South-West Asia Service Medal

The South-West Asia Service Medal (French: Médaille du service en Asie du Sud-Ouest) is a campaign medal created in 2002 by the Canadian monarch-in-Council to recognize members of the Canadian Forces who had directly participated in efforts to combat terrorism in Southwest Asia following the Al-Qaeda attacks on the United States in 2001.[1][2] It is, within the Canadian system of honours, the fifth highest of the war and operational service medals.

This article is about the Canadian medal. For the American medal awarded to participants of the Persian Gulf War, see Southwest Asia Service Medal.
South-West Asia Service Medal
The South-West Asia Service Medal
Awarded by the

Monarch of Canada
TypeCampaign medal
EligibilityAll members of the Canadian Forces.
Awarded forCampaign service.
Campaign(s)Various against terrorism in South-West Asia after 11 September 2001
StatusCurrently awarded
ClaspsDirect combat for a minimum of 30 days after 11 September 2001
Statistics
Established6 August 2002
First awarded20 September 2002
Total awarded7,497
Precedence
Next (higher)Somalia Medal
Next (lower)General Campaign Star

South-West Asia Service Medal ribbon

South-West Asia Service Medal ribbon with Afghanistan bar

South-West Asia Service Medal ribbon with Afghanistan and rotation bars

Design

Designed by Carl Gauthier and Fraser Herald Cathy Bursey-Sabourin,[3] the South-West Asia Service Medal is in the form of a 36-millimetre-diameter (1.4 in) nickel-plated gunmetal disc with,[3] on the obverse, the Latin words ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA (Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen) and, separated by maple leaves, CANADA, all surrounding an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II wearing the George IV State Diadem, symbolizing her roles as both fount of honour and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces.[4][5] On the reverse is a depiction of the Lernaean Hydra transfixed by a Canadian sword, all circumscribed by the words ADVERSUS MALUM PUGNAMUS (we are fighting evil).[2]

This medallion is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 31.8-millimetre-wide ribbon coloured with vertical stripes in tan (representing the theatre of operations), red (recalling the blood spilled on 11 September 2001), and black (evoking the shock of the attacks on New York and Washington), symmetrically flanking a white central stripe (indicating peace).[2] Should an individual already possessing a South-West Asia Service Medal be awarded the medal bar for combat service, he or she is granted a clasp—in nickel-plated gunmetal with raised edges and bearing the word AFGHANISTAN—for wear on the ribbon from which the original medal is suspended.[2]

Eligibility and allocation

On 6 August 2002,[6] Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of her Cabinet under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, created the South-West Asia Service Medal to recognize members of the Canadian Forces who had provided support in the War in Afghanistan. To qualify for the medal, individuals had to have served in operations conducted in Southwest Asia for at least 90 days after 11 September 2001,[7] and those who for a minimum of 30 days engaged in direct combat with the enemy in the theatre of war (which included Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Suez Canal, and north-western parts of the Indian Ocean) were entitled to receive the additional medal bar; in total, 7,497 medals were issued, along with 7,200 bars.[3]

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See also

References
  1. Office of the Governor General of Canada. "Honours > Medals > South-West Asia Service Medal". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  2. Department of National Defence. "DH&R Home > Canadian Honours Chart > South-West Asia Service Medal". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  3. McCreery, Christopher (2005). The Canadian Honours System. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-55002-554-5.
  4. Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "Honours and Recognition Programs > Canadian National Honours". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 23 March 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  5. Department of National Defence. "DH&R Home > Canadian Honours Chart > Sacrifice Medal (SM)". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 14 November 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  6. "Governor General Announces the South-West Asia Service Medal" (Press release). Queen's Printer for Canada. 6 August 2002. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  7. McCreery 2005, p. 183
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