THE INTERNATIONAL FORCE EAST TIMOR (INTERFET) MEDAL

Obverse: The image of a dove holding within its beak an olive branch overlaying a map of East Timor. Around the edge the words "INTERNATIONAL FORCE EAST TIMOR".

Reverse: The inscription "TOGETHER AS ONE FOR PEACE IN EAST TIMOR" around the edge, outside a circle.

Size: 36mm in diameter.

Ribbon: 32mm wide. White with a dark blue stripe on each outer edge, and a green stripe in the centre, in the centre of which is a narrow red stripe.

Suspension: By a plain straight suspender.

Instituted on 25th March 2000, the Australian medal is ensigned by the Commonwealth or Federation Star that attaches it to the suspender bar and symbolises that the force was led by Australia. The green of the ribbon represents the Army and regrowth of a new nation. The red is for the turbulent past of East Timor and the white represents the Navy and for peace. The blue represents the Air Force and the sea.

Approximately 1300 New Zealand Defence Force personnel served with INTERFET and approximately 900 are eligible to accept and wear the INTERFET Medal, which has a qualifying time of 30 days service. INTERFET was an Australian led, United Nations sanctioned, Multinational Force, established on 16 September 1999 to restore peace and security to East Timor.

The New Zealand Defence Force contributed naval, ground, and air elements to INTERFET between 20 September 1999 and 22 February 2000. New Zealand personnel in East Timor passed under the auspices of the United Nations Transitional Administration (UNTAET) on 23 February 2000. Eligibility dates for New Zealand personnel are from 20 September 1999 to 22 February 2000, slightly different from those applying to Australian military personnel.

Conditions for the Award of The Interfet Medal:
Service of 30 days or more, continuous or in the aggregate, with the International Force in East Timor commencing on 16 September 1999 and ending on 10 April 2000. The operational area for the award of the medal being East Timor and the sea adjacent to East Timor out to a distance of 12 nautical miles from the low water mark.

The medal may be awarded for 30 sorties within the operational area, provided that those sorties were conducted over a period of not less than an aggregate of 30 days at a rate of one sortie per day.

The medal may be awarded for official visits, inspections or other occurrences of a temporary nature with the military contribution to the Operation for a period of 30 days, or for period amounting in the aggregate to 30 days.

Except for visitors, where a person does not complete the required 30 days qualifying period owing to his or her death, evacuation due to illness, injury or other disability due to service, the member will be deemed to have qualified for the medal. Service outside the operational area will not qualify, e.g. Darwin or Jakarta.

Regulations For This Award: View Regulations (PDF document)

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