Guidance

The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (ACSM) 1994 and 2011 Policy Review 2020

Updated 22 July 2021

Defence Instructions and Notices (DINs)

Title:	The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (ACSM) 1994 and 2011 Policy Review 2020
Audience:	All service personnel (Regular and Reserve), Veterans, Civilians, and Contractors
Applies:	Immediately
Expires:	When rescinded or replaced
Replace:	2011-DIN09-008
Reference:	2021DIN09-008
Status:	Current
Released:	June 2021
Channel:	09 – Honours, Awards, Royal & Ceremonial Events
Content:	Clarification of the qualification criteria for the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (ACSM) 1994 and 2011
Sponsor:	Defence Services Secretary, MoD Medals Office
Contact:	Current Medals Policy, DS Sec
Keywords:	Honours and Awards
Local Keywords:	ACSM, Initial Qualification Period
Annexes:	N/A
Related Info:	JSP 761, 2011DIN09-008
Classification:	OFFICIAL

Introduction

1. A review of the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (ACSM) policy and qualification criteria has been conducted to resolve ambiguity over how time on operations is counted towards the ACSM. Once an individual qualifies for specified Campaign, General or Operational Service medals, all time on that medal earning operation (including qualifying time used towards the first Campaign, General or Operational Service medal) will be counted towards the respective ACSM (other than when time is specifically excluded within the respective DIN or JSP 761). The qualification time for the ACSM 1994 and ACSM 2011 remains unchanged (1080 and 720 days, respectively).

2. The MOD Medal Office (MODMO) is in the process of assessing all applications that have been submitted and frozen pending the outcome of this review. These applications do not require resubmitting.

3. Individuals may have been refused an ACSM, or subsequent Clasp(s), between December 2009 and February 2019 due to the discounting of the initial qualifying period from any Campaign, General or Operational Service Medal they had qualified for.

4. Individuals who were awarded an ACSM between December 2009 and February 2019 may have been assessed with the incorrect qualification date, meaning that the rank inscribed on the ACSM could be incorrect, and their service record may be annotated with the incorrect qualification date.

5. There will be no retrospective review by MODMO of ACSM cases dating back to 2009. Individuals who believe they may have been affected by the deduction of the initial qualifying period towards the ACSM are invited to apply to MODMO for a review and re-assessment.

Background

6. The ACSM was instituted to recognise repeat operational service by individuals in theatres where Campaign, General Service Medals with Clasp(s) and the Operational Service Medals were awarded.

Policy Review

7. Between December 2009 and February 2019, there have been discrepancies in the administration of the ACSM policy due to ambiguity around whether ‘All’ time or only ‘Subsequent’ time on a medal earning operation counted towards qualification for the ACSM once the initial qualification period for the medal had been completed.

8. From 2014, a consistent approach was applied whereby the initial qualifying period for Campaign, Operational and General Service Medals was not counted towards the ACSM. Before this time, the methodology for calculating qualifying time was non standardised.

9. On discovery of the extent of the issue in February 2019, processing of all ACSM applications was suspended pending clarification of the policy to prevent further errors being made, either in denial of the ACSM, or in calculating the date of entitlement which can affect the rank inscribed on the rim of the medal.

10. JSP 761 Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces is currently under revision and will be updated in due course to reflect the clarification of the ACSM qualification criteria to prevent any future ambiguity.

Action required by affected individuals

11. There will be no retrospective review by MODMO of ACSM cases dating back to December 2009 and individuals are invited to contact them if they believe they may have been affected.

12. Service personnel

a. Current pending application. MODMO will now finalise the assessment of all ACSM applications submitted since they were suspended. Although this will be completed as quickly as possible, individuals and Unit Admin are requested not to hasten individual applications as this will delay processing. If Unit admin staff have submitted bulk applications between 2019 and May 2021, and not heard from MODMO by 30 November 2021, please email DBS-Medals@mod.gov.uk.

b. No previous application. Current service personnel (Regular or Reserve) who believe they may have been affected and do not currently have an application for the ACSM pending with MODMO should apply through their Unit Admin, using JPA form 003, emailed to DBS-Medals@mod.gov.uk, or posted to the address at paragraph 16.

c. ACSM previously awarded. There is the potential that a service person awarded the ACSM from January 2015 may have qualified at an earlier date/rank then the inscription around the rim of their current medal. SP who believe they may have qualified earlier than is currently recorded should apply to MODMO. If following an application, the inscription is identified as incorrect then the medal should be returned to MODMO. The Medal Office will contact the individual to request that the medal is returned. A new ACSM with correct details will then be engraved and issued.

