Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what rules govern the wearing of a NATO medal for service in former Yugoslavia by UK service personnel who served in Bosnia during the UN mandate but while NATO was providing air cover.

Between 1992 and 2002, members of the UK Armed Forces served in the former Yugoslavia under the command of the UN Protection Force or NATO. UK personnel who served within this period and met the eligibility criteria were entitled to receive either the UN Medal or NATO Service Medal. Eligibility for the UN Medal commenced on 1 March 1992 and ran until 31 December 1995. Eligibility for the NATO Service Medal commenced on 1 July 1992 and ended on 31 December 2002.

UK personnel serving between 1992 and 1995 were not permitted to receive both awards for the same period of service. This would have contravened a central principle of the UK honours system of no double-medalling, which states that only one form of medallic recognition is acceptable for a single period of service. Therefore, personnel serving between 1992 and 1995 received either the UN Medal or the NATO Service Medal, depending on whether they were under UN or NATO command. Personnel serving from 1996 onwards would be entitled only to the NATO Service Medal.

Both medals were approved by Her Majesty to be accepted and worn.