History
Some policing is a career; some is a campaign. The AFP Operations Medal recognises the second kind: service by individuals in a prescribed operation or activity deemed significant by the AFP Commissioner, whether a national investigation, a major protective operation or a deployment far from home. It is the closest thing federal policing has to a campaign medal, and like a campaign medal it never travels alone.
The medal is always awarded with a clasp bearing the name of the relevant operation or activity, and service on further prescribed operations adds further clasps, attached to the ribbon in date order. Which operations qualify is a matter for the Commissioner's declaration, so the roll of clasps grows with the force's history.
Design & ribbon
The medal
The medal bears the AFP platypus, the Crown of Saint Edward and the Federation Star. The reverse carries a wreath of wattle.
The ribbon
Blue, white, blue-grey, dark blue and gold.
The ribbon has stripes of blue, white, blue-grey, dark blue and gold.
Clasps
The medal is always awarded with a clasp naming the operation or activity, with further clasps added in date order for later prescribed service.
Alliance
Denotes Australian Federal Police service on Operation Alliance, a prescribed operation recognised by the AFP Operations Medal.
Cawdor
Denotes Australian Federal Police service on Operation Cawdor, a prescribed operation recognised by the AFP Operations Medal.
Eligibility
The medal recognises individuals for service in a prescribed operation or activity deemed significant by the AFP Commissioner.
- Every award carries a clasp with the name of the relevant operation or activity; additional prescribed service brings additional clasps, attached to the ribbon in date order;
- The qualifying operations and their criteria are set by the Commissioner's declarations;
- The medal sits outside the national honours system and carries no post-nominal.
Order of wear
AFP internal and jurisdiction awards sit outside the national honours system. On AFP uniform they are worn after all the awards in the Australian Order of Wearing, in the sequence set by the AFP's own wear guide, with jurisdiction and foreign force awards following the internal awards. The force's dress instructions govern the details.
Frequently asked questions
What is the AFP Operations Medal awarded for?
Service by an individual in a prescribed operation or activity that the AFP Commissioner has deemed significant.
Why does every medal have a clasp?
The clasp names the operation the medal was earned on. The medal itself is common to all recipients; the clasp is the record of the specific service.
What happens for a second operation?
A further clasp is attached to the ribbon of the same medal, in date order. Only one medal is ever issued.
Which operations qualify?
Those the Commissioner prescribes by declaration. The roll grows with the force's operational history, and the AFP honours and awards team holds the authoritative list.
Is this a national honour?
No. It is an AFP internal award, worn among the force's own awards after all the awards in the Australian Order of Wearing.
Does it carry a post-nominal?
No.