13. Veterans. Former service personnel (Regular or Reserve) who believe they may have been affected and do not currently have an application for the ACSM pending with the MOD Medal Office should apply directly via the general medal application form on the MOD medal form page and post to the address at paragraph 11. This information will be promulgated separately to veterans, but single services are encouraged to share the appropriate information with service associations etc.

14. Civilians. Civilians acting under UK Military Command who have eligibility for campaign medals, General Service Medal (GSM)s and Operational Service Medals (OSMs) who believe they may have been affected and do not currently have an application for the ACSM pending with the MOD Medal Office, should apply via the Support to Operations Cell, who will complete and email an application to DBS-Medals@mod.gov.uk, or post to the address at paragraph 11.

15. Contractors. Contractors who believe they were affected, and do not currently have an application for the ACSM pending with the MOD Medal Office, should apply through their company, or directly, via their MOD Point of Contact. A CONDO form 5 should be requested, completed and submitted by email to your MOD Designated Officer (DO) and/or Designated Officer’s Representative (DOR) in Theatre for validation of deployment dates, who will then forward the validated form directly to the CONDO Mounting Cell, or Stabilisation Unit, for contractor status validation. The completed application will then be emailed to DBS-Medals@mod.gov.uk for final verification and eligibility checks.

Those who have access to the intranet can download a CONDO form 5.

16. Postal Address. All hard copy applications with photocopies of supporting documentation, either directly or via Units, the Support to Operations Cell, or CONDO Mounting Cell should be posted to the below address:

MOD Medal Office
Innsworth House
Imjin Barracks
Gloucester
GL3 1HW

Annex A: questions

Q1. Is the ACSM a campaign medal?

No. Despite its name the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal is not a campaign medal, as it does not recognise an individual operational theatre and period. The ACSM is a Long Service & Efficiency Medal, as described in the Order of Wear.

Q2. Why was time on a medal earning operation deducted from counting towards the ACSM once the Campaign/General/Operational Service medal was earned?

A fundamental principle of the UK Honours system is ‘No Double Medalling’. This requires that no two medals are instituted or approved to recognise an individual for the same period of service and/or deployment. Over time, the status of the ACSM had become blurred and some cases that were assessed discounted the initial qualify period for the Campaign/General/Operational Service medal. However, that was not the original intent for the ACSM, which is to recognise Long Service & Efficiency on operations that carry medallic recognition.

Q3. If the ACSM is a Long Service & Efficiency Medal is there a ‘Double Medalling’ issue between the ACSM and the Long Service & Good Conduct Medal or the Volunteer Reserve Service Medal?

No. The ACSM recognises a very distinct aspect of service compared to other Long Service & Efficiency medals. Whereas the Long Service & Good Conduct Medal and Volunteer Reserve Service Medal measure the time an individual served in the UK Armed Forces clear of any major disciplinary entries on their record, the ACSM recognises length of time and repeat service on medal earning operations and applies to service personnel, civilians and contractors.

Q4. What was the underlying cause for a change in the administration of the ACSM?

In December 2009, the master policy document for all Honours and Awards in the UK Armed Forces (JSP 761), was amended stating “Time counted towards the Campaign Service Medal cannot be re-counted towards the ACSM and clasp”. Wording in later additions of the JSP 761 became more ambiguous.

The MOD Medal Office subsequently standardised the administration of the deduction from 14 December 2014, as part of a process review.

Q5. How much time was deducted from counting towards the ACSM?

The amount of time deducted towards the ACSM was dependent on which Campaign medals, General Service Medal with Clasp(s) or Operational Service Medals an individual had earned. As an example if a service person served on Operation TORAL in Afghanistan and received the OSM Afghanistan with Clasp, and has subsequently received the OSM Iraq & Syria with Clasp for a tour on Operation SHADER in Syria, then the initial qualifying periods for each medal would have been deducted (e.g. 30 days + 30 days = 60 days deducted).

Q6. Why is it not possible to identify how many people have been affected?

The MOD Medal Office standardised the deduction of the ‘Initial Qualifying Period’ of each Campaign/General/Operational Service Medal from 14 December 2014. Only cases after this date can be confirmed.

