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 Organization. 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 Implementation Force (IFOR) to
implement peace, which was followed by the Stabilization Force (SFOR)
to stabilize 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.