Campaign medal

A Campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of the military who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater. 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.

Related Topics:
Military decoration - Service medal

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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 first widespready use of campaign medals dates to the era of the Napoleonic Wars when Napoleon Bonaparte ordered a large number of ribbons and medals created for issuance to the soldiers serving under his command. Seeing how the soldiers prided the receipt of such decorations, and a desire to receive more such awards, Napoleon was quoted as saying: "With a handful of ribbons I can conquer all of Europe".

Related Topics:
Napoleonic Wars - Napoleon Bonaparte

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In the United States armed forces, some of the more well known campaign medals include the Vietnam Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Southwest Asia Service Medal. The most recent U.S. Campaign Medal is the Iraq Campaign Medal, created for service in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Related Topics:
United States armed forces - Vietnam Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Iraq Campaign Medal - 2003 invasion of Iraq

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