A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of an armed force who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...

. Campaign medals are very similar to service medals but carry a higher status as the award usually involves deployment to a foreign region or service in a combat zone.

History

Campaign medals were first invented to recognize general military service in war, in contrast to meritorious decorations which were only issued on a small scale for acts of heroism and bravery. The campaign were first issued by the British military with the medal awarded for the defeat of the Invincible Armada, with the 1815 Waterloo Medal being the first awarded to all men present and the 1847 Military General Service Medal being the first "modern" campaign medal.Charles McDowell, "Military Decoration", ''World War II in Europe. An Encyclopedia'', Routledge, 2015 p. 1047-1048
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Campaign medals by country

* Australian campaign medals * British campaign medals * Canadian campaign medals * Malaysian campaign medals *

NATO Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium. Ba ...

refers to a number of campaign medals * New Zealand campaign medals * Philippines campaign medals * Polish campaign medals * South African campaign medals * South Korean campaign medals * Soviet campaign medals * Spanish campaign medals * Sri Lankan campaign medals * United Nations Medal refers to a number of campaign medals * United States campaign medals are included in Awards and decorations of the United States military

Other campaign related items

Battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...

/ Campaign streamer *

Medal bar A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It most commonly indicates the Military campaign, campaign or Military operation, operation the recipient received t ...

/ Campaign clasp

References

{{Orders and phaleristics