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HMCS' Winnipeg and Fredericton award NATO medal confusion?

navypuke

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Okay so I would have sworn when the the Freddie did her trip they were and are eligible for the GCS medal. But I read in the news that they were awarded some NATO medal with Africa bar.  I'm confused did they get two medals for one trip or did they never get the GCS. Cause I know when they came home I saw a young AB proposing to his girlfriend in his DEU's and he had a GCS on his chest. I find it highly unlikely a AB would be to Afghanistan, and Africa and do his QL3 training in such a short time period.  Any one from the Freddie that can clarify on this.
 
Medal for Operations in Relation to Africa
http://www.aco.nato.int/page165055716.aspx

This would be for operations off the coast as part of Operation Ocean Shield.
 
Service Medals Presented For NATO Counter-Piracy Missions

NR - 10.151 - December 16, 2010

OTTAWA – Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, Chief of the Maritime Staff, presented the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Non-Article 5 Medal with Africa Bar to members of the ships’ companies and air detachments from HMCS Winnipeg and HMCS Fredericton for their contributions to counter-piracy missions. The honours were presented during three separate ceremonies held in Halifax, Esquimalt and today in Ottawa.

“I was honoured to present medals to these deserving men and women. It is important to recognize that their hard work has been invaluable to the safety and security of our country and international waters,” said Vice-Admiral McFadden. “This is the first time the medal is presented to Canadians, which makes it an even greater accomplishment for these recipients.”

Approximately 500 Canadian recipients are eligible for the NATO Non-Article 5 Medal with Africa Bar. The crews of the HMCS Winnipeg contributed to counter-piracy missions from March 31, 2009, to April 23, 2009, and from April 30, 2009 to May 6, 2009; and the crew of HMCS Frederictonfrom November 22, 2009, to February 9, 2010.

Acts of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa continue to pose a significant threat to the safety of commercial maritime routes, international navigation, and humanitarian relief. NATO has conducted counter-piracy operations in the area since late 2008 to increase security and freedom of movement for international shipping.

Notes to editor / news director:

The NATO Non-Article 5 Medal with Africa Bar is a circular bronze medal recognizing 30 days or more in the counter-piracy mission operational area. All personnel involved in both Operation Allied Protector and Operation Ocean Shield will be eligible. The front of the medal has the NATO Star set in a wreath of olive leaves; on the back is the title “North Atlantic Treaty Organization” and the words “In the service of peace and freedom” in English and French. The ribbon is NATO blue with two white stripes centred on the outer third of the ribbon with a silver stripe in the centre of each white stripe. The medal is issued with a bar, inscribed “Africa.”
 
So I suppose to answer the question, if a hypothetical sailor was on board during both the NATO operation and a SE Asia operation then yes, they would be eligible for both medals.
 
navypuke said:
Okay so I would have sworn when the the Freddie did her trip they were and are eligible for the GCS medal. But I read in the news that they were awarded some NATO medal with Africa bar.  I'm confused did they get two medals for one trip or did they never get the GCS. Cause I know when they came home I saw a young AB proposing to his girlfriend in his DEU's and he had a GCS on his chest. I find it highly unlikely a AB would be to Afghanistan, and Africa and do his QL3 training in such a short time period.  Any one from the Freddie that can clarify on this.

What if said AB was not always Navy?
 
well i've never sailed on the freddy, but i know the AB in question. he has never been in anything but the navy, and that was his first deployment, so he came home wearing the gcs. and now that they gave the crew the second medal he now wears both.
 
Ex-Dragoon said:
What if said AB was not always Navy?

Then it would be an even more spectacular accomplishment ...

BMQ, 2 X successful QL 3 courses AND 2 tours (the AB stripe would go up at 30 months of service whether he was a remuster or not; it wouldn't extend his time period to accomplish 2 tours while still being an AB). LOL.

Perhaps said AB has +3 years of service ... that seems reasonable to me. I did my basic in Cornwallis, my QL3s, a Sea Enviornmental course, a BDF course and a tour in Africa all within my first 15 months in the CF and before I recd my 1st hook. That would certainly have allowed for me to complete a 2nd tour within the next 25 months and before promotion to Cpl.
 
Ex-Dragoon said:
What if said AB was not always Navy?
AB is always a Navy rank; whether or not they are employed in a naval task or mission is another thing. 
 
CombatDoc said:
AB is always a Navy rank; whether or not they are employed in a naval task or mission is another thing.

You missed his point, he was asking "What if [the AB mentioned above] was not always Navy?", i.e., that he had other service, perhaps in the Army.
 
Ah, got it now! As in, he was in some other trade in the army or air force before joining the senior service! 
 
I recently saw a few personnel from the HMCS Fredericton who were wearing the GCS medal. Shouldn't they have been awarded with the GCM instead?
 
question answered now back to your topic

Merry Christmas to all
 
Navalsnipr said:
I recently saw a few personnel from the HMCS Fredericton who were wearing the GCS medal. Shouldn't they have been awarded with the GCM instead?

Remusters possibly (such as my brother on the Montreal - formerly PPCLI). Purple trades possibly. Clearance Divers possibly too as some of them have served in the sandbox.
 
ArmyVern said:
Remusters possibly (such as my brother on the Montreal - formerly PPCLI). Purple trades possibly. Clearance Divers possibly too as some of them have served in the sandbox.

I wish it was true... One of the guys is the same trade and I know his career as we joined and did Cornwallis together.  He has never been to Afghanistan, but was issued the GCS. I queried him about it and he said that is what the ship issued him based on his last deployment.
 
Navalsnipr said:
I wish it was true... One of the guys is the same trade and I know his career as we joined and did Cornwallis together.  He has never been to Afghanistan, but was issued the GCS. I queried him about it and he said that is what the ship issued him based on his last deployment.

Understood; that is quite a different situation though than just "seeing" a couple of sailors from the Freddy wearing the GCS.

Perhaps the changes to the ribbons/bars/tour numerals has caused more confusion than previously thought ... if ships were indeed presenting their sailors with the wrong recognition. Hmmmm.
 
ArmyVern said:
Understood; that is quite a different situation though than just "seeing" a couple of sailors from the Freddy wearing the GCS.

Perhaps the changes to the ribbons/bars/tour numerals has caused more confusion than previously thought ... if ships were indeed presenting their sailors with the wrong recognition. Hmmmm.

I'm surprised with all the checks that are done, this would happen.
 
Navalsnipr said:
I'm surprised with all the checks that are done, this would happen.

I'm not; it has become as convoluted as &^(* --- especially so if the medal was awarded just as the rules were changing; IIRC, they have had to issue further "clarifying" announcements since the original CANFORGEN, so perhaps some Units missed or overlooked the clarifications and thus have pers wearing non-entitled recognition. It would not surprise me in the least. 

Young AB so&so wouldn't know the difference (or others), only that "this is what they presented me with, so it must be right."
 
So am I correct that you need to do 30 days in Afghanistan and no where else to get the GCS? All other AoO (Mirage, Gulf region for ships) should get the GCM?
 
From the Canada Gazette, criteria for GCS with SW Asia bar:

(ii) the person served inside the theatre of operations consisting of the political boundaries of Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal and those parts of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea that are west of 68° east longitude and north of 5° south latitude, as well as the airspace above those areas, for at least 30 cumulative days beginning on August 1, 2009, or

So if his cruise took him through the anti-piracy area and met the criteria for that, and also 30 days in the area specified above he would get both.
 
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