United Nations Medal
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The term United Nations Medal refers to one of several international decorations which are issued by the United Nations (U.N.) to the various militaries of the world for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief. A United Nations Medal is ranked in most militaries and police forces as a service medal, meaning that it is not issued for a specific heroic or meritorious act, but rather for general participation in a broad operation.
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The most common United Nations Medal is the standard U.N. decoration known simply as the United Nations Medal. Most countries bestow this award for any action in which a member of the military participated in a joint U.N. activity. In situations where a service member participated in multiple U.N. operations, service stars or campaign clasps are authorized as attachments to the United Nations Medal.
The first United Nations Medal to be created was the United Nations Service Medal, also known as the United Nations Korea Medal, which was awarded by the United Nations to all countries which aided South Korea during the years of the Korean War. Since 1955, over two dozen additional United Nations Medals have been created by the U.N. and awarded for participation in various United Nations actions around the world. The United Nations Headquarters Medal is normally issued for service of at least 90 days at the New York Headquarters.
The United Nations also issues an entire series of campaign specific United Nations Medals, each for a different activity or operation. In most nations, the standard United Nations Medal is awarded in lieu of a campaign specific medal.
In some countries where the UN Security Council determines a mission in the same geographic region, but changes the mission mandate by way of Security Council Resolution, there may be a number of Missions which have identical campaign ribbons and then later will change the ribbon to reflect the changing environment. For example in East Timor UNAMET, UNTAET & UNMISET all carry the same ribbon bar, whilst UNOTIL and UNMIT have a UN Special Services campaign with clasp denoting area of prescribed service.
Some nations, such as France, the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand permit members of the military and police to receive and display multiple United Nations Medals as separate decorations.
Other countries, in particular the United Kingdom, will only permit a service member to receive the standard United Nations Medal and authorize service stars to denote multiple operations where several United Nations Medals were received.
In the United States armed forces, service members are encouraged to only wear the standard United Nations Medal. However, there are several examples where military members have chosen to wear campaign specific United Nations Medals. In all such cases, a service member who received several United Nations Medals is permitted to display only one such medal on their military uniform, that medal being of the service member’s choice. Multiple United Nations Medals are then denoted by service stars on the United Nations Medal which is being displayed.
Since the United Nations Medal is an international decoration, it is ranked in most militaries and police forces as a foreign award and displayed after all decorations of a service member’s particular military force.
Other international awards include the NATO Medal, the Multinational Force and Observers Medal, the 2001 International Year of Volunteers Medal, and the Inter-American Defense Board Medal. Australia has the Australian Active Service Medal, the Australian Service Medal, the Police Overseas Service Medal and the Humanatarian Overseas Service Medal to compliment the United Nations Medal.