United Nations Medal

Awarded to service members for six months service with any authorized United Nations Peace keeping mission. The award is one of several international decorations issued by the United Nations to the various militaries of the world for participation in joint international military operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief. A United Nations Medal is ranked in most militaries as a service medal, meaning that it is not issued for a specific heroic or meritorious act, but rather for general participation in a broad operation. In most nations, the standard United Nations Medal is awarded in lieu of a campaign specific medal. In the United States Armed Forces, service members are encouraged to only wear the standard United Nations Medal. A service member who received several United Nations Medals is permitted to display only one such medal on their military uniform, that medal being of the service member's choice. Multiple United Nations Medals are then denoted by service stars on the United Nations Medal which is being displayed. Since the United Nations Medal is an international decoration, it is ranked in most militaries as a foreign award and displayed after all decorations of a service member's particular military force.