General Service Medal — EXPEDITION Ribbon Order

Summary#

This is the Order Awarding the General Service Medal With the EXPEDITION Ribbon: SI/2020-4, registered January 8, 2020 (made December 19, 2019). It defines which periods and amounts of service outside Canada qualify a person to receive the General Service Medal with the EXPEDITION ribbon, sets the ribbon’s design, repeals an earlier order, and says where the medal is worn in the order of precedence.

What it does#

• Repeals Order in Council P.C. 2010-252.
• Sets who can receive the General Service Medal with the EXPEDITION ribbon by describing qualifying service outside Canada in two situations:
  • Service in an approved location that is outside a specific theatre of operations:
    • 30 cumulative days during January 1, 2003 to October 4, 2014, or
    • 21 cumulative days beginning October 5, 2014, or
    • a combination of days from both periods that totals at least 21 cumulative days.
  • Service in an approved location that is inside a specific theatre of operations and in the presence of an armed enemy (and by a person who meets certain Regulation criteria):
    • 30 cumulative days during January 1, 2003 to October 4, 2014, or
    • 14 cumulative days beginning October 5, 2014, or
    • a combination of days from both periods that totals at least 14 cumulative days.
• Specifies the ribbon appearance: 32 mm wide, with an 18-mm red center stripe, flanked by 2-mm white stripes and 5-mm light grey stripes.
• States the medal with the EXPEDITION ribbon is to be worn after the General Service Medal with the SOUTH‑WEST ASIA ribbon.
• The order is made under the General Campaign Star and General Service Medal Regulations, 2009.

Who's affected#

• Members (current and former) of the Canadian Armed Forces who served outside Canada in the specified time frames and locations.
• Veterans and next-of-kin who may be eligible to receive or request the medal.
• Military honours administrators responsible for awarding and issuing medals and ribbons.
• It is unclear from this order which exact locations are considered “approved locations.” The order refers to additional criteria in paragraph 6(1)(c) of the Regulations; those specific details are not spelled out in this notice.

Why it matters#

• It clarifies and updates who can be officially recognized for overseas service with this specific campaign medal.
• For eligible service members and veterans, this can mean formal recognition on service records, entitlement to wear the medal, and a public symbol of that service.
• The defined ribbon design lets the military produce and issue a consistent medal.
• Because the order repeals an older one, it can change eligibility or procedures compared with the previous rules; people unsure about eligibility should check the full Regulations or contact military honours authorities.