Qualifying time for Accumulated Campaign Service Medal reduced
The Queen has approved an amendment to the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal, with the qualifying time criterion to be reduced from 36 months (1,080 days) to 24 months (720 days).
![Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (stock image) [Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD]](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/image_data/file/6384/s300_Qualifying_time_for_Accumulated_Campaign_Service_Medal_reduced.jpg)
Accumulated Campaign Service Medal
Service personnel will now be eligible for an Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (ACSM) after two years of operational service instead of the three years previously required.
The change to the qualifying time criterion for the medal for members of the Armed Forces, MOD civil servants, and Contractors on Deployed Operations (CONDO) came into force on 1 July 2011, following approval from Her Majesty The Queen.
The Medal will remain unchanged but a new ribbon will be awarded.
The ACSM was instituted to recognise individual repeat operational service in those theatres where the General Service Medal (1962) with clasp was awarded since 14 August 1969.
In May 2000, the Operational Service Medal (OSM) replaced the General Service Medal 1962 (GSM 62) as the United Kingdom’s campaign service medal. Consequently, the ACSM ribbon and qualifying period have been amended to recognise this change and the range of qualifying service amended to reflect the contemporary operational and medallic environments.
Holders of an operational service medal or other specifically designated multi-national campaign medals serving on or after 1 January 2008, be they military, MOD civilian or Contractors on Deployed Operations, serving or retired, are eligible for the ACSM 11 provided they meet the qualifying criteria.
To be awarded the ACSM 11, an individual must hold a qualifying operational medal from the list below, or other specifically designated multinational campaign medals, and have completed more than 24 months’ (720 days) campaign service.
Bars are to be awarded for each additional period of 720 days approved operational service. A month is defined as 30 days, and part-months may be accumulated.
The following campaign service counts towards the ACSM 11:
a. GSM Northern Ireland 14 Aug 69 - 31 Jul 07
b. GSM Dhofar 1 Oct 69 - 30 Sep 76
c. GSM Lebanon 7 Feb 83 - 9 Mar 84
d. GSM Mine Clearance Gulf of Suez 15 Aug 84 - 15 Oct 84
e. GSM Gulf 17 Nov 86 - 28 Feb 89
f. GSM Kuwait 8 Mar 91 - 30 Sep 91
g. GSM N Iraq & S Turkey 6 Apr 91 - 17 Jul 91
h. GSM Air Operations Iraq (South) 16 Jul 91 - 18 Mar 03, and Iraq (North) 16 Jul 91 - 30 Apr 03
i. OSM Sierra Leone 5 May 00 - 31 Jul 02
j. OSM Afghanistan 11 Sep 01 to a date to be decided
k. OSM Democratic Republic of Congo 14 Jun 03 - 10 Sep 03
l. The Iraq Medal 20 Jan 03 - 22 May 11
m. Multinational campaign medals - approved since 1 Apr 00
Note: One air sortie equates to one day towards the ACSM at the rate of not more than one sortie per day.
The following areas do not count towards the ACSM 11:
a. Service prior to 14 Aug 69
b. Kuwait during Op TELIC after 10 Aug 03
c. Service in the Balkans
d. Service in the British Embassy in Iraq
e. Service on Op BANDOG with the exception of Afghanistan
f. The Gulf War - The Gulf Medal 1990-91
g. The Falklands - South Atlantic Medal