South-West Asia Service Medal (Canada)

:"For the United States Medal Awarded to participants of the Persian Gulf War see Southwest Asia Service Medal"

Infobox Military Award
name=South-West Asia Service Medal


caption=Medal : Obverse and Reverse
awarded_by=Canada
type= Medal
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status=Currently awarded
description=
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established=
first_award=20 September 2002
last_award=
total=
posthumous=
recipients=
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caption2=RibbonThe South-West Asia Service Medal is awarded to Canadian Forces personnel deployed or in direct support of operations against terrorism in South-West Asia. A bar is added for those deployed into a theatre of operation.

History

The Medal was created in 2002 as a response to the participation of the Canadian Forces in the United States-led Global War on Terror.

The inaugural ceremony took place on 20 September 2002 in the ballroom at Rideau Hall when The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, then Governor General of Canada. She presented the medal to 35 representative recipients. Among them was Marley Léger, widow of Marc Léger.

Design

The South-West Asia Service Medal is a circular medal, made of nickel-plated redbrass (silver in colour), 36 mm across, displaying:

Obverse

The effigy of Her Majesty Elizabeth II of Canada wearing the King George IV State Diadem, facing right, circumscribed with the

Reverse

A representation of the mythical figure of Hydra, a many-headed serpent of Greek mythology described as a multifarious evil not to be overcome by a single effort, symbolising international terrorism. Each head is different, symbolising the idea that evil is found in every part of the world and that its face is constantly changing. The Hydra is transfixed by a Canadian sword and over the design is the Latin phrase, “ADVERSUS MALUM PUGNAMUS” - Latin - “We are fighting evil”.

A claw at the top of the medal, in the form of a cluster of olive leaves representing peace, isattached to a straight, slotted bar.

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 mm in width with a white stripe in the middle (12 mm), on either side of which are stripes of black (4 mm), red (2 mm) and sand (4 mm). The black represents the shock of 11 September 2001 for the world and the mourning of the victims of the terror attacks. The sand colour represents the challenges of the theatre of operations, the white is for peace which is the ultimate aim of this operations. The red is for the blood that has been spilled on 11 September 2001 and in the ensuing campaign in the service of peace.

The bar to the medal is made of nickel-plated red brass (silver in colour) with raised edges and bears the inscription “AFGHANISTAN”.

Eligibility

http://www.forces.gc.ca/dhr-ddhr/chart/eng/eligibility/Swasm_afghanistan_eligible_e.asp

Wearing

The medal is to be worn on the left breast, suspended from the ribbon between the Somalia Medal and the General Campaign Star

ee also

*List of Canadian awards
*List of Canadian provincial and territorial orders

References

External links

http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/dhr-ddhr/chart/eng/chart_display_e.asp?cat=3&ref=SWASM