Afghanistan Medal (Australia)

Afghanistan Medal
Obverse (left), reverse (right) and ribbon of medal
Awarded by Australia
Type	Campaign Medal
Eligibility	Australian Defence Force personnel in the Afghanistan region from 11 October 2001
Awarded for	Service on Operation Slipper and Palate
Campaign	War in Afghanistan
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	30 September 2004
Total awarded	34,500
Order of Wear
Next (higher)	International Force East Timor Medal
Next (lower)	Iraq Medal
Related	Australian Active Service Medal NATO Medal for ISAF

The Afghanistan Medal was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2004.^[1] The Afghanistan Medal is awarded to Australian defence force personnel who served in or around Afghanistan after 11 October 2001. Defence force personnel are also recognised by the 'ICAT' clasp to the Australian Active Service Medal and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's Non-Article 5 Medal with 'ISAF' clasp.

Eligibility

Members of the Australian Defence Force who render 30 days service (or 30 sorties) with the forces known as:

Operation Slipper — the ADF contribution to the International Coalition Against Terrorism that:
- commenced on 11 October 2001 in the specified areas comprising the total land areas and superjacent airspace boundaries of Afghanistan;
- commenced on 11 October 2001 and ended on 5 December 2002 in the specified areas comprising the total land areas and superjacent airspace boundaries of Kyrgyztan;
- the specified areas comprising the total land areas, territorial waters inland waterways and superjacent airspace boundaries of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, those portions of the Arabian Sea bounded by 68 degrees east and 12 degrees north, and the Gulf of Aden; that;
  - commenced on 11 October 2001 and ended on 5 December 2002, and
  - commenced on 1 January 2009;
Operation Palate — the Australian Defence Force contribution to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan that commenced on 6 December 2002 in the area comprising the specified total land areas and superjacent airspace boundaries of Afghanistan.
A person is not eligible for the award of the Afghanistan Medal where an entitlement exists to the Iraq Medal for the same deployment.^[2]

The Afghanistan Medal is a cupro-nickel circular medal. The obverse features the Commonwealth Coat of Arms.
The reverse of medal shows a snow-capped mountain range with a multi-rayed sun rising behind the mountains. The mountains represent the dominant terrain of the country and the rising sun signifies a 'new dawn' for the nation. The word 'AFGHANISTAN' is inscribed in English and in the Arabic script of the two dominant languages of Afghanistan, Dari and Pashto.
The medal ribbon has a central vertical stripe of red, signifying the conflict in Afghanistan. This is flanked by stripes of purple representing the three arms of the Australian Defence Force. Stripes of khaki, white and light blue border the inner stripes. They symbolise the Afghanistan terrain, the snow-peaked mountains and the sky above, respectively.

Australian Campaign Medals

Mahdist War	Egypt Medal (1882–89)

Second Boer War	Queen's South Africa Medal (1899–1902) • King's South Africa Medal (1902)

Boxer Rebellion	China War Medal (1900)

World War One	1914–15 Star • British War Medal • Victory Medal Mercantile Marine War Medal •

General Service	Naval General Service Medal (1915–62) • General Service Medal (1918–62)

World War Two	1939–1945 Star • Atlantic Star • Arctic Star • Air Crew Europe Star • Africa Star • Pacific Star • Burma Star • Italy Star • France and Germany Star • Defence Medal • War Medal • Australia Service Medal (1939–45)

1945–1975	Australian Active Service Medal (1945–75) • Korea Medal (1950–53) • United Nations Korea Medal (1950–53) • Australian General Service Medal Korea (1953–56) • General Service Medal (1962–1975) • Vietnam Medal (1964–73) • Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal (1968–73) • Australian Service Medal (1945–75)

1975–2012	Australian Active Service Medal (1975–2012) • International Force East Timor Medal (1999–2000) • Afghanistan Medal (2001–14) • Iraq Medal (2003–13) • Australian Service Medal (1975–2012) • Rhodesia Medal (1979–80)

2012–	Australian Operational Service Medal – Border Protection (2012–) • Australian Operational Service Medal – Civilian (2012–) • Australian Operational Service Medal – GMEO (2014–)