The Australian Operational Service Medal - Africa recognises operations that occur across the African region. To qualify, Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and allied foreign Defence Force member must have been deployed or force assigned for duty as a member of a declared operation for a period of 30 continuous days or for periods that total 30 days.
Eligibility
Current declared operations and dates are:
- Operation Aslan that commenced on 1 November 2023 within the area comprising the land area and superjacent airspace of South Sudan
- Operation Orenda that commenced on 1 April 2020 within the area comprising the land area and superjacent airspace of the Republic of Mali.
The following conditions must be met in relation to the service:
- The service must be given while the ADF member or allied foreign Defence Force member is assigned for operational duties on operations that comprise Africa.
Service involving non-operational duties such as participation in training activities, exercises and conferences (with no planning objectives), liaison visits, lessons learnt/fact finding, activities and command/staff visits are not eligible for the Australian Operational Service Medal – Africa. - The period of eligible service can only be used towards one award. A member is not eligible for the award of the Australian Operational Service Medal - Africa for service during the same period for which they received the Australian Service Medal or another Australian Operational Service Medal.
- An ADF member or allied foreign Defence Force member may be awarded only one Australian Operational Service Medal – Africa for their service on declared operations.
Design
The medal is a cupro-nickel medal finished in antique silver. The obverse bears an old-world stylised globe signifying global operations, interlinked with a Federation Star. The globe is surrounded by the words Australian Operational Service Medal.
The reverse bears a central horizontal stylised scroll with the words Defending Australia and its national interests, overlaying a wreath of mimosa, above which sits an hour glass motif signifying the ongoing vigilance and timely response of Defence.
The ribbon denoting Africa is 32 millimetres wide and has a central red stripe, flanked by black stripes of equal width, bordered with golden yellow and white stripes of equal width and edged with mid-green stripes.
Source documents
Regulations (Gazette S67) 2012 (PDF, 258.23 KB)
Regulations Amendment 2015 (PDF, 247.5 KB)
Australian Operational Service Medal Regulation 2012 - Amendments of 13 July 2020 (PDF, 229.53 KB)
Australian Operational Service Medal (Africa) Instrument 2023 (PDF, 839.83 KB)