NATO Libya Miniature 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. 

NATO took control of all military operations for Libya in March 2011 in response to events in the Libyan civil war and with the support of the UN. The aim of Operation Unified Protector (OUP) was to protect civilians and civilian populated area's under threat of attack by the government forces of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The Non-Article 5 mission OUP comprised of 3 elements, an arms embargo, a no-fly zone and the protection of civilians from attack. The mission formally ended on the 31st October 2011 and is considered one of the most successful in NATO history.

NATO medals are identical in design, with a bar worn on the ribbon to identify the specific mission. The NATO Libya bar would bear the words 'OUP-LIBYA/LIBYE' and the ribbon is NATO blue with two white stripes at either side of the medal ribbon with a line of silver through the middle of each white stripe. 

Qualifying time for the medal is 30 days of continous service or 60 days accumulated, contributing to NATO Operation Unifed Protector. Subsequent tours of the same regions would be denoted with a numeral attached to the ribbon.

AWARD miniature medals complement the full-size official medals and are normally worn for formal dinner dress occasions.

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