- Target:
- Australian Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal
- Region:
- Australia
This petition is now closed.
In 2006, the Australian Federal Government announced that "1,000,000 Australians would be eligible to receive the Australian Defence Medal for an initial enlistment period, or four years efficient service" - To date less than one quarter of that number has been issued to current and former serving regular and reserve forces personnel.
The reason for this is that the eligibility criteria for this medal has been set too high by the Federal Government. In a recent review of the medal's entitlement criteria, the Australian Honours and Awards Tribunal made no recommendation for the change of service time eligibility.
Going on the Federal Government's own information, there are still several hundred thousand former serving defence personnel who will never receive any form of official recognition from the Government and people of Australia, whom they served, due to their inability to meet the current eligibility requirements.
Let the Australian Defence Medal be issued to those personnel who have completed their basic and employment training, and served for a minimum of TWO YEARS in the Australian Defence Forces.
This should be satisfactory and recognisable service for those who signed on to take the same risks, follow the same orders, serve under the same military justice system, and endure the same unique demands of military service as those who have served for the current minimum of four years service to be awarded the Australian Defence Medal.
The Anniversary of National Service Medal recognises former National Service men and women for their commitment. Some commitments, due to Government policy at the time, were as short as three months in duration, yet former National Service personnel qualify for both the Anniversary of National Service Medal and the Australian Defence Medal.
It's time to re-examine this issue, and make good the commitment made by the former and current Federal Governments, and reduce the eligibility service time criteria of the Australian Defence Medal to TWO years efficient service.
Please sign this petition to show your support.
We, the undersigned, want the Australian Federal Government, the Australian Honours and Awards Tribunal, and the Governor General of Australia to extend the recognition to all current and former serving Australian Defence personnel, by reducing the time eligibility criteria of the Australian Defence Medal from it's current four years to TWO years of efficient service, which includes completion of recruit and trade training.
This will clearly demonstrate The Australian Government's ongoing commitment to recognise those who have served, serve now, and will serve in the future, and will only enhance the reputation of the Australian Honours and Awards System for it's willingness to see that more Australians who have served their country, receive at least some official recognition for their service.
The The Australian Defence Medal Eligibility Criteria petition to Australian Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal was written by fixtheadmnow and is in the category Military at GoPetition.