Police Overseas Service Medal (Australia)

Infobox Military Award
name=Police Overseas Service Medal


caption=Medal and ribbon
awarded_by=Australia
type= Medal
eligibility= officers of Australian police forces
for= service with international peace-keeping organisations
status= Currently awarded
description=
clasps=9 at 30 June2006
established=25 April1991
first_award=
last_award=
total=2,456 at 30 June2006
posthumous=
recipients=
individual=
higher= Various Campaign Medals
same=
lower= Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal
related=Australian Service Medal


caption2=

The Police Overseas Service Medal is an award in the Australian honours system. The award is presented to those members of an Australian Police force who undertake service with international peace-keeping organisations. The award was introduced by letters patent on 25 April1991.

Recipients of the Police Overseas Service Medal are not entitled to any post-nominal letters as a result.

Description

* The Police Overseas Service Medal features a globe of the world surmounted by a branch of wattle, which is Australia's national floral emblem. The globe is centred on Cyprus, the first international deployment of Australian police. The rim of the medal is a chequerboard pattern, which symbolises police forces across the world. The circular, nickel-silver medal is ensigned with the Crown of St Edward.
* The back of the medal displays a Federation Star. The words 'Police Overseas Service Medal' are inscribed around the rim.
* The 32 mm-wide ribbon consists of alternating squares of black and white in the chequerboard pattern commonly representative of police services.

Clasps

Nine clasps have been declared for the Police Overseas Service Medal as of 30 June2006. These are:
* Bougainville: November 1997 - Present
* Cambodia: May 1992 - September 1993
* Cyprus: May 1964 - Present
* East Timor: 1999 - Present
* Haiti: November 1994 - March 1995
* Mozambique: March 1994 - December 1994
* Solomon Islands
* Somalia: April 1993 - July 1994
* Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands|Regional Assistance Mission, Solomon Island (RAMSI)