General Campaign Star (Canada)

Infobox Military Award
name=General Campaign Star


caption=Medal : Obverse and Reverse
awarded_by=Canada
type= Medal
eligibility=
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status=Currently awarded
description=
clasps=
established=
first_award=29 November 2004
last_award=
total=
posthumous=
recipients=
individual=
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same=
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caption2=RibbonThis general service award has been created as a means to recognize - in a timelier manner - those who serve in operations in the presence of an armed enemy. Rather than creating a new honour for each new Canadian Forces operation as it arises, the General Campaign Star and General Service Medal (Canada) - with the addition of individual operational bars - can be awarded in future to honour participation in any operation that meets the criteria.

Design

The General Campaign Star is a gold-coloured four-pointed star, 44 mm across, representing the cardinal points of a compass

Obverse

Built-up in order from the back: a wreath of maple leaves terminating at the top with the Royal Crown, two crossed swords, the blades and hilts forming four additional points to the star, an anchor and a flying eagle. The wreath represents honour, the maple leaves represent Canada, the anchor, crossed swords and eagle represent the three services of the Canadian Forces and the Crown represents the Queen of Canada and her role as the fount of all honours. On the reverse appear within a raised circle, from top to bottom: the Royal Cypher ensigned by the Royal Crown, a plain space for engraving, and three maple leaves on one stem.

Bars

The bars to the Star are gold in colour with a raised edge and bear the name of the operation or the geographical area for which it is awarded.

The Star is always to be issued with a bar representing a particular service. Bars approved to date are:

Allied Force

Awarded to fighter pilots and AWACS crew members who flew at least 5 sorties during Operation ALLIED FORCE from 24 March to 10 June 1999 in the theatre of operations which consisted of the airspace over Kosovo and other territories of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Some recipients may have to exchange their previously presented NATO Medal to receive this award.

ISAF

Awarded to Canadian Forces members and members of allied forces working with the Canadian Forces who served with the Canadian contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan for at least 30 days cumulative between 24 April 2003 and a termination date to be determined, in the theatre of operations which consisted of the political boundaries and airspace of Afghanistan. Aircrew flying into the theatre accumulate one day of service for the first sortie flown on any day, additional sorties flown on the same day receive no further credit.

Canadian civilians under contract with the Canadian Forces and Canadian Police Officers serving under the authority of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan with units described at the link below and between the dates indicated qualify for the ISAF bar to the General Service Medal (Canada) after 30 days of service.

Only International Security Assistance Force service is eligible for the ISAF bar, other service in South-West Asia may be eligible for the South-West Asia Service Medal.

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 mm wide with a central stripe of green (12 mm), on either side of which are stripes of white (2 mm) and red (8 mm). Red and white are the official colours of Canada as appointed by King George V in 1921 and green represents service.

Eligibility

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

Wearing

The Star is to be worn as follows:
* On the left breast, suspended from the ribbon described above, between the South-West Asia Service Medal and the General Service Medal;
* One bar is worn centred on the ribbon;
* If multiple bars have been awarded, they shall be evenly spaced on the ribbon in the order earned, with the first bar earned worn the closest to the Star; and
* Where the undress ribbon is worn, a silver, gold or red maple leaf is worn to denote respectively the award of a second bar, third bar or fourth or subsequent bar.

ee also

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

References

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

External links

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