Media

Governor General announces the General Campaign Star
and the General Service Medal

July 7, 2004

OTTAWA ––Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, is pleased to announce today that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has approved the creation of the General Campaign Star and the General Service Medal.

"As Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces, I am delighted that the General Campaign Star and the General Service Medal are being awarded to the men and women who serve Canada courageously, and contribute to the international public good," said the Governor General. "They act with determination in the exercise of their duties often performed in harm's way, and, for that, they deserve our unqualified support and our heartfelt recognition. Together with all Canadians I am proud of them."

The General Campaign Star recognizes military service in a theatre of operations in the presence of an armed enemy. The General Service Medal acknowledges civilian and military service in direct support of operations in the presence of an armed enemy. Both honours are issued with bars identifying specific operations.

The honours may be awarded posthumously.

Only the Sovereign of Canada has the authority to create a new official honour, which she does on the advice of the Government of Canada. Honours policy advice is provided to the Prime Minister by the Honours Policy Committee, a group of senior public servants, chaired by a senior member of the Privy Council Office. Once an honour is created, it is the responsibility of the Governor General to administer the honour, through the Chancellery of Honours.

The inaugural presentation ceremony will take place at Rideau Hall at a later date.

For further information on the medals, please refer to the attached backgrounders (Annex A and B) or visit www.forces.gc.ca/dhh.

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For information related to the Canadian Honours System
Rideau Hall Press Office
(613) 998-0287
www.gg.ca

For further information on the medals
Department of National Defence
Media Liaison Office
(613) 996-2353
(613) 996-2354
www.forces.gc.ca/dhh

Annex A

General Campaign Star Backgrounder

The General Campaign Star is awarded to members of the Canadian Forces and members of allied forces working with the Canadian Forces who are deployed into a defined theatre of operations to take part in operations in the presence of an armed enemy. The General Campaign Star is always issued with a bar specifying the operations being recognized, and each bar has its own criteria. The descriptions of the General Campaign Star Bars approved to date follow.

General Campaign Star Bars:

• ALLIED FORCE
  This Bar is awarded to fighter pilots and airborne warning and control system (AWACS) crew members who flew at least five sorties during Operation ALLIED FORCE from March 24 to June 10, 1999, in the theatre of operations that consisted of the airspace over Kosovo and other territories of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Adriatic and Ionian seas.
  

• International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
  This Bar is awarded to members of the Canadian Forces and members of the allied forces working with the Canadian Forces who served with the Canadian contribution to the ISAF in Afghanistan for at least 30 days cumulative between April 24, 2003, and a termination date to be determined, in the theatre of operations that consisted of the political boundaries and airspace of Afghanistan.

Annex B

General Service Medal Backgrounder

The General Service Medal is awarded to members of the Canadian Forces and members of allied forces serving with the Canadian Forces who are deployed outside Canada, but not necessarily into a theatre of operations, to provide direct support, on a full-time basis, to operations in the presence of an armed enemy.

The General Service Medal may also be awarded to Canadian citizens other than members of the Canadian Forces––who are deployed outside Canada––either inside or outside a theatre of operations and working with the Canadian Forces to provide direct support, on a full-time basis, to operations in the presence of an armed enemy. The descriptions of the General Service Medal Bars approved to date follow.

General Service Medal Bars:

• ALLIED FORCE:
  This Bar is awarded to personnel who served at least 30 days cumulative in direct support of Operation ALLIED FORCE in Aviano and/or Vicenza, Italy, from March 24, to June 10, 1999.
  
  
• International Security Assistance Force (ISAF):
  Canadian citizens other than Canadian Forces members who worked with the Canadian Forces and served with the Canadian contribution to the ISAF in Afghanistan of at least 30 days cumulative between April 24, 2003, and a termination date to be determined, in the theatre of operations which consisted of the political boundaries and airspace of Afghanistan.
  
  Members of the Canadian Forces, other Canadian citizens and members of allied forces working with the Canadian Forces who served in the following locations for at least 90 days cumulative in direct support, on a full-time basis, of the Canadian contribution to the ISAF:
  
  
  • Logistic support in Taranto, Italy, from May 1, 2003
  • Interim Staging Base (ISB) in Istanbul, Turkey from June 2, 2003; and
  • National Support Element (NSE) in Camp Mirage from August 17, 2003.

Related Information:

• General Campaign Star and the General Service Medal (Photo Gallery)