| Cross of Honour for Military Service Abroad | |
|---|---|
| Awarded by Kingdom of Belgium | |
| Type | Cross |
| Eligibility | Military personnel of the Belgian Armed Forces |
| Awarded for | Service in Germany, the Congo, Rwanda or Burundi |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 16 June 1997 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Military Decoration for Long Service |
| Next (lower) | Commemorative Medal for Armed Humanitarian Operations |
First class ribbon bar Second class ribbon bar Third class ribbon bar |
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The Cross of Honour for Military Service Abroad (Dutch: Erekruis voor Militaire Dienst in het Buitenland, French: Croix d'Honneur pour Service Militaire à l'Etranger) is a Belgian military decoration which was awarded to Belgian servicemen who served for a long period of time in the Federal Republic of Germany, Zaire (now Congo), Rwanda or Burundi. It was established on 16 June 1997 and has three classes.
Contents |
The Cross of Honour is awarded in three classes based on the duration of service in the relevant territory, which do not have to be continuous:
However, depending of the region where the services were performed, one year of actual service may count for more than one year for the purpose of awarding the Cross of Honour. One year of service in Congo, Rwanda or Burundi counts as five years, one year of service at the border between the former West Germany and the former East Germany counts for three years, and one year of service performed in the middle region of former West Germany counts for two years.
The medal is a gold star with a red pearl at each tip. The star is suspended to the ribbon by a royal crown and a ring. The obverse centre medallion shows a golden lion on black enamel background surrounded by a circle of blue enamel with the motto Pro Patria. The reverse medallion shows a crown of laurels surrounding two crossed swords.
The ribbon is azure blue with a purple vertical border on each side and in the centre a vertical stripe the colour of which depends on the class: gold for first class, silver for second class, and red for third class.