| German Armed Forces Service Medal | |
|---|---|
Service Medal, face |
|
| Awarded by the Federal Republic of Germany | |
| Type | Military Medal |
| Eligibility | Soldiers of the German armed forces |
| Awarded for | Military Campaigns |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Description | Comes in three classes, Gold, Silver and Bronze |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 25 April 1996 |
Ribbon bar |
|
The German Armed Forces Service Medal (German: Einsatzmedaille der Bundeswehr) is a decoration of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The decoration is awarded for military service in a designated military campaign. It is awarded to all German soldiers regardless of rank. It is also the only type of German campaign medal awarded, the only difference is the campaign bar worn on the medal and ribbon.
The decoration has three grades: The grade is not awarded by the persons rank but by the time a person served in the designated campaign area.
In November 2010, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, the German minister of defense, introduced a special grade: the Gefechtsmedaille der Bundeswehr (Combat Action Medal of the Bundeswehr).[1]
Contents |
The medal is round, on its center is displayed the German eagle surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves, the reverse side is plain. The combat version differs slightly from standard grades in that the medal is always golden with a black and red rim and a black eagle.[1]
The ribbon has two black stripes on the edges with two red stripes beside it and two golden stripes on the in side with another bold red stripe in the middle, the ribbon bar has the campaign bar attached to it.