This medal recognises service on:
- operations Manitou, Accordion and Okra from 1 July 2014
- operation Highroad from 1 January 2015
- operation Steadfast from 10 September 2018
- operations Mazurka, Paladin and Fortitude from 1 November 2023.
An ADF member or allied Defence member is not eligible for the award of the Australian Operational Service Medal - Greater Middle East Operation for service during the same period for which they received another Australian Operational Service Medal or the Australian Service Medal.
Transitional provision
For members who have both of the following service:
- a period of eligible service for the Australian Service Medal with clasp Middle East or clasp Sinai up to and including 31 October 2023.
- a period of eligible service for the Australian Operational Service Medal Greater Middle East Operation on 1 November 2023.
The period of service for the Australian Service Medal with clasp Middle East or clasp Sinai is eligible service for the Australian Operational Service Medal (Greater Middle East Operation).
Eligible operations
A summary of eligible service is:
- 30 days service, continuous or aggregated, on any of the above operations
- the Defence member is force assigned for operational duties.
Operation Manitou
1 July 2014 to 13 May 2015 within the area comprising all waters, ports, areas within 10 kilometres of such ports, and superjacent airspace, of the following:
- Persian Gulf
- Gulf of Aden
- Red Sea
- Arabian Sea.
So far as the area is north of latitude 11°00'S and west of longitude 68°00'E.
14 May 2015 onwards, within the area comprising all waters, ports, areas within 10 kilometres of such ports, and superjacent airspace, of the following:
- Persian Gulf
- Gulf of Aden
- Red Sea
- Arabian Sea.
So far as the area is north of latitude 11°00'S and west of longitude 70°00'E.
Operation Accordion
1 July 2014 onwards, within the area compromising the land, territory, internal waters and superjacent airspace of:
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- United Arab Emirates.
On 31 March 2022, amendments to the qualifying criteria were extended to include ADF personnel who deployed in support of the August 2021 Afghanistan Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) that commenced on 14 August 2021 and ended on 5 October 2021.
The minimum period of service required for the medal to be awarded for the Afghanistan NEO was reduced to recognise the significant contribution of ADF personnel and Australian Public Service civilians that assisted with the Whole-of-Government response to the emergency evacuations from Afghanistan. This change only relates to service rendered on the Afghanistan NEO.
Eligibility for other declared operations remains at 30 days of continuous or aggregated service on operations declared in the Australian Operational Service Medal Instrument.
Operation Okra
1 July 2014 to 8 August 2014 within the area compromising the land territory, internal waters, territorial seas and superjacent airspace of:
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- United Arab Emirates
- water and superjacent airspace of the Persian Gulf.
9 August 2014 onwards, within the area comprising the land territory, internal waters, territorial seas and superjacent airspace of:
- Albania
- Bahrain
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Hungary
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Montenegro
- Poland
- Qatar
- Romania
- United Arab Emirates
- waters and superjacent airspace of the Persian Gulf.
9 September 2015 onwards, within the area compromising the land territory, territorial seas and superjacent airspace of:
- Iraq
- Syria.
15 November 2018 within the area compromising the land territory, internal waters, territorial seas and superjacent airspace of:
- Bahrain
- Cyprus
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Persian Gulf
- Qatar
- United Arab Emirates
- land territory of Turkey east of longitude 35°00'E.
Operation Highroad
1 January 2015 onwards, within the area compromising the land territory, internal waters and superjacent airspace of Afghanistan.
Operation Steadfast
10 September 2018 onwards, within the area comprising the land area, territorial waters and superjacent airspace of Iraq.
Operation Mazurka
1 November 2023 onwards, within the area comprising Egypt, between the east bank of the Suez Canal and the international boundary between Egypt and Israel established by the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel signed in Washington on 26 March 1979, and an adjoining area extending 5 kilometres into Israel.
Operation Paladin
1 November 2023 onwards, within the area comprising the total land area, territorial waters and superjacent airspace within the internationally recognised boundaries of Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.
Operation Fortitude
1 November 2023 onwards, within the area comprising the total land area, territorial waters and superjacent airspace within the internationally recognised boundaries of Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.
Amendments
Amendments to the medal instrument allow for Allied Foreign Defence Force members to be eligible for the medal, and for the medal to be issued to Defence members on Third Country Deployments.
Design
The medal is a cupro-nickel medal finished in antique silver. The obverse bears an old-world stylised world 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 colours of the ribbon have been chosen to represent specific aspects of the Greater Middle East Operation. Bone to represent sand, green to represent Australia and hope, black to represent anti-piracy and blue to represent the maritime and air aspects.
An ADF member on a second or subsequent deployment to Operations may be awarded an accumulated service device on completion of the prescribed qualifying period.
Accumulated Service Device
An ADF member on a second or subsequent deployment to Operations may be awarded an accumulated service device on completion of the prescribed qualifying period.
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 (Greater Middle East Operation) (AFG NEO) (PDF, 1.23 MB)