The Australian Service Medal (ASM) was approved in 1988, and may be awarded for service in, or in connection with a prescribed non-warlike operation.
The Medal
The ASM is a nickel-silver medal with a modified Shield of the Australian Coat of Arms surmounted by the Defence Force Joint Service Emblem super-imposed on a background of the meridians of longitude on the obverse. The reverse has clusters of mimosa blossoms surrounding a Federation Star bearing the inscription 'FOR SERVICE'.
The Ribbon
The ribbon colours are primarily variations of the Australian colours of green and gold in tones of the Australian bush. The central brown stripe symbolises the earth of Australia.
Clasps
A nickel-silver clasp with the name of the theatre or action for which the award is made is presented with the medal.
Further awards of the ASM in other areas are recognised by the presentation of additional clasps. These are worn above previously awarded clasps, in order of date of receipt.
Clasps issued to date for the ASM are:
Balkans : For 30 days assigned or does not apply as a visitor
- Op Osier - NATO Stabilisation Force – Former Republic of Yugoslavia
- 25 January 1997 to Present
Bougainville : For 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- Op Bel Isi - Support to the Truce Monitoring Group / Peace Monitoring Group in Bougainville
- 20 November 1997 to 26 August 2003
Cambodia : For 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- United Nations Military Liaison Team/Cambodian Mine Action Centre
- 8 October 1993 to 4 October 1999
East Timor : For 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- Humanitarian work - OP FABER
- 30 August 1975 to 30 October 1975
- United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET)
- 19 Junuary 1999 to 15 September 1999
- OP SPITFIRE - Air bridge established to move non-essential UNAMET staff, Australians and other approved nationals from Dili to Darwin
- 6 September 1999 to 19 September 1999
- Defence Cooperation Program activities
- 1 January 2001 to 11 May 2006
- OP CITADEL - United Nations Mission of Support in Timor (UNMISET/UNOTIL)
- 18 August 2003 to 11 May 2006
- OP SPIRE - United Nations Mission of Support in Timor (UNMISET/UNOTIL)
- 20 May 2004 to 11 May 2006
- OP CHIRON ADF contribution to the UN Special Political Mission to Timor-Leste. (UNOTIL/UNMIT)
- 20 May 2005 to 11 May 2006
- Note: See TIMOR LESTE for activities after 11 May 06
Ethiopia/Eritrea : For 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- Operation POMELO United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)
- 15 January 2001 to present
Guatemala : For 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- United Nations Observers in Guatemala
- 15 February 1997 to 14 May 1997
Gulf : For 30 days assigned or does not apply as a visitor
- RAN activity in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman
- 17 November 1986 to 1 November 1988
- 31 October 1988 to 28 February 1989
Haiti : 30 days assigned or 30 sorties, does not apply as a visitor
- Service on authorised third country deployments in Haiti
- 1 July 1994 to 30 June 1996
Iran/Iraq : 90 days assigned or does not apply as a visitor
- Service with UN mission on Iran/Iraq border - UNIIMOG
- 12 August 1988 to 28 February 1991
Iraq :
- OP HABITAT - International Kurdish Relief Op on Sth Turkey & Nth Iraq
- 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- 1 May 1991 to 30 June 1991
- OP BLAZER - UN Special Commission in Iraq Multinational military deployment in Middle East
- 7 days assigned, does not apply to visitors
- 1 May 1991 to 30 June 1998
- OP POLLARD - Multinational military deployment in Middle East
- 7 days asigned, does not apply to visitors
- 15 February 1998 to 30 June 1998
- OP POLLARD - Multinational military deployment in Middle East
- 30 days assigned, does not apply to visitors
- 1 July 1998 to 1 October 2001
- Authorised 3rd country deploy's with UK and US Iraq/Persian Gulf Ops imposing sanctions on Iraq
- 30 days assigned, does not apply to visitors
- 16 July 1991 to 1 October 2001
Irian Jaya : 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- OP CENDERAWASIH 76 - 81 series of Surveys Ops
- 12 July 1976 to 21 November 1976
- 9 May 1977 to 10 October 1977
- 4 April 1978 to 20 September 1978
- 19 October 1980 to 22 December 1980
- 6 January 1981 to 6 March 1981
- 31August 1981 to 15 November 1981
Kashmir : 90 days assigned and does not apply to visitors
- Service with UN military observer group in India/Pakistan
- 14 February 1975 to Present
Korea : 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- Service with UN Command (MAC) activities on the Korean Peninsula
