I am pleased to announce that Her Majesty the Queen has now approved the
formal establishment of a new award in the Australian honours system - the
Australian Active Service Medal 1945-1975. This new active service medal will
recognise the service of veterans who served in the Korean War, the Malayan
Emergency, the Indonesian Confrontation and the Vietnam War.
The establishment of this new medal delivers on the Government's election
commitment to the veterans' community to create a distinctly Australian award
to recognise warlike service between 1945 and 1975.
The Government will be recommending to the Governor-General that those
personnel who have received, or have an entitlement to the Korea Medal, a
General Service Medal for service in the Malayan Emergency 1948-60 or the
Indonesian Confrontation 1962-66, will be eligible for the Australian Active
Service Medal 1945-75.
I am also very pleased to say that eligibility for this new medal will be
extended to those personnel who have received the Vietnam Medal or the Vietnam
Logistic and Support Medal. The precise eligibility for those recipients of
the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal will be determined by MrsBrownyn Bishop
MP, the Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel.
The Medal's design features the Federation Star on the obverse in keeping
with the Australian Active Service Medal and is ensigned with the Crown of
SaintEdward. The reverse of the Medal is decorated in keeping with other
Australian service medals and features a plinth on which the wearer's name
will be engraved. The ribbon colours have been drawn from active service
medals issued during the period 1945-75.
The Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75 will be placed at the same level
as other war medals and the Australian Active Service Medal in the order of
wearing of medals. It will be worn immediately after World War II medals but
before the Korea Medal, the General Service Medals, the Vietnam Medal and the
Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal.
Application forms for the medal can be obtained from:
Navy:
Medals Section - Navy
Russell Offices (D-3-32A)
CANBERRA ACT 2600 Army:
Medals Section
Soldier Career
Management Agency
GPO Box 5108BB
MELBOURNE VIC 3001 Air Force:
Medals Section - Air Force
Queanbeyan Annexe
Department of Defence
CANBERRA ACT 2600
On behalf of the Australian
Government I warmly congratulate all those Australian veterans and serving men
and women of the Australian armed forces who will be eligible for the
Australian Service Medal 1945-75.
28 December 1997