Op Reassurance - medal?

[NP]

Does anyone know if the operational service medal or GSM will be approved for Op Reassurance? Assisting my brother in creating a decoration chart for school.

thanks in advance

 

[McG]

A medal for going on exercises in Europe?  If anything, the SSM is a better fit.

 

[SupersonicMax]

BAP is an operation...

 

[McG]

... comparable to operations flown out of Baden.  Still seems a good fit for the SSM if anything.

 

[SupersonicMax]

FWIW, Op Ignition (same principle as BAP) doesn't give you a medal.

 

[Rheostatic]

FWIW, Op Ignition (same principle as BAP) doesn't give you a medal.

Special Service Medal (SSM)
...
NATO service since 2004:
An aggregate of 180 days of honourable service performed in approved locations or tasks outside Canada from 20 October 2004 as part, or in direct support, of NATO operations or mission provided the service in question is not recognized by another medal. Eligibility is limited to the following list: ...
■Service of Canadian personnel participating in the NATO-Iceland Air Policing Program (IAP) since 27 Mar 11 (OP IGNITION);

 

[SupersonicMax]

I can guarantee you I or anyone else in my unit did not receive the medal. 

 

[smale436]

Neither did I or anyone else who went from Cold Lake. Because we were in Iceland for only 6 weeks in 2011, thus did not have the "180 days of aggregate service" required to qualify for the NATO-OTAN bar of the SSM.

 

[Zoomie]

180 days or 30 flights - these are usually the minimum qualifiers for tour medals.  Add up enough 6 week deployments and you will qualify. 

 

[SupersonicMax]

Pretty sure I have more than 30 flights!

 

[George Wallace]

Those criteria seem to cheapen the worth of some medals for those who have to commit longer time frames to earn the same medal.  I look at the SSM as one such medal where the different criteria were dictated for the different Elements and Locations.  Three years stationed overseas compared to 180 days at sea on a NATO task, six months at Alert, or 30 Flights really does equal out in some minds.

 

[high_octane]

Seems to be 180 days for Op Ignition.  30 flights only counts for certain Ops (and only if they aren't counted towards another!)  I was stationed 3 years with NATO and flew on many Ops but didn't qualify for the NATO bar under the new criteria.