- 14 February 1975 to Present
Kuwait :
- Multinational military deployment in Persian Gulf
- 7 days assigned 30 days as a visitor
- 2 August 1990 to 16 January 1991
- OP DAMASK - Multinational military deployment in Persian Gulf
- 30 days assigned and does not apply to visitors
- 1 March 1991 to present
Middle East : 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- UN Truce Supervision Organisation
- 14 February 1975 to Present
- UN Disengagement Observer Force
- 14 February 1975 to Present
- Second UN Emergency Force
- 14 February 1975 to 31 July 1979
- UN Interim Force in Lebanon
- 1 March 1978 to Present
- RAN ships in North West Indian Ocean deployments
- 1 September 1980 to 31 July 1986
Mozambique : 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- OP CORACLE - United Nations Demining Operations in Mozambique
- 12 July 1994 to 31 March 2002
Peshawar : 90 days assigned and does not apply to visitors
- Service with UN Mine Clearance Training Team in Pakistan
- 16 July 1989 to present
SE Asia : See Note 3 and 6 - 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- Service on land in Malaysia
- 14 February 1975 to 31 December 1989
- Service on land in Singapore
- 14 February 1975 to 30 April 1975
- Service on RAN ships with ANZUK force
- 14 February 1975 to 30 April 1975
- Service on land in Laos, Cambodia
- 14 February 1975 to 13 March 1975
- ADF activities with Operation GADING 5 on Sumatra
- 6 May 1975 to 22 August 1975
Sierra Leone :
- OP HUSKY - International Military Advisory and Training Team (IMATT) - Sierra Leone
- 15 January 2001 to 28 February 2003 (PAC) - (check end date)
Sinai : 30 days assigned and does not apply to visitors
- Multinational Force and Observers Activity (MFO)
- 9 February 1982 to 28 April 1986
- OP MAZURKA - Multinational Force and Observers Activity
- 6 January 1993 to ongoing
Solomon Is : 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- OP TREK - International Peace Monitoring Team in the Solomon Islands
- 4 November 2000 to 15 March 2002
Solomon Is II : 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- OP ANODE - The Defence Force contribution in support of the Australian Government's Strengthened Assistance Framework Program to assist the Solomon Islands Government
- 24 July 2003 to present
Somalia : See Note 5 - 30 days assigned and does not apply to visitors
- Service in Somalia during the prescribed period
- 17 October 1992 to 30 April 1993
Special Ops :
- This bar is awarded at the discretion of the CDF for Special Operations Service
- 14 February 1975 present
Sudan : 30 days assigned or 30 days as a visitor
- OP AZURE - United Nations Mission in Sudan
- 10 April 2005 to present
Timor-Leste :
- OP ASTUTE - ADF commitment to bring security, peace and confidence to Timor-Leste that commenced on 12 May 2006.
- Complete 7 days/sorties in aggregate in the period commencing 12 May 2006 and ending on
or before 16 June 2006 or 30 days/sorties in aggregate commencing on or after 10 Jun 2006,
does not apply to visitors.
- 12 May 2006 to ongoing
- Defence Cooperation Program activities
- 30 days/30 sorties and does not apply to visitors
- 12 May 2006 to ongoing
- OP CITADEL - United Nations Mission of Support in Timor-Leste (UNOTIL/UNMIT)
- 30 days/30 sorties and does not apply to visitors
- 12 May 2006 to ongoing
- OP SPIRE - United Nations Mission of Support in Timor (UNOTIL/UNMIT)
- 30 days/30 sorties and does not apply to visitors
- 12 May 2006 to ongoing
- OP CHIRON - ADF contribution to the UN Special Political Mission to Timor-Leste. (UNOTIL/UNMIT)
- 30 days/30 sorties and does not apply to visitors
- 12 May 2006 to ongoing
Note: See EAST TIMOR for activities before 12 May 06
Uganda : 90 days assigned and does not apply to visitors
- Service with the Commonwealth Military Training Team in Uganda
- 18 March 1982 to 24 March 1984
West Sahara : 30 days assigned and does not apply to visitors
- Service with ADF activities in Western Sahara
- 5 September 1991 to present
NOTES
Note 1: The period 12 Jan 92 – 24 Jan 97 was upgraded to the AASM
Note 2: The period 20 Oct 91 – 7 Oct 93 was upgraded to the AASM CAG S102 dated 27 Mar 01
Note 3: Service in Cambodia and Laos in the period 14 Feb 75 – 13 Mar 75 entitled to ASM 45-75.
Note 4: ASM clasp Rwanda was upgraded to AASM CAG S79 dated 23 May 06
Note 5: Second UN Op was upgraded to AASM, was the first also? PAC Chap 17 shows Somalia I and II warlike 20 Oct 92 – 30 Nov 94
Note 6: Those eligible for the ASM 1945-75 SE ASIA or ASM 1945-75 FESR are not eligible for the ASM SE ASIA
