Changes to service medals announced

As part of Strong, Secure, Engaged, (SSE 7), the Government of Canada is modernizing the Canadian Armed Forces Honours and Awards system to ensure military members’ service to Canada is recognized in a more timely and appropriate manner.

This initiative encompasses the modernization of the overseas service recognition framework. The objective is to make service medals more accessible and flexible to make sure that Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members receive appropriate recognition for their participation in and direct support to operations.

As part of this initiative, changes to the eligibility list for the Special Service Medal (SSM) with NATO bar and a reduction of the time criteria to 45 days for both the NATO and EXPEDITION bars to that same medal were announced on February 18, 2018 in CANFORGEN 021/18 (link accessible only on the National Defence network).



The Government has now recently approved a number of additional measures to meet the stated intent: