Police Overseas Service Medal
Significance
The Police Overseas Service Medal recognises service by officers of Australian police forces with international peace-keeping organisations.
The Police Overseas Service Medal complements the Australian Service Medal, which is awarded to members of the Australian Defence Force, and the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal.
History
Australian police forces have been involved in overseas peace-keeping since 1964. At this time, 40 police were sent to Cyprus to help maintain peace after independence was declared.
In 1991, the overseas peace-keeping role of police officers was formally acknowledged with the introduction of the Police Overseas Service Medal.
The medal is awarded with a clasp, which details the area of service. The following clasps have been declared:
- Bougainville
- Cambodia
- Cyprus
- East Timor
- Haiti
- Mozambique
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- Regional Assistance Mission, Solomon Island (RAMSI).
Past recipients
At 30 June 2006, there have been 2,456 medals awarded.
Read about Superintendent Ingrid Kuster who was awarded the Police Overseas Service Medal in 2005.
Search the Australian Honours List for past recipients of the Police Overseas Service Medal.
How it is awarded
The Governor-General awards the medal on the recommendation of the Chief Officer of an Australian police force.
The medal is awarded with a clasp, which features the area of prescribed service. Additional awards to the same person are in the form of another clasp with the area of service inscribed.
There are no post-nominal entitlements
Medal design
Police Overseas Service Medal - front and back
The Police Overseas Service Medal features a globe of the world surmounted by a branch of wattle, which is Australia's national floral emblem . The rim of the medal is a chequerboard pattern, which symbolises police forces across the world.
The circular, nickel-silver medal is ensigned with the Crown of St Edward.
The back of the medal displays a Federation Star. The words 'Police Overseas Service Medal' are inscribed around the rim.
Medal Ribbon
The 32 millimetre-wide ribbon consists of alternating squares of black and white in the chequerboard pattern commonly representative of police services.
Print fact sheet
The information on this page is available as a printable fact sheet.
- Police Overseas Service Medal - Fact Sheet - PDF 50KB File
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