The German Armed Forces Deployment Medal (german: Einsatzmedaille der Bundeswehr) is a decoration of the
Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
, the armed forces of the
Federal Republic of Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...
. The decoration is awarded for military service in a designated military campaign. It is awarded to all German soldiers regardless of rank. It is also the only type of German campaign medal awarded, the only difference is the campaign bar worn on the medal and ribbon.
Grades
The decoration has three grades. The grade is awarded without consideration of rank but by the time a served in the designated campaign area:
* Bronze for 30 days in theatre.
* Silver is for 360 days in theatre.
* Gold for 690 days in theatre.
In November 2010,
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Buhl-Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg (born 5 December 1971), known professionally as Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, is a German businessman and politician of the Christian Soc ...
, the German
minister of defense, introduced a special grade: the
Gefechtsmedaille der Bundeswehr (Combat Action Medal of the Bundeswehr).
The medal has been awarded for 56 different operations or missions since its establishment.
Design
The medal is round, on its center is displayed the
German eagle
The coat of arms of Germany displays a black eagle with a red beak, a red tongue and red feet on a golden field, which is blazoned: ''Or, an eagle displayed sable beaked langued and membered gules''. This is the (German for "Federal Eagle"), for ...
surrounded by a wreath of laurel leaves, the reverse side is plain. The combat version differs slightly from standard grades in that the medal is always golden with a black and red rim and a black eagle.
[
The ribbon has two black stripes on the edges with two red stripes beside it and two golden stripes on the in side with another bold red stripe in the middle, the ribbon bar has the campaign bar attached to it.
]
Campaign Bars
The medal is issued with a clasp denoting foreign the operation recognized by the medal. Like the medal the clasp is either, bronze, silver or gold:
See also
*Awards and decorations of the German Armed Forces
The Awards and decorations of the German Armed Forces are decorations awarded by the German Bundeswehr, the German government, and other organizations to the German military and allied forces. Modern era German military awards have been presented s ...
*Combat Action Medal of the Bundeswehr
The Combat Action Medal of the Bundeswehr (german: Einsatzmedaille Gefecht) is a military decoration awarded by the German Bundeswehr. The medal is awarded for active participation in combat actions or for the suffering from terrorist attacks. It ...
References
{{Reflist
Military awards and decorations of Germany (Bundeswehr)
German campaign medals
Awards established in 1996
1996 establishments in Germany