The National Defence Medal is a French military decoration. It was created by Charles Hernu, Minister of Defence and established by decree on April 21, 1982. It rewards particularly honourable service rendered by military personnel for their participation in operational activities. The medal has three levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Eligibility
For military service
The award is made by decision of the military hierarchy, but the recipients must have achieved a personal minimum of:
For the Bronze level: 1 year of service and accumulated 90 points;
For the Silver level: 5 years of service and accumulated 600 points;
For the Gold level: 10 years of service and accumulated 800 points
The medal can be awarded in any one of the three levels to:
Military personnel on active duty or in reserves and civilians killed or injured in the line of duty;
Active military or reservists which have distinguished themselves by the quality of their service;
French civilians and foreign military personnel or civilians who have rendered honourable services particularly important to the defence of France
Mention in Despatches
When an individual is mentioned in despatches for heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy. He or she is awarded the Médaille de la Défense Nationale at the Gold level, adorned with a ribbon device depending on the level of the mention, in the same manner as for the Croix de Guerre.
Award description
Medal and ribbon
The National Defence Medal is a 36 mm in diameter circular medal struck from bronze, the gold level is gilt, the silver award is silvered. The obverse bears the relief image of Rude's Marseillaise with the relief inscription along the upper circumference "FRENCH REPUBLIC". The reverse bears the relief image of a Phrygian cap over a laurel branch and the inscription along the medal circumference in the upper half "ARMY" and "NATION", in the lower half "NATIONAL DEFENSE", the upper and lower inscriptions being separated by a relief five pointed star on each side The medal hangs from a ring through the medal's suspension loop. The bronze grade award's ribbon is a 36 mm wide red silk moiré ribbon with a 12 mm wide central blue stripe. The ribbon for the silver grade award is similar with the addition of 3 mm wide white edge stripes, the edge stripes are yellow for the gold grade award
Clasps
Multiple specialty and geographical clasps are allowed for wear on the ribbon, each grade being allowed a single clasp up to a maximum of three Geographical clasps:
Corps européen
Force océanique stratégique
Missions d'opérations extérieures
Missions d'opérations intérieures
Mururoa-Hao
Terres australes et antarctiques
Forces françaises stationnées en Allemagne
Missions d'assistance extérieure
Postes Interarmées
Speciality clasps:
Infanterie
Troupes de marine
Arme blindée et cavalerie
Artillerie
Train
Génie
Transmissions
Matériel
Commissariat de l'armée de terre
Troupes de montagne
Troupes aéroportées
Aviation légère
Sapeurs-pompiers
Sécurité civile
Légion étrangère
Bâtiments de combat
Sous-marins
Aéronautique navale
Fusiliers marins
Nageurs de combat
Plongeurs démineurs
Marins pompiers
Force aérienne de combat
Force aérienne stratégique
Force aérienne de projection
Commandement air des systèmes de surveillance, d'information et de communication
Défense aérienne
Fusiliers commandos de l'air
Génie de l'air
Commandement des écoles de l'armée de l'air
Armement
Service de santé
Services des essences
Gendarmerie nationale
Armée de terre
Marine nationale
Armée de l'air
Justice militaire
Notable recipients (partial list)
Gold grade
USN RDML Frank Whitworth
Paris firefighter master corporal :fr:Christophe Dubois |Christophe Dubois
