(GSM) General Service Medal Miniature

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The General Service Medal (GSM) is awarded to members of the CF and members of allied forces serving with the CF who deploy outside of 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 GSM may also be awarded, depending on the operation, 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 CF to provide direct support, on a full-time basis, to operations in the presence of an armed enemy.

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

Eligibility and Criteria

ALLIED FORCE (GSM-AF)
The GSM with ALLIED FORCE ribbon is awarded to personnel who served at least 30 days cumulative in direct support of Operation ALLIED FORCE in Aviano and/or Vicenza, Italy or in Skopje, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from 24 March to 10 June 1999.

SOUTH-WEST ASIA (GSM-SWA)
The GSM with SOUTH-WEST ASIA ribbon is awarded to:

1. Canadian citizens other than members of the Canadian Forces who served either:

• in direct support of the Canadian participation to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan while deployed inside the theatre of operations consisting of the political boundaries of Afghanistan and its airspace for at least 30 cumulative days between April 24, 2003 and July 31, 2009; and/or
• in direct support of the Canadian military operations while deployed inside 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 the aforesaid areas for at least 30 cumulative days commencing on August 1, 2009. For more details, consult the Eligible service list.

2. Members of the Canadian Forces, members of allied forces and Canadian citizens other than members of the Canadian Forces who served with the Canadian Forces either:

• in direct support of the Canadian participation to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan from outside the theatre of operations consisting of the political boundaries of Afghanistan and its airspace for at least 30 cumulative days between April 24, 2003 and July 31, 2009; and/or
• in direct support, provided from outside the theatre of operations, of the Canadian military operations conducted in 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 for at least 30 cumulative days commencing on August 1, 2009. For more details, consult the Eligible service list.

EXPEDITION (GSM-EXP)
The General Service Medal (GSM) Expedition is awarded to members of the CF and members of allied forces serving with the CF who deploy outside of 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 GSM may also be awarded, depending on the operation, 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 CF to provide direct support, on a full-time basis, to operations in the presence of an armed enemy.

The only approved eligible service for this ribbon thus far is service of Canadian personnel in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, more specifically Canadian Detachment AWACS, USAF Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan Air Base, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since 27 February 2003 onwards provided the service has not been recognized by another service medal. This means that CF exchange personnel with American Forces in Iraq are eligible because the US does not award its service medals to foreigners but those who serve with UNAMI or personnel on exchange with the British Forces are not eligible as they receive a medal for their service from either the UN or the UK.

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.

Bars
GCS-AF: there is no bar for this medal.

GCS-SWA and GCS-EXP: rotation bars have been created to recognize long periods of service in a theatre.

Recipients of the GSM may be awarded a first Rotation Bar after a total of 210 days of eligible service, including the days taken into account for the award of the original medal, and additional bars are awarded for each subsequent period of 180 days.

The rotation bars for the Medal are silver in colour with a raised edge and bear either one or five maple leaves. One bar bearing five maple leaves is worn in lieu of five bars bearing one maple leaf.

Images show front and back face of medal.