The New Zealand Special Service Medal (Asian Tsunami)

Overview

The New Zealand Special Service Medal (Asian Tsunami) was instituted in December 2005 to recognise New Zealanders who were involved in rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts in areas devastated by the earthquake off the coast of Sumatra and the resulting tsunami of 26 December 2004. The medal also recognises various other services in devastated areas, such as locating missing New Zealanders and identifying victims.

Description

The New Zealand Special Service Medal (Asian Tsunami) is gold in colour and circular in shape. The obverse features a representation of the New Zealand Coat of Arms. On the reverse is a representation of a bouquet of New Zealand flora, composed of fern fronds and sprigs of blossom of pohutukawa, manuka, kowhai, and Mt Cook lilies with a scroll below inscribed with the words “FOR SPECIAL SERVICE”.

The ribbon is composed of 11 stripes: red, white, blue, orange, green, yellow, green, orange, blue, white, and red. These colours are the principal colours of the national flags of those countries affected by the earthquake and resulting tsunami of 26 December 2004: Bangladesh (red and green), India (white, green and orange), Indonesia (red and white), Madagascar (red, white and green), Malaysia (red, white, blue and yellow), The Maldives (red, white and green), Mauritius (red, blue, green and yellow), Myanmar (red, white and blue), Seychelles (red, white, blue, green and yellow), Somalia (white and blue), Sri Lanka (green, yellow and orange) and Thailand (red, white and blue).

The NZSSM (Asian Tsunami) is issued engraved on the bottom rim. For military personnel, the recipient's service number, rank, initials, surname, and corps / Service are engraved. These details are as at the time the recipient responded to the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami.

There are no clasps or bars for this medal.

Eligibility

NZDF personnel, New Zealand Police, and New Zealand civilians who served at least seven days, continuous or aggregated,  between 26 December 2004 and 28 February 2005 or fourteen days, continuous or aggregated,  between 26 December 2004 and 26 December 2005.

Devastated areas in which New Zealand relief efforts took place include:

• Banda Aceh, Indonesia
• Phuket Thailand
• Galle, Sri Lanka
• Male, The Maldives
• The Andaman Islands

IMPORTANT NOTE:  This service does not qualify for the New Zealand Operational Service Medal.

For full details:

The Royal Warrant for the New Zealand Special Service Medal(external link)

The Regulations for the New Zealand Special Service Medal (Asian Tsunami) (external link)

Recipients

This medal has been awarded to more than 400 persons, including:

• more than 145 New Zealand Police personnel.
• more than 70 New Zealand Defence Force medical and infantry personnel.
• 40 Habitat For Humanity New Zealand volunteers.
• 23 New Zealand civilians who operated with the New Zealand Police Disaster Victim Identification teams.
• 22 New Zealand Red Cross personnel.
• 14 Operation Phoenix volunteers.
• 14 Heli Harvest Ltd staff.
• eight World Vision New Zealand volunteers.
• seven Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff.
• four Oxfam New Zealand volunteers.
• one New Zealand Customs Service officer, and
• one New Zealander working for Save the Children Sri Lanka.