Royal Fleet Auxiliary Association.
Furthering the Efficiency of the Service - Caring for the RFA Community.
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Royal Fleet Auxiliary Association.
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PRESS RELEASE
PN145/2010 04 August 2010
HUNDREDS OF BRITISH SERVICEMEN TO RECEIVE MEDALS
Hundreds more British servicemen and women will receive medals, under new plans announced today by the MoD.
At present, members of the Armed Forces who serve for 30 continuous days qualify for Iraq and Afghanistan campaign medals. Following a review, those who have served for an aggregate period of 45 days will also now be eligible. These changes will be backdated to the start of both operations.
The Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan, said:
“I am pleased to be able to announce these changes, which will mean that hundreds of brave personnel who have served in the most dangerous of circumstances will now receive the recognition they deserve.”
Examples of service personnel who could now be eligible include members of the Aeromedical Evacuation Teams who accompany injured patients back to the UK.
Under the new plans, personnel who deploy for short periods of time, will be allowed to build up accrued days, to achieve an aggregate qualifying period of 45 days service.
These changes have been approved by Her Majesty The Queen following recommendations by military Chiefs of Staff.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Roz Britton-Elliott in the MoD Press Office on 0207 218 5903 or email: dmc-newspersonnel3@mod.uk
Notes to editors
Information will be promulgated internally to each Service and externally (for those who have now left the Armed Forces) via Service and ex Service organisations.
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The RFA Reunion was established in the Borders region by retired officers some 25 years ago, and it attracted immediate and growing support from both retired and serving personnel. The structure was quite informal, and the event was managed on a private liability basis, which was satisfactory in the early years. In 1995 an attempt was made to establish an association, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the end of WW2 , but insufficient numbers came forward at that time. However, demand for services and information continued to grow, and this was partly satisfied by the introduction of the Landfall column in Gunline the same year. By 1988 it was clear a more formal approach was required in matters of remembrance, bereavement and ceremonial for application within our special community. COMRFA gave his approval for the establishment of a non-public fund to be called the RFA Reunion Memorial Fund, and a steering committee was formed in Northumberland in June 1998. Two years later RFA management developed a range of personnel policies in line with those in the armed forces, and one consequence was to give effect to an after-care policy through 
active support for the various activities now being undertaken by the RFA Reunion and the Memorial Fund. Practical support of this kind and a shared vision enabled the establishment of the RFA Landfall Association in April 2001, and for the first time there was a listed membership. A year later the members voted overwhelmingly for the adoption of charity status, and after various procedural formalities the RFA Association was entered in the Register of Charities in September 2002. The RFA Association is an unincorporated association open to all serving and retired personnel and it has the shared aims of furthering the efficiency of the Service, and caring for the RFA community.