National Defence Medal


The National Defence Medal is a French military decoration. It was created by Charles Hernu, Minister of Defence and established by decree on 21 April 1982. It rewards particularly honourable service rendered by military personnel for their participation in operational activities. The medal has three levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Eligibility

For military service

The award is made by decision of the military hierarchy, but the recipients must have achieved a personal minimum of:
  • For the Bronze level: 1 year of service and accumulated 90 points;
  • For the Silver level: 5 years of service and accumulated 600 points;
  • For the Gold level: 10 years of service and accumulated 800 points
The yearly quota of Gold and Silver level awards are set by the minister of defence. Points are earned through participation in exercises, operations, proficiency, initiative, awards received, etc. People who had been awarded the Légion d'honneur or the Ordre national du Mérite can not receive the National Defence Medal.

Exceptional circumstances

The medal can be awarded in any one of the three levels to:
  • Military personnel on active duty or in reserves and civilians killed or injured in the line of duty;
  • Active military or reservists which have distinguished themselves by the quality of their service;
  • French civilians and foreign military personnel or civilians who have rendered honourable services particularly important to the defence of France

Mention in Dispatches

When an individual is mentioned in dispatches for heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy. He or she is awarded the Médaille de la Défense Nationale at the Gold level, adorned with a ribbon device depending on the level of the mention, in the same manner as for the Croix de Guerre.

Award description

Medal and ribbon

The National Defence Medal is a 36 mm in diameter circular medal struck from bronze, the gold level is gilt, the silver award is silvered. The obverse bears the relief image of Rude's Marseillaise with the relief inscription along the upper circumference "FRENCH REPUBLIC". The reverse bears the relief image of a Phrygian cap over a laurel branch and the inscription along the medal circumference in the upper half "ARMY" and "NATION", in the lower half "NATIONAL DEFENSE", the upper and lower inscriptions being separated by a relief five pointed star on each side
The medal hangs from a ring through the medal's suspension loop. The bronze grade award's ribbon is a 36 mm wide red silk moiré ribbon with a 12 mm wide central blue stripe. The ribbon for the silver grade award is similar with the addition of 3 mm wide white edge stripes, the edge stripes are yellow for the gold grade award
Gold grade
obverse & ribbon		Silver grade
obverse & ribbon		Bronze grade
obverse & ribbon		Gold grade for
mentions in
dispatches
obverse & ribbon		Gold grade
reverse & ribbon
With clasps:
AIR FORCE and
INTERSERVICES POST		With clasps:
FRENCH NAVY and
SUBMARINES		With clasp:
AIRBORNE TROOPS		With palm for an
Army level citation		Common reverse
for all grades

Clasps

Image:Edouard-Guillaud.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Admiral Édouard Guillaud, a recipient of the Bronze grade of the National Defense Medal
Multiple specialty and geographical clasps are allowed for wear on the ribbon, each grade being allowed a single clasp up to a maximum of three. As of 29 January 2021 the following clasps are awarded:
;Geographical clasps
  • Corps européen
  • Force océanique stratégique
  • Missions d'opérations extérieures
  • Missions d'opérations intérieures
  • Mururoa-Hao
  • Terres australes et antarctiques
  • Essais Nucléaires
;Speciality clasps
  • Armée de l'air
  • Défense aérienne
  • Soutien des forces aériennes
  • Forces aériennes
  • Forces aériennes stratégiques
  • Génie de l'air
  • Espace
  • Service d'infrastructure de la défense
  • Interarmées
  • Service du commissariat des armées
  • Journée défense et citoyenneté
  • Armée de terre
  • Arme blindée et cavalerie
  • Artillerie
  • Aviation légère
  • Génie
  • Infanterie
  • Légion étrangère
  • Troupes de marine
  • Matériel
  • Sapeurs-pompiers
  • Sécurité civile
  • Transmissions
  • Train
  • Troupes aéroportées
  • Troupes de montagne
  • Armement
  • Industrie de défense
  • Défense
  • État-major
  • Gendarmerie nationale
  • Écoles de gendarmerie
  • Formations aériennes de la gendarmerie
  • Garde républicaine
  • Gendarmerie de la sécurité des armements nucléaires
  • Gendarmerie de l'air
  • Gendarmerie de l'armement
  • Gendarmerie départementale
  • Gendarmerie des transports aériens
  • Gendarmerie d'outre-mer
  • Gendarmerie maritime
  • Gendarmerie mobile
  • Justice militaire
  • Marine nationale
  • Aéronautique navale
  • Bâtiments de combat
  • Fusiliers marins
  • Marins pompiers
  • Nageurs de combat
  • Plongeurs démineurs
  • Sous-marins
  • Poste interarmées
  • Service de santé
  • Service des essences
  • Cyber
  • Musique
;Obsolete clasps
  • Forces françaises stationnées en Allemagne
  • Missions d'assistance extérieure
  • Commissariat armée de terre
  • Force Aérienne Tactique
  • Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air
  • Transport Aérien
  • Intendance
  • Commandement air des systèmes de surveillance, d'information et de communications
  • Commandement des Écoles de l'Armée de l'Air
  • Force Aérienne de Combat
  • Force Aérienne de Projection
  • Forces de protection et de sécurité de l'armée de l'air

Notable recipients (partial list)

Gold grade

Silver grade

Bronze grade

Exceptional circumstances

  • USA Major General Charles Hooper
  • USA Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Ritsick

Mentions in dispatches

  • USAF Captain John Mosier
  • USAF Technical Sergeant Kristopher Burridge
  • USAF Senior Airman Jackson Rogers