This medal has been granted permission to be worn when awarded for service in operational areas.
The NATO MSM may be awarded to military and civilian personnel serving permanently or temporarily under NATO Command or control in recognition of exceptional or remarkable service to the Alliance. The UK eligibility is:
a. Awards for operational service in an operational theatre (defined as the area which qualifies for an approved campaign medal); and,
b. Those not in receipt of a UK State Level award for substantially the same service.
QUALIFYING CRITERIA
4. UK personnel must be commended personally by the operational Theatre Commander or Head of NATO Body for their meritorious service in one or more of the following categories:
a. Performing acts of courage in difficult or dangerous circumstances.
b. Showing exceptional leadership or personal example.
c. Making an outstanding individual contribution to any activity or programme.
d. Enduring particular hardship or deprivation in the interest of NATO.
5. A specified period of service is not required either as qualifying service or for the posthumous award of the NATO MSM to personnel killed, presumed killed or repatriated consequent to wounding or serious injury while on assignment.
MULTIPLE AWARDS
6. Individuals may not be awarded more than one honour or medal in recognition of the same period of military service. There is however no limit to the number of times an individual may be awarded the NATO MSM. In all instances, if the recipient has received national recognition for the same period of service approval to accept but not permission to wear will be granted.
7. Multiple awards approved for wear will be recognised by the use of an Arabic numeral on the medal ribbon and the tunic ribbon. The award of the NATO MSM may be made conjointly with a UK or NATO campaign medal if the qualifying conditions for such an award have been met.
IMPLEMENTATION
8. The award of the NATO MSM can only be approved by the Secretary General. Certificates signed by the Secretary General will be produced to accompany all medals awarded in accordance with these regulations. The responsibility to ensure that nominations meet the eligibility criteria for the NATO MSM is delegated to the Theatre Commanders, Strategic Commanders and those Heads of NATO Bodies who submit nominations.
9. The responsibility to ensure that nominations meet the UK rules and agreed qualifying eligibility criteria is delegated to the Defence Services Secretary (DS Sec). Citations will be forwarded to DS Sec by the Director General International Military Staff at NATO, through the United Kingdom Permanent Representative to NATO for review by the Armed Forces Operational Awards Committee (AFOAC) alongside other recommendations for National and Foreign Operational Awards.
10. The list of those awards approved for wear will be formally announced in the London Gazette.
RETROSPECTION
11. Retrospective authority to wear the NATO MSM has also been granted for those individuals already in receipt of the NATO MSM, in recognition of meritorious operational service, if they fulfil the criteria above in all respects. On behalf of DS Sec, MS Honours are the formal authority for confirming UK authority to wear this award. Recipients who believe they meet the eligibility and qualifying criteria as per Paras 3 and 4, above, are to write to MS Honours, providing proof of receipt and nature of meritorious operation service recognised, as the address below:
MS Honours
Floor 6 Zone C
Main Building
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2HB
12. Recipients are not to wear the award until they have received confirmation of entitlement from MS Honours. In the event of the medal being awarded in recognition of meritorious service other than detailed in para 3, in line with current permissions, the medal may continue to be accepted, but not worn.
MEDAL
13. The medal is silver and circular in form. It does not bear the name of the recipient. On the obverse the NATO star emblem is set in a wreath of olive leaves and on the reverse the title North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the words In Service of Peace and Freedom. The medal is suspended from a ribbon, one and a quarter inches in width, consisting of a NATO blue ribbon bordered on both sides by white stripes, each of which contains both a gold thread with and a silver thread inside. The clasp for the NATO MSM ribbon bears the inscription "MERITORIOUS", preceded and followed by the NATO compass rose as shown.
14. Medal Certificate. A certificate will be provided for each NATO medal awarded. The certificate is bordered by the flags of all Alliance nations and signed by the Secretary General.
15. Miniatures. A miniature replica of the medal is presented with the medal for formal dinner dress.
16. Multiple-Award Indicators. The Multiple Award indicators, in common with all NATO medals, will consist of an Arabic numeral positioned centrally on the tunic ribbon.
ORDER OF WEAR
17. The NATO MSM is to be mounted after efficiency and long service decoration and medals and Commonwealth Orders alongside other Foreign Orders, Decorations and Medals in date order of award.
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