Operational Service Medal Afghanistan

 

The Operational Service Medal Afghanistan is issued to soldiers who have served in Afghanistan, or in support of Op VERITAS, after September 11 2001.

The following operations count towards qualification for this medal:

Op VERITAS, Op ORACLE, Op LANDMAN, Op BLEED, Op DETERM, Op SCOW, Op DAMIEN, Op LARVA, Op FINGAL, Op JACANA, Op JACANA, Op RAMSON, Op BANDOG and Op HERRICK. Those Officers and Soldiers from HQ ARRC who deployed to Kabul to man the ISAF HQ were also awarded this medal.

The ribbon is 1.25" wide and has a broad central red stripe, then a dark blue stripe either side, followed by a light blue, to represent the 3 armed services. The light brown on the outer edges represents the Afghan landscape.

The obverse of this silver medal bears the head of Queen Elizabeth II with the words "Elizabeth II : DEI GRATIA REGINA FID.DEF".

On the reverse there is a Union Flag in the centre surrounded by a circular inscription "FOR OPERATIONAL SERVICE". Appearing from underneath the inscription are the points of a compass with a coronet at the point of each of the four main ones: Royal (top left), Naval (top right), Mural-Army (bottom left) and Astral-Royal Air Force (bottom right).

There is one clasp authorised for this medal, which is the "AFGHANISTAN" clasp, which is for soldiers who have served in the country or other designated areas. When only ribbons are worn this is denoted by a silver rosette being worn on the ribbon.

The OSM Afghanistan counts towards the qualifying criteria for the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal.