Legion of Merit (Ameristralia)
Royal Ameristralian Defence Forces Legion of Merit | |
---|---|
Awarded by Ministry of Defence | |
Type | Military medal (Decoration) |
Established | "Ameristralia Honours Act," 28 August 2021 |
Eligibility | Royal Ameristralian Defence Forces Friendly foreign forces |
Awarded for | Superior or exceptionally meritorious service |
Status | Currently constituted |
Lord Mayor | David Brooke |
Statistics | |
Total inductees | 0 |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | Gold Star |
Next (lower) | Commendation Medal |
Ribbon |
This article is about the Ameristralian military award. It is not to be confused with Legion of Honour.
The Legion of Merit is a Royal Ameristralian Defence Forces decoration awarded for "superior or exceptionally meritorious service."
Foreign soldiers who have served alongside or with Royal Ameristralian Defence Forces are eligible for the award.
General information
The Legion of Merit was established by the Act to Establish Ameristralian Honours for Citizens, Military and Foreign Dignitaries - Contributory Factors, Eligibility, Requirements, Categories, and Rites 2021. The Gold Star may be awarded by the Minister of Defence, or by such military commanders, as the Minister may designate, to any person, while serving in any capacity in or with the Royal Ameristralian Defence Forces. When the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the Ameristralian forces, the following criteria apply -
- the performance of duties in a clearly exceptional manner;
- the performance of extremely difficult duties performed in an unprecedented manner;
- by virtue of service in successive positions in an extremely meritorious manner;
The degree of Legionnaire is presented to all foreign recipients of the award.
The actions are of a lesser degree than required for the award of Distinguished Service Medal. The service must have been clearly exceptional, but greater than required for the Commendation Medal.
Appearance
The Legion of Merit Medal was designed by David Brooke in 2021. (Brooke also designed all Ameristralian military decorations).
The medal is a gold star measuring 38mm (11/2 inches) in circumferential diameter. The reverse of the star has a space for the recipient's name to be engraved.
The star hangs from its ribbon by a circular loop attached to a rectangular device. The ribbon is 35mm (13/8 inches) in width.
History
The Lord Mayor of Ameristralia, David Brooke, presented the idea of the Legion of Merit, along with other military decorations, to the Municipal Assembly on 28 August 2021 to award Ameristralian service members who distinguished themselves. The Municipal Assembly agreed and approved the Legion of Merit Medal and other awards.
Recipients
Notable recipients of the Legion of Merit are as follows;
Nationality | Rank | Name | Force | Date | Comments |
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Ameristralia | Commander-in-Chief | David Brooke | Royal Ameristralian Defence Forces | 28 August 2021 | Awarded for service to Ameristralia as the Sovereign Lord Mayor and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Ameristralian Defence Forces. |