PM Transcripts

.,, QSTRALIA
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 8 NOVEMBER 1988
The Queen has approved Letters Patent and Regulations
establishing three Defence Force awards: the Australian
Active Service Medal; the Australian Service Medal; and the
Champion Shots Medal. The awards will form part of the
Australian system of honours and awards.
The Australian Active Service Medal will be used to
recognise service in minor campaigns. Separate awards for
service in major conflicts will be instituted, if and when
the need arises in the future, in accordance with
established tradition. The Australian Service Medal will be
for service in peacekeeping and other military but non
warlike operations and the Champion Shots Medal for annual
rifle shooting contests in the Defence Force.
The awards will be made by the Governor-General on the
recommendation of the Minister for Defence. In the
Australian order of Precedence of Honours and Awards
gazetted on 2 November 1988 the Australian Active Service
Medal is placed immediately before all existing war and
campaign service medals. The Australian Service Medal is
placed after all war and campaign medals and the Champion
Shots Medal. is placed directly after the National Medal.
The three awards are the first of the new range of
Australian awards for Defence Force personnel, which I
announced on Australia Day 1986. The introduction of the
full range of awards will provide, for the first time, a
national system of recognition of operational and
non-operational service which will meet the requirements of
the Defence Force far into the future. A further
announcement will be made when the remaining awards receive
The Queen's formal approval.
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