Commemorative Medal for Missions or Operations regarding the operational defense of the territory
 | This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (March 2018) ) |
| Commemorative Medal for Missions or Operations regarding the operational defense of the territory | |
|---|---|
Kingdom of Belgium | |
| Eligibility | Military and civilian members of the Belgian Armed Forces |
| Status | Active |
| Established | 28 March 2018 |
 ribbon bar | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Meritorious Service Medal |
The Commemorative Medal for Missions or Operations regarding the operational defense of the territory (Dutch: herinneringsmedaille voor de opdrachten of operaties met betrekking tot de operationele verdediging van het grondgebied, French: Médaille commémorative pour les missions ou opérations relatives à la défense opérationnelle du territoire) is a military decoration of Belgium. It was established on 28 March 2018 and is awarded to military and civilian members of the Belgian Armed Forces who participated in operations related to the defense of the Belgian territory or who provided specialized support to such operations.
Insignia
The medal is circular and is struck from bronze, the
The ribbon is adorned with an Arabic numeral (9 mm by 6 mm) that denotes the number of operations or missions the recipient has participated in.
Obverse
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Reverse |
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Award conditions
The medal is awarded to military and civilian members of the Belgian Armed Forces who participated in operations related to the defense of the Belgian territory or who provided specialized support to such operations for a minimum duration of 30 days. In order to be eligible for the award, personnel must have shown exemplary behaviour during the operation.
For each additional service period of 90 days, the recipient is awarded a subsequent medal, allowing him to attach a bronze Arabic number to the ribbon of the medal. The medal is awarded regardless of service period to personnel that got severely injured during the operation or died of wounds directly attributable to the operation. When the award conditions have been met with, a request must be made either by the eligible person or by his command.
Trivia
 | This section contains a list of miscellaneous information. (December 2023) |
The medal was first awarded to military personnel having served in Operation Vigilant Guardian during a military parade organized on the Grand Place of Brussels and attended by several high-ranking officials, such as the secretary of Defence, the Chief of Defence, the mayor of Brussels and several high ranking Belgian officers.
With the creation of the medal, the Belgian government abolished the former rule that military commemorative medals had to be bought by the recipient. Formerly, the recipient received only a brevet, allowing him to purchase the medal in a military store. With the creation of this medal, the government now provides for military commemorative medals.
See also
References
- Royal Decree of 28 March 2018 Creating a Commemorative Medal for Missions or Operations regarding the operational defense of the territory
