Operational Service Medal (OSM)(All Missions)

$40.00

Quantity

The Canadian Operational Service Medal (OSM) is awarded to:

members of the CF;
members of allied forces serving with the CF;
members of recognized Canadian police forces and allied police officers working with them; and
Canadian citizens other than members of the CF or sworn police officers working with the CF or with Canadian police forces;
who served in a theatre of operations, provided direct support on a full-time basis to operations conducted in such a theatre or served under dangerous circumstances outside Canada.

The OSM is always issued with a ribbon specific to the theatre or type of service being recognized, and each ribbon has its own criteria.

This full size reproduction medal comes loose and with 8 inches of selected mission ribbon (32mm wide).

This miniature size medal comes loose and with 5 inches of selected mission ribbon (16mm wide).

Multi Rotational Bars and Medal Mounting Services are available at additional cost.

Missions

1. South-West Asia (OSM-SWA)

The OSM with SOUTH-WEST ASIA ribbon is awarded to eligible persons who served the theatre of operations consisting of the political boundaries of Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal and those parts of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea that are west of sixty-eight degrees East longitude and north of five degrees South latitude, as well as the airspace above those areas, or provided direct support to operations conducted in those areas from outside Canada for at least 30 cumulative days commencing on October 7, 2001, provided the said service has not been otherwise recognized by a service medal other than the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal where applicable.

2. Sierra Leone (OSM-SL)

The OSM with SIERRA LEONE ribbon is awarded to eligible persons who served in Sierra Leone or provided direct support to operations conducted in that country from outside Canada for at least 30 cumulative days commencing on July 31, 2002, provided the said service has not been otherwise recognized by a service medal other than the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal where applicable.

This currently includes those who served in Sierra Leone as part of the British-led International Military Advisory and Training Team (IMATT) following the signature of the Lomé Peace Agreement on 31 July 2002 (Operation SCULPTURE). Those who served before that date are not eligible for this medal as they received the British Operational Service Medal for Sierra Leone.

Also eligible are the Canadian police officers working for the Special Court in Sierra Leone from 31 July 2002 onwards.

Other eligible service may be added to the eligibility list for the ribbon by the Chief of the Defence Staff in consultation with Armed Forces Council and on the recommendation of the Canadian Forces Honours Committee provided the service in question meets the basic criteria and intent of the medal as described in the regulations.

Service with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (Operation CROCODILE) is not eligible for this medal as it is recognized by the award of the UNOMSIL/UNAMSIL Medal.

3. Haiti (OSM-H)

The OSM with HAITI ribbon is awarded to eligible persons who served in Haiti or provided direct support to operations conducted in that country from outside Canada for at least 30 cumulative days commencing on March 6, 2004, provided the said service has not been otherwise recognized by a service medal other than the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal where applicable.

4. Sudan (OSM-S)

The OSM with SUDAN ribbon is awarded to eligible persons who served in Sudan or provided direct support to operations conducted in that country from outside Canada for at least 30 cumulative days commencing on September 15, 2004, provided the said service has not been otherwise recognized by a service medal other than the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal where applicable.

This currently includes:

service in Sudan with the African Union’s Darfur Integrated Task Force (DITF) (Western Sudan) from 15 September 2007 to 31 December 2007 (Operation AUGURAL);
service of military personnel deployed to the National Support Element (NSE) and National Communication Centre (NCC) based out of the Canadian Embassy in Khartoum in support of the operations in Sudan from 15 September 2004 onwards. Those who deployed to Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) and Senegal to provide direct support to operations conducted in Sudan, notably as part of the Interim Staging Base and Training Centre (ISBTC) are also eligible if they were not eligible for another service medal aside from the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal; and
service of Canadian police officers working with the United Nations Developmental Program (UNDP) in South Sudan, since 17 Sept 2009.

Service with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNAMIS), United Nations Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) (both under Operation SAFARI), NATO Logistical Support to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) and the United Nations - African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) (Operation SATURN) is not eligible for this medal as it is recognized by the award of the UN Special Service Medal, UNMIS Medal, NATO-AMIS Medal and UNAMID Medal respectively.

5. Humanitas (OSM-HUM)

The OSM with HUMANITAS ribbon is awarded to eligible persons who served in approved humanitarian missions conducted in response to a disaster or human conflict including rescue, relief and reconstruction outside Canada for at least 30 cumulative days commencing on August 1, 2009, provided the said service has not been otherwise recognized by a service medal.

This ribbon replaces the HUMANITAS bar to the Special Service Medal as of 1 August 2009. Those who earned the SSM-HUMANITAS retain it but no other eligible mission will be added to its eligibility list. The change was made because the SSM is reserved for members of the CF only and there was desire to recognize police officers and Canadian civilians serving with the CF and the police in humanitarian missions. Only service on approved humanitarian missions from 1 August 2009 onwards can be credited toward this new medal.

This includes those who served as part of the humanitarian mission in Haiti following the earthquake (Op HESTIA) from 12 January 2010 to 2 May 2010, including members of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) who served in the theatre of operations and also including members who deployed to Barahona, Dominican Republic, and Kingston, Jamaica, during the same period to provide direct support to the humanitarian mission conducted in Haiti.

6. Expedition (OSM-EXP)

The OSM with EXPEDITION ribbon is awarded to eligible persons who served in approved locations outside Canada in a theatre of operations, provided direct support on a full-time basis to operations conducted in such a theatre or served under dangerous circumstances for at least 30 cumulative days commencing on October 7, 2001, provided the said service has not been otherwise recognized by a service medal other than the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal where applicable. This ribbon was created to provide a flexible form of recognition for those missions or tasks which size or scope does not justify the creation of a separate ribbon.

This currently includes:

Members of the Defense Team who deployed to the Middle East to assist the Office of the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) (Operation PROTEUS) from 3 May 2005.
Canadian police officers deployed to Iraq to provide assistance in the establishment and training of the new Iraqi police from 20 January 2003.
Service with Op CHABANEL in the theatre of operations consisting of the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, off the west coast of equatorial Africa from 17 Apr to 18 May 2006.
Service with Op CARIBBE under the command and control of Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) in the theatre of operations consisting of the Caribbean Sea/Gulf of Mexico and along the west coast of Central and South America, as well as the airspace above this area, since 1 Nov 2006. The official JIATF(S) boundaries are defined as extending from Antarctica at 27W, north to 30N, west to the U.S., and west from the U.S./Mexico border at 32.5N, and south at 120W to Antarctica.
Service with United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) Mission in Beirut, Lebanon, from 13 Feb 2008 to 28 Feb 2009.