New Operational Service Medal Announced

[Pusser]

Well, it is a medal (as opposed to a device or a scroll); one that also happens to be a decoration.

Although we often refer to all of our "gongs" or bits of metal suspended from coloured ribbons as "medals," strictly speaking, this is not correct.  All honours in the Canadian Honours System are broken down into orders, decorations and medals.  Each of these categories are distinct.  In short, not all medals are medals.  Some are decorations and some are the insignia of orders.

 

[vonGarvin]

It's also worth noting that the CD is not a medal, it's a decoration, which means you get a postnominal letters and the right to put it on your personal coat of arms, should you so choose.  No other Canadian long service medal has this distinction.  It really is a step above the others.

[pendantic mode on]
Actually, and ironically given its name, the Canadian Forces' Decoration is actually a "Long Service and Good Conduct Medal".  There were many Long Service, Good Conduct and Efficiency medals awarded prior to the institution of the CD.  Also note that the Efficiency Decoration, which was given to commissioned officers with 20 years' service, allowed the officer to use the post-nominals "E.D."  (Others did as well, but that is but one other medal for long service, good conduct and/or efficiency that allowed you the honour of the post-nominals.  I don't know about the personal coat of arms, however).
[/pendantic]

 

[Infanteer]

[pedantic mode on]

[pendantic mode on]

[/pedantic]

 

[vonGarvin]

Just to clarify and provice a source for my earlier post re: CD not being a decoration. 

I designed the layout for the display at The RCR Museum in London ON many years ago, and I had to ensure that I "got things right" (pre-internet!  I actually had to read books!).  Anyway, these many years later I recalled that the CD was not a decoration, but a long service and good conduct medal.

As stated, there are Orders, Decorations and Medals.  According to A-AD-200-000/AG-000 THE HONOURS, FLAGS AND HERITAGE STRUCTURE OF THE CANADIAN FORCES, "decorations" consist of the following:

Victoria Cross
Cross of Valour
Star of Military Valour
Star of Courage
Meritorious Service Cross
Medal of Military Valour
Medal of Bravery
Meritorious Service Medal
Royal Victorian Medal (RVM)

Some of these are Military Valour Decorations (VC, SMV, MMV) and others are Bravery Decorations (CV, SC, MB), and so forth.

Anyway, Appendix 1 to Annex A to Chapter 2 lists the groupings for the various honours, decorations and medals.  It lists two awards grouped under "Long Service and Good Conduct Medals":
RCMP Long Service Medal
Canadian Forces Decoration

Anyway, FWIW.

 

[vonGarvin]

[pedantic mode on][/pedantic]

The Game.  You win it!  ;D

 

[Rheostatic]

Since I remember well the last time I heard this argument:

From The Canadian Forces’ Decoration, Christopher McCreery

Order of Precedence
From its inception, it was decided that the CD should take precedence immediately after the RCMP Long Service Medal at the end of the Order of Precedence for orders, decorations and medals. In the Commonwealth, long service awards have historically been ranked at the end of the Order of Precedence, after Coronation and Commemorative Medals and ahead of foreign awards. Long service awards are ranked in order of their creation, the earliest having precedence. For this reason, the RCMP Long Service Medal, created in 1934, ranks ahead of the CD, which was created in 1949, while the various Exemplary Service Medals are placed after the CD.

The CD in Heraldry
Recipients of the Canadian Forces’ Decoration have been permitted to include a representation of their CD insignia as part of their coat of arms. Arms are awarded to Canadian citizens of good standing who petition the Chief Herald of Canada for a grant. In Canada, a grant of arms is
an honour bestowed under the Queen’s royal prerogative. Only duly recognized orders and decorations are traditionally displayed as part of a grant of arms. As the CD is a decoration, it may be appropriately displayed hanging from the rightful recipient’s shield of arms. Clasps to the CD may also be displayed on the ribbon. Recipients of the Efficiency Decoration have also been permitted to include the insignia of that decoration as part of their coat of arms.

According to Captain Carl Gauthier of the Honours and Awards section at DHH, there are 3 main types of national honours: orders, decorations and medals.  Orders and decorations rank higher than medals and bring some specific privileges that do not apply to medals, such as the use of post-nominal letters (OMM, MSM, etc).  In general, orders and decorations are in the shape of a cross or star, while medals are usually round.  Finally, orders, decorations and medals are (generally) worn in that order, from left to right, although there are many exceptions - the CD is one.

"In the old British system," explains Captain Gauthier, "long service awards were divided into two major categories: long service decorations for officers... and long service and good conduct medals for NCMs.  When the CD was created in 1949 to replace all these British awards for Canada's armed services personnel, it was decided that the same award would be used for all services and for all ranks."

