the Latvian equivalent of Sausage and Sauerkraut?

[peter monahan]

21 hours ago, SemperParatus said:

What's the Latvian equivalent of Sausage and Sauerkraut?

Not sure.  And not very interested in finding out!  Does that make me a bad person?

[Laurence Strong]

I don’t see it being any different than 4 CMBG sitting in Germany for decades. 

 

Cheers

Larry

[peter monahan]

'They also serve who only sit and wait.'? 

You're right, of course.  Most armies most places don't do much but wait and train and wait and train and wait and wait and wait.

Edited January 26, 2018 by peter monahan