NATO Former Yugoslavia Full Size Medal

The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. 

With the break-up of Yugoslavia, violent conflict started in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. The Alliance responded by enforcing the UN arms embargo on weapons in the Adriatic Sea. NATO continued to expand its response until 1995, when following NATO air strikes, a peace agreement was signed ending the war in Bosnia. The North Atlantic Council launched the largest military operation ever undertaken by the Alliance, Operation Joint Endeavour to support the peace agreement. This was initially by the Impementation Force (IFOR) to implement peace, which was followed by the Stabilasation Force (SFOR) to stabilise peace.

NATO medals are identical in design, with a bar worn on the ribbon to identify the specific mission. The bar for this specific mission would bear the words 'FORMER YUGOSLAVIA' and the ribbon is NATO blue with two white stripes at either side of the medal ribbon, just in from the edge of the ribbon. 

Qualifying time for the medal is 30 days of service continuous or accumulated, in the theatre of operations; or Ninety days continuous or accumulated, in direct support of the NATO operations in the Former Yugoslavia in the adjacent area. Subsequent tours of the same regions would be denoted with a numeral attached to the ribbon.

NATO medals are not engraved.

All official medals are sent loose on the ribbon unless medal mounting is also purchased on the same order.