According to Capt Gauthier, the decision to make the CD a single decoration for all was made so that officers would not be denied the use of post-nominal letters for a long service award.  As a result, Canadian Forces NCMs became the first in the former British Empire to receive a decoration (and be entitled to post-nominal letters) as a long service award.  "However," clarifies Captain Gauthier, "although it is a decoration, the CD still ranks with the other long service medals in the order of precedence, just like the old British awards did."

So there you have it.  Indeed, a decoration... but ranked with medals!

 

[Blackadder1916]

Sometimes the CD doesn't get the respect it deserves.  Twelve years of one's life is no small accomplishment and for some, behaving oneself for 12 years is a HUGE accomplishment. ;D  Despite the fact that one doesn't really have to do anything to receive a CD (other than behave - or at least not get caught for 12 years), it does represent a level of commitment that should be lauded.  Just because someone was never called to task doesn't mean they couldn't have been.

. . . . .

Whenever one of these discussions turns to the CD and the respect it receives or should receive, I am tempted to refer to a post I made a few years ago that aptly illustrates how people perceive this particular award (leaving the argument whether it's a decoration or medal for others).  I'll give into the temptation and repost it here.

One of my lasting memories of someone talking about the decorations and medals that he was wearing occurred in 1994.  I had the good luck of having a COS date out of Lahr that permitted me to arrange my passage home on the Queen Elizabeth 2 sailing out of Southampton on 8 June.  I was able therefore to drive to Normandy and spend 6 June 94 (50th Anniversary of D-Day) visiting some of the memorials and events there; take the ferry across to England; turn my car over to Cunard for loading onto the ship and then relax for several days on the North Atlantic.  The voyage was billed as a “D-Day Memorial” cruise.  Many of the passengers were WW II veterans, mostly American, some Brits, and at least one Canadian.

One of the events that occurred on the ship was the Captain’s Welcome Party.  Dressed in finest bib and tucker, you go through the receiving line, have your photo taken and then proceed to the most important part of the soiree… getting a drink.  Some of the other passengers were wearing medals, ribbons or devices that showed that they had served.  I was in mess kit as were a few of the other passengers including a Van Doo LCol and a husband & wife who were both pilots in the USAF.  It was particularly easy for the Van Doo and me to be noticed in the scarlet monkey jackets. 

A few people had approached me with the inevitable questions about who we were and what were we doing.  I was chatting with a lady when we were approached by a gentleman in a maroon jacket that included Cdn para wings and several medals.  He introduced himself and joined in the conversation which naturally turned to where had you been.  He had served with the 1 Cdn Para Bn as a private during the war and had made the jump into Normandy and over the Rhine. 

The lady with whom we were chatting asked about the medals and wings he and I were wearing.  I probably would have answered in my typically flippant manner about 12 years undetected crime (C.D.), 6 months getting a suntan and not getting a venereal disease (UNEFME) and 4 years wine and beer tasting (SSM with NATO bar), but he replied first by drawing her attention to the one medal we had in common, the Canadian Forces Decoration.  I was surprised when he told her it was the one that he was most proud to wear.  The lady asked why.  His reply impressed me and later that evening I wrote an account of what he said, maybe not verbatim, because we had imbibed several beverages, but close enough for government work.

He said.  “ It’s easy to be a soldier when everyone is or wants to be a soldier; when being in uniform is the normal thing to do.  The true measure of a man is his commitment to serving his country when there is little chance of excitement, or glory or getting medals.  This medal (he indicated his CD) shows people that we pledged a significant portion of our lives to serving our country when few others would, doing things that we didn't necessarily want to do and that were not very glamorous.  These (he indicated his 4 or 5 wartime medals) I got for spending 3 years in uniform doing what most guys my age were doing. Was it hard work and dangerous? Yes. But mostly I had a lot of fun doing it.”

Since then I’ve had a different perspective on those little pieces of ribbon that we wear.

 

[PuckChaser]

Great story, Blackadder. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Journeyman]

Yes, Blackadder, a great story.  :nod:
I'm going to guess you crossed paths (and the Atlantic) with Jan DeV and his wife.


However, I think it's terrific that the Haiti vets have been waiting this long for recognition, and we've so easily sidetracked the thread, robbing them of due fame....again! :nana:

 

[medicineman]

So just to totally derail it, something I thought appropriate for HALO vets given the connotations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLzWi3S0DD8

MM

 

[vonGarvin]

However, I think it's terrific that the Haiti vets have been waiting this long for recognition, and we've so easily sidetracked the thread, robbing them of due fame....again! :nana:

Meh, as one Haiti vet, it's alright.  I can wait another 7 years  :nod:

 

[Halifax Tar]

You have to admit, that's got to be a rare case. 

Fully agree that's a rare case to put it lightly.