Medal Regulations Amended: Campaign, Operational, Special

Summary#

This item announces letters patent that change the rules for three Canadian service medals. It amends the General Campaign Star and General Service Medal Regulations, 2009, the Operational Service Medal Regulations, and the Special Service Medal Regulations. The Canada Gazette published the notice on January 18, 2020; the letters patent were issued on August 27, 2019 and signed at Government House on September 12, 2019.

What it does#

• Changes what appears on the face of the medals and how recipient names are engraved.

  • Rewrites how the Sovereign’s effigy and inscriptions appear on the General Campaign Star and General Service Medal Regulations, 2009 and the Operational Service Medal Regulations.
  • Requires the rim of the General Service Medal to include service or regimental number, rank and name for military/police recipients, or full forenames and surname for civilians.

• Clarifies who can be eligible for each medal.

  • Expands explicit eligibility for some medals to include Canadian citizens employed by the Crown, staff of the Non‑Public Funds, Canadian Forces, or people under contract with the Government of Canada who provide direct support to operations.
  • Adds definitions for “eligible allied force member” and “eligible civilian” in the Special Service Medal Regulations.

• Sets rules on what does not count as eligible service.

  • Lists non‑eligible activities across these medals, including visits and inspections for leadership or familiarization, ceremonial or morale-building visits, visits by embedded journalists or war artists, and similar activities.

• Updates how extra service is recognized with Rotation Bars.

  • First Rotation Bar is earned after 210 cumulative days (including the days that qualified the medal).
  • Additional Rotation Bars require an extra 180 cumulative days after the last Rotation Bar earned.
  • Specifies how Rotation Bars and maple‑leaf devices are worn on the ribbon and how multiple bars are displayed.

• Adjusts administrative and wearing rules.

  • Confirms the medals are worn on the left breast in the official precedence.
  • Confirms recipients may wear miniatures.
  • Reiterates that the Governor General retains full authority over awards.

Who's affected#

• Members of the Canadian Forces who receive or may receive these medals.
• Canadian police officers and police forces involved in operations that might be recognized.
• Civilian employees and contractors: people who are Canadian citizens employed by the Crown, the Staff of the Non‑Public Funds, Canadian Forces, or under contract to the Government of Canada who provide direct support to operations.
• Allied personnel who work as an integral part of the Canadian Forces (defined as “eligible allied force member”).
• Military award administrators who decide eligibility and prepare inscriptions.
• Families and veterans who track or receive these recognitions.

If it is unclear who is affected for a particular operation, the regulations leave room for the Governor in Council (or the Governor General on recommendation) to decide.

Why it matters#

• It makes eligibility clearer for civilians and allied personnel who support Canadian operations. That means some contractors or allied members might now be explicitly eligible for the same medals as uniformed personnel.
• It standardizes how medals are engraved and how additional service is shown. That affects how service is recorded and how multiple deployments are publicly recognized on a uniform.
• By listing activities that do not count (like short visits or ceremonial trips), it narrows what counts as qualifying service. This matters to people who believed short trips or observer visits should count.
• The change includes a specific date for one rule: the Special Service Medal rules for eligible allied members and civilians apply to service on or after April 29, 2014, which could affect whether past service qualifies.
• Overall, these are administrative changes about recognition and honours. They shape who gets formal acknowledgement for service and how that recognition appears.