OSM Afghanistan with Operation Pitting Clasp Full Size Medal
In late 2021 British military personnel arrived in Afghanistan to evacuate British nationals and eligible Afghan nationals from Kabul following a rapid Taliban offensive to take back control of the country. This multinational non-combatant evacuation was code named Operation Pitting and involved over 1000 military personnel. Operation Pitting marked the end of the UK's 20 year military involvement in Afghanistan and was the largest British evacuation since the 2nd World War.
The Ministry of Defence have awarded the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan with the Operation Pitting clasp to members of the Armed Forces who were deployed to Afghanistan in late 2021 in support of Operation Pitting. Personnel already holding the Afghanistan OSM medal would receive the clasp to add to their existing medal.
The obverse of this medal has the crowned profile of Queen Elizabeth II which is attached to the ribbon with a scrolled suspender bar. The reverse is an 8 pointed star, with different crowns impaled on every other point. There is a circular centre to the star, which has FOR OPERATIONAL SERVICE written around the central circle, and within the text shows the Union flag. The silver clasp is connected to the medal with a metal pin, and bears the words 'OPERATION PITTING'. The ribbon is a standard width of 32mm wide and is striped with a red centre, followed by stripes of Navy and then light blue on each side of the red, representing the 3 services. The outer edge of the ribbon is sand or buff colour representing the landscape of Afghanistan.
Our museum quality replica full-size medals are made to the same exacting standards as the original, with the word COPY added to the back of the medal (COPY is added to the top left on the reverse of the medal, between an impaled crown and the top central point of the star) and in line with MoD licensing. The full-size medal can be engraved on the back with your service details and is supplied with 6 inches of loose ribbon.
All official medals are sent loose on the ribbon unless medal mounting is also purchased on the same order.