UNPROFOR and NATO medals

[Mr_Nice]

I was reading through some old paperwork the other day and came across my red book.

In the medals and awards section it lists the NATO medal with former Yugoslavia clasp for my tour of Bosnia and beneath that they’ve written UNPROFOR which clearly is for a different gong.

Surely this has to be a mistake as I didn’t do any UN tours. I imagine it’s not beneath the realm of those who wrote my red book to have written it in error...

 

[chimera]

Looks like an error. As you correctly say the UNPROFOR medal was for Op GRAPPLE tours (Blue Beret) from Oct 92 - Dec 95. The NATO one was for Op RESOLUTE (IFOR) from Dec 95 - Dec 96, and then SFOR through to 2004.

 

[FourZeroCharlie]

Bored clerks, eh? Gawd bless 'em.

My laudatory letter of service (from a friendly 2*) noted my entitlement to the SAM82 and my service in FI.

Never been to the place.

. . . though he made no mention of (oddly) my UNPROFOR service

 

[RRV8]

There were a number of guys who were awarded both medals (UN and NATO) if they served in Bosnia/Croatia during the Dayton signing of Dec-95.

 

[Endoscope]

If it's in the book buy one on Ebay and get it up mate

 

[Endoscope]

If it's in the book buy one on Ebay and get it up mate... in fact reading that entry buy one of each

 

[Cutaway]

I was reading through some old paperwork the other day and came across my red book.

In the medals and awards section it lists the NATO medal with former Yugoslavia clasp for my tour of Bosnia and beneath that they’ve written UNPROFOR which clearly is for a different gong.

Surely this has to be a mistake as I didn’t do any UN tours. I imagine it’s not beneath the realm of those who wrote my red book to have written it in error...

What were your dates of entry into/exit from theatre ?

 

[chimera]

There were a number of guys who were awarded both medals (UN and NATO) if they served in Bosnia/Croatia during the Dayton signing of Dec-95.

Correct, but the OP would have started his tour wearing a blue UN beret (which he says he didnt do), and then swapped to a normal one after Dayton.

 

[PapaGolf]

There were a number of guys who were awarded both medals (UN and NATO) if they served in Bosnia/Croatia during the Dayton signing of Dec-95.

We were told at the time, that the only people who would be allowed to wear both was restricted to those who were serving with 4 Armoured Brigade at the time of the Dayton Agreement. This is because Brig (at the time) Dannatt, argued for them to be allowed both. He got what he demanded. Which lead to everyone else assuming the same.

 

[Roadster280]

We were told at the time, that the only people who would be allowed to wear both was restricted to those who were serving with 4 Armoured Brigade at the time of the Dayton Agreement. This is because Brig (at the time) Dannatt, argued for them to be allowed both. He got what he demanded. Which lead to everyone else assuming the same.

I have both. The UNPROFOR one was pretty much an accident. I deployed on Dec 4, 1995 for the first time. I was one of the first seven NATO soldiers into Bosnia. We were a fwd det of 7SR into Sarajevo. Made the news all round the world. On arrival, the French movers issued UN ID cards at Sarajevo airport. I had a UN beret and helmet cover, but never wore them, the specific mission/op that us seven were there for was SF-related, so no berets at all.

Couple weeks later I rejoined 7SR, and started painting trucks from white to black/green. Many months later, I got called to see the SSM, who threw an UNPROFOR medal at me. Apparently, issue of the UN ID card was the critical thing, and although the qualification period was 28 days, apparently the rule was that if the op ended before the 28 days could be accumulated, the medal was awarded. It’s on my docs, nothing about “wear one or the other”, so I have both. Then again, they’re the only two I have, so I’m not complaining.

 

[PapaGolf]

I have both. The UNPROFOR one was pretty much an accident. I deployed on Dec 4, 1995 for the first time. I was one of the first seven NATO soldiers into Bosnia. We were a fwd det of 7SR into Sarajevo. Made the news all round the world. On arrival, the French movers issued UN ID cards at Sarajevo airport. I had a UN beret and helmet cover, but never wore them, the specific mission/op that us seven were there for was SF-related, so no berets at all.

Couple weeks later I rejoined 7SR, and started painting trucks from white to black/green. Many months later, I got called to see the SSM, who threw an UNPROFOR medal at me. Apparently, issue of the UN ID card was the critical thing, and although the qualification period was 28 days, apparently the rule was that if the op ended before the 28 days could be accumulated, the medal was awarded. It’s on my docs, nothing about “wear one or the other”, so I have both. Then again, they’re the only two I have, so I’m not complaining.

I wear both, I also wear Kosovo NATO and EUFOR, the amount of people who i get moaning "why are wearing those? You're only allowed to wear this or that or the other". They obviously have no idea what they're talking about. We may well have crossed paths at some point