Q7. Why is the MOD not taking proactive corrective action to resolve any previous misadministration of the ACSM policy?

It is not possible to identify every case that has been inadvertently affected by the error. Due to the passage of time, there will be service personnel who have left the Armed Forces and the MOD no longer holds current contact information. MOD will be taking action to publicise the issue to the Veterans community and will review any application requesting a review of entitlement to the ACSM or ACSM Clasp(s).

Q8. My application was submitted whilst serving at a previous Unit. Will my medal be sent to my current Unit for presentation to me?

Yes. The MOD Medal Office will verify your current Unit address using JPA Move & Track.

Q9. I am due to leave the Armed Forces in the next few months. Will my medal be sent to my previous Unit?

If you are due to leave the Armed Forces in the next 6 months, please contact the MOD Medal Office and provide a permanent or suitable address for the medal to be sent.

Q10. I am due to be deployed overseas. If eligible for the ACSM, will the medal be despatched to my current Unit or home address?

No. If deployed overseas the MOD Medal Office will retain your medal until JPA reflects a UK Permanent Unit, or Rear Party based address if on operations.

Q11. I have already made an application for the ACSM which I have not yet been given a decision on. Do I need to reapply now?

No. The MOD Medal Office is working through the applications it has received and you will receive a response in due course.

Q12. I applied for an ACSM after 2018 and received a letter advising I did not qualify. Why if there was a review underway, did I still receive a rejection letter?

The MOD Medal Office continued to assess applications for the ACSM during the review completing calculations which both included and deducted the initial qualifying periods for Campaign, General and Operational Service Medals (with and without clasps). If it was clear that even with the Initial Qualifying Period, you did not qualify they would have written back to you to notify accordingly.

However, if you have subsequently had further time deployed to medal earning operational theatres and believe you may now qualify, please submit an application via your Unit.

Q13. I applied for an ACSM and/or clasp after December 2009 and I received the award. Does this still affect me?

Yes. Those individuals between December 2009 to January 2015 are less likely to have been affected by this error, as it was based on the application of the policy. However, anyone who applied after December 2014, when the MOD Medal Office standardised their processes, will most certainly have had time towards the ACSM deducted. This will affect the qualification date on the individual’s personnel record. This should be amended especially for service personnel, as this will be listed on their Certificates of Service.

There is also the potential that if a service person qualified at an earlier date then the inscription around the rim of the medal may have included the wrong Rank or Unit.

Q14. What if I did qualify at an earlier date and the inscription is incorrect?

If following an application to check the qualification date, the inscription is identified as incorrect, then the medal should be returned to the MOD Medal Office. The MOD Medal Office will contact you to request the medal is returned. A new medal with correct details will then be engraved and sent to you.

Q15. Will the MOD refund any costs for the newly engraved medal to be mounted on my medal set?

For Currently Serving Personnel:

Yes, but only for Other Ranks who have their medals swing mounted at public expense. All officers and those with court mounted medals must maintain these at personal expense. The only exception to this, is for personnel on State Ceremonial and Public Duties, who can have their medals court mounted at public expense through military tailoring contracts

For Veterans, Civilians and Contractors:

No. Unfortunately, there is no refund available for any medals to be remounted at public expense.

Q16. I have served on operations and earned a General Service Medal 2008 or an Operational Service Medal with Clasp. The qualification criteria on the DIN states that only subsequent time will count towards the ACSM after the medal and clasp is earned. Does this time now count?

Yes. The DINs for the General Service Medals 2008 with Clasp(s) and Operational Service Medals earned for specific operations will be amended and published to reflect the ACSM clarification.

Q17. Does the clarification of time counted towards the ACSM also remove the exclusions outlined in the JSP 761 or the individual medal DINs (e.g. service in British Embassies, or The Gulf War)?

No. There are still specific exclusions of time that counts towards the ACSM and are explicitly outlined in the JSP 761 or the individual medal DINs.

Q18. I was injured after 3 days in a medal earning theatre and was subsequently CASEVAC’d (Casualty evacuated) to the UK. I received the medal for that theatre does this mean that 30 days are counted towards the ACSM?

No. Although your deployment to an operational theatre was expected to be 30+ days in the medal earning theatre, there is no automatic inclusion of expected time in theatre. The ACSM recognises length of time served whilst on medal earning operations, whilst the automatic award of Campaign, General or Operational Service Medals recognise the Risk & Rigour of operational deployments.

