THE NEW ZEALAND GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1992 - WARLIKE (KUWAIT)

Obverse: A Crowned Effigy of the Sovereign.

Reverse: The inscription "THE NEW ZEALAND GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL" within a wreath of New Zealand flora (fern fronds, pohutukawa, and kowhai blossom) ensigned by a Royal Crown.

Size: 36mm in diameter.

Ribbon: 32mm wide. Dark blue with a light red centre and a narrow central black stripe.

Suspension: By a plain straight suspender.

Clasps Issued: 4

This medal was instituted on 7th May 1992. It was issued in silver to recognise service in warlike operations for which no separate New Zealand or British Commonwealth campaign medal was issued. By the time it was replaced in 2002, four clasps had been issued for warlike operations between 1956 and 1991 in the Suez Canal region, Malaya, Vietnam and Kuwait.

The medal was awarded with a clasp to describe where an individual served. It is worn as a war medal, in order of date of qualification. The New Zealand General Service Medal 1992 has also been issued in bronze for non-warlike operations.

The design and colours of the ribbon are based upon The New Zealand Medal 1845-1847 and 1860-1866, thus are directly linked with the beginnings of New Zealand's military history. As the first occasion upon which New Zealand had issued a war or warlike service medal outside of the two World Wars or the Vietnam War it was considered that the link with the first military campaigns in New Zealand best reflected New Zealand's military heritage.

The clasp "KUWAIT", for service in the Gulf War, was instituted on 7th May 1992.

Qualifying Service
(a) Had, in the period commencing on the 18th December, 1990, and ending on the 12th March, 1991, service of one day or more in the operational area on the posted strength of;
(i) The 1st New Zealand Army Medical Team; or
(ii) The 40 Squadron Detachment Multi-National Force; or
(iii) The New Zealand Defence Force Medical Contingent.
(b) Had, in the operational area, in his or her capacity as a member of the New Zealand Defence Force, service of 30 days or more, whether continuous or aggregated, for official visits, inspections, or other occurrences of a temporary nature of duty.
Operational Area
(a) Those land areas comprising Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emerates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and any other Middle Eastern countries where members of the New Zealand Defence Forces were deployed on active service.
(b) Those sea areas and the island encompassed therein of the Gulf of Suez, the Gulf of Aqaba, The Gulf of Aden, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the North Arabian Sea and bounded to the south and east by an arc joining the following points:
20"30'N 70"40'E, 14"30'N 67"35'E, 8"30'N 60"00'E, 6"20'N 53"52'E, 5"48'N 49"02'E.

Other clasps have been awarded for:
Near East
Malaya 1960-64
Vietnam

Royal Warrant For This Award: View Warrant (PDF document)

Regulations For This Award: View Regulations (PDF document)

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