Australian Active Service Medal: The AASM was established to recognise service in prescribed operational theatres for campaigns post-1975. The AASM is awarded to Defence Force personnel and certain others, such as philanthropic services. Clasps denoting the area of service are awarded with the medal.
The medal is nickel, riband is black, dark green, gold, light green, pale green/khaki, red, pale grren/khaki, light green, dark green, black. This Medal was created in 1988 to recognise prescribed service in warlike operations. The Medal is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the Medal to the same person are made in the form of a further clasp to the Medal. The Governor-General makes awards of the Medal and clasps on the recommendation of the Chief of the Defence Force.
The Medal obverse features the Commonwealth Star enclosed by a wattle wreath symbolising the Australian nature of the award. The reverse shows a stylised laurel wreath around the inscription For Active Service. The colours of the ribbon are primarily variations of the Australian colours of green and gold with a central red stripe, which signifies active service, that is, the dangers faced in warlike situations.
The following clasps have been issued for the medal:
- Balkans
- Cambodia
- East Timor
- ICAT (International Coalition Against Terrorism)
- Iraq
- Iraq 2003
- Kuwait
- Middle East
- Namibia
- Rwanda
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Vietnam 1975
The Australian Active Service Medal and the Australian Service Medal are no longer on issue. Both were initially replaced in 2013 with issues as late as 2019 for some service) with the Australian Operational Service Medal (AOSM).
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