Medal for Gallantry

Medal for Gallantry
Name	Medal for Gallantry
Awarded by	Australia
Type	Military decoration
Eligibility	Australian Defence Force members
For	Acts of gallantry in action in hazardous circumstances
Status	Currently awarded
Post-nominals	MG
Established	15 January 1991
First award	1993
Higher	Star of Gallantry
Lower	Commendation for Gallantry
Related	Cross of Valour

Contents

History
Design
Eligibility and criteria
Recipients
Order of wear
See also

Medal for Gallantry. The Medal for Gallantry is a military decoration of the Australian honours system awarded for acts of gallantry in action in hazardous circumstances. It was established on 15 January 1991 by letters patent from the Governor-General of Australia and is the third-highest award for gallantry in the Australian Defence Force. The medal recognises actions that are considered worthy of recognition but are of a lesser degree than those required for the Star of Gallantry or the Victoria Cross for Australia.

History

The medal was created as part of the review of the Australian honours system that led to the establishment of a distinct suite of Australian bravery awards, separate from the British honours system. Prior to its institution, Australian service personnel were eligible for British awards such as the Military Medal and the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The creation of the Medal for Gallantry, along with the Star of Gallantry and the Commendation for Gallantry, provided a fully Australian hierarchy for recognising gallantry in action. The first awards were made in 1993 for actions during the International Force East Timor and subsequent conflicts including the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War.

Design

The medal is a silver rhodium-plated disc, 38 millimetres in diameter. The obverse features a modified Commonwealth Star surrounded by a ring of flames, superimposed over a pattern of Sturt's desert pea flowers, the floral emblem of South Australia. The reverse is plain, allowing for the engraving of the recipient's details. The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a central stripe of blood red flanked by stripes of white and dark blue, reflecting the colours associated with gallantry awards. The medal is suspended from a plain silver bar adorned with a Mimosa blossom, the national floral emblem.

Eligibility and criteria

The medal is awarded to members of the Australian Defence Force for acts of gallantry in action in hazardous circumstances. The action must take place in a non-warlike situation that still involves a level of hazard comparable to a warlike scenario, as determined by the Chief of the Defence Force. Recommendations are typically initiated by a recipient's commanding officer and proceed through the Department of Defence chain of command before final approval by the Governor-General of Australia. The award can be made posthumously, and additional acts can be recognised with a clasp to the medal ribbon.

Recipients

Since its inception, the medal has been awarded sparingly, with only eight recipients as of 2023. Notable recipients include Trooper Mark Donaldson, who was awarded the medal for his actions during the War in Afghanistan in 2008 before later being awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia. Other recipients include personnel from the Special Air Service Regiment, the 2nd Commando Regiment, and the Royal Australian Regiment for valour in conflicts in East Timor, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Two awards have been made posthumously, to Corporal Cameron Baird and Corporal Richard Atkinson.

Order of wear

Within the Australian honours system, the Medal for Gallantry is worn after the Star of Gallantry and before the Commendation for Gallantry. In the broader order of wear encompassing all Australian awards, it is positioned after the Nursing Service Cross and before the Bravery Medal. When worn with British awards still recognised in Australia, it follows the Distinguished Service Cross and precedes the Military Cross.