Q19. I served on Operation SHADER and received the OSM Iraq & Syria without Clasp. However, I did deploy forward into Iraq & Syria, but with insufficient time to earn the OSM Iraq & Syria Clasp. Can the time in Iraq & Syria count towards the ACSM?

Yes. The ACSM criteria recognises time once a medal, with or without clasp, is earned for a specific operational theatre, providing the DIN states the medals attract time towards the ACSM.

Q20. I served on Operation SHADER and received the OSM Iraq & Syria with Clasp. However, I have served in the wider Operation SHADER Joint Operational Area (e.g. Akrotiri), but not for 45 or 60 days. Does this time count towards the ACSM?

Yes, because once the Operational Service Medal with Clasp has been already earned any time spent in the wider joint operational area, which would qualify for the OSM Iraq & Syria Without Clasp will also be counted towards the ACSM.

Q21. I have earned a General Service Medal 2008 (GSM ’08) with Geographical Clasp for a specific medal earning operation. I have since deployed to another Operation within the same geographical region that would attract the same medal and clasp. I appreciate I cannot earn another GSM ’08 with the same or second clasp, however, do I still need to complete the pre-requisite qualifying time for the second operation before time counts towards the ACSM, or does it automatically count towards the ACSM?

No. If a service person has qualified for the GSM08 with a geographical clasp and subsequently deploys on another GSM08 earning operation with the same geographical clasp, all time will count towards the ACSM, including time prior to the qualification of the GSM08 with the same geographical clasp.

Q22. I have earned a General Service Medal 2008 (GSM ’08) with Eastern Africa Clasp. However, I have deployed on Operations that attract a different Geographical Clasp, but not for sufficient time to earn the other clasp (e.g. Northern Africa). As I have earned the GSM ’08, will time still count from those operations to the ACSM?

No. Each GSM08 with a specific geographical clasp is considered as a single award.

Q23. I have served on operations with the EU, NATO and UN and received medals that have been approved for ‘Accept and Wear’. Does this clarification allow for time spent on these medal earning operations to count towards the ACSM?

No. The policy clarification has not changed the position for those medals approved for ‘Accept & Wear’ from UN, NATO, or EU operations.

Currently there are no UN, NATO, or EU medals that count time towards the ACSM. However, there remains scope for future UN, NATO, or EU medals to count time towards the ACSM. Whether the time is accruable towards the ACSM would be reflected in the respective DIN confirming ‘Accept & Wear’.

Q24. I served part-time with the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Irish Regiment has this policy impacted me?

No. There is a separate qualification criterion for those who served part-time in the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Irish Regiment, as it is deemed Home Service. The criterion is 1000 paid duties which requires submission of statement of earnings.

Q25. I have earned various Campaign, General and Operational Service medals. During my time on these medal earning operations, as well as being deployed forward into the operational theatres, there were occasions where I conducted multiple sorties, or provided Force Protection. These sorties are not captured on my JPA Move & Track record, can this time be counted towards the ACSM?

Sorties can be only be counted towards the ACSM providing that the relevant DIN for the specific Campaign, General or Operational Service Medals earned by the service person include a sortie qualification criterion. These sorties can only accrue to the qualification of the medal and the ACSM at a rate of no more than 1 per day/24hr period.

Evidence, such as a copy of the annotated logbook or manifest that confirms the sortie was conducted on the specific medal earning Operation and within the qualifying location, must be submitted to the MOD Medal Office along with the application form. It should be noted that Sorties and time deployed on a medal earning operation cannot be double counted, and therefore the evidence is only required where the service person is based outside of a medal earning operational theatre (e.g. deployed with 903 EAW (Op SHADER) at Akrotiri flying sorties into Iraq or Syria).

Q26. I have earned an OSM Iraq & Syria undertaking sorties as part of the Reaper crew. As the qualifying time for the OSM is in hours does this time count towards the ACSM and is it calculated differently?

Yes, the Reaper sorties will count towards the ACSM at a rate of no more than 1 per day/ 24hour period. Although the criterion for purposes of earning the OSM Iraq & Syria is calculated in hours, the rate of 1 per day/24 hours to the ACSM provides parity with those conducting physically piloted aircraft.

Evidence, such as a copy of the annotated logbook that confirms the sortie was conducted on the specific medal earning Operation and within the qualifying location, must be submitted to the MOD Medal Office along with the application form.