Croix de la Valeur Militaire France REVERS

The Cross for Military Valour (french: Croix de la Valeur Militaire) is a military decoration of France. It recognises an individual bestowed a Mention in Dispatches earned for showing valour in presence of an enemy, in theatres of operations which are not subject to the award of the

Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures The ''Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieurs'' (War Cross for foreign operational theatres), also called the ''Croix de Guerre TOE'' for short, is a French military award denoting citations earned in combat in foreign countri ...

(Cross of War for Foreign Theatres of Operations). The Cross for Military Valour is usually awarded for security or peacekeeping operations, always outside the French territory.

History

It was established in 1956 to reward soldiers, sailors, and airmen serving in Algeria who had committed acts of valour or gallantry in combat. Algeria was a department of France at the time, so it was not considered a declared war but peacekeeping operations on French soil. Therefore, the War Cross for foreign operational theatres, which had been awarded for valiant service in Indochina, was not considered appropriate. ''Médaille de la Valeur Militaire'' was created on 11 April 1956 with a four-grade system of distinctions. To put it on the same level as the ''Croix de guerre'', the Medal was replaced by a Cross on 12 October 1956. The Cross was used extensively to reward soldiers for valour in every French military operations since 1956, except the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

and the

Kosovo War The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the w ...

, when Overseas War Crosses were awarded in place of Crosses for Military Valour : * Aden Gulf (April 4 and 5, 2015) *Afghanistan (November, 2001 – a date to be determined) *

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , religi ...

(from 31 October 1954 to 1962) *Antilles (from 16 April 2005 to 15 June 2005). *

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...

, Mauritania,

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesTchad ( Operation Barkhane, from 1 October 2014 to present and

MINUSMA The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (, MINUSMA) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali. MINUSMA was established on 25 April 2013 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2100 to stabilise ...

from 1 August 2013 to present). *Cape Verde (On 13–14 June 2002) *Central African Republic (from 18 November 2006 to 7 December 2006; 2 March 2007) *Chad (1968; 28 January 2008) *Congo (service in 1960?) , Zaïre (service in 1978?) , Democratic Republic of the Congo (from 2 June to 26 September 2003) *Haiti (from 19 February 2004 to 30 June 2004) * Iraq and Syria (

Opération Chammal Opération Chammal is a French military operation in Iraq and Syria launched to help curtail the expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and to support the Iraqi Army. Its name comes from the Shamal (''Chammal'' in French), a n ...

; from 8 August 2014 to present) *Ivory Coast (

Opération Licorne Opération Licorne was a French Armed Forces peacekeeping operation in support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire. The French forces had been stationed in the country since shortly after the outbreak of the Ivorian Civil War. The ...

from 19 September 2002. to December 31, 2014) *Lebanon (from 9 January 2005 to 16 July 2006) *Liberia (9–10 June 2003) * Libya ( Opération Harmattan from 22 February 2011 to present). * Mauritania (from 10 January 1957 to November 1960) *

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...

(from 1 January 1953 to 1956). * Sénégal, Burkina Faso, Mauritanie, Mali and Niger (

Opération Serval Operation Serval (french: Opération Serval) was a French military operation in Mali. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali. Operation Serval followed the ...

, from 11 January 2013). *

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

(from 1 June 1953 to 1956)

Grades of distinction

The grades of the Cross are insignia of a mention in dispatches, which can be of one of five levels matching the valour displayed by the recipient while in presence of an enemy. They are each named after a historical formation of the French military.

Eligibility and awarding process

The 1956 Cross was meant principally for soldiers, but a provision was made for civilians participating in a peacekeeping operation. On 2 December 2005 this provision was amended in order to reward only civilian employees of the Ministry of Defence on official missions overseas. Originally, the cross was not awarded to members of foreign militaries or governments. This restriction was lifted on 9 November 2011 for acts of valour or performed valiant service while on joint operations with French forces. Collective awards can be made to military units, both French and foreign, since 2011. When a unit has decorated twice with the Cross at its highest level, the

fourragère The ''fourragère'' () is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, in the form of a braided cord. The award was first adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Luxembourg. Fo ...

can be worn on uniforms. The four first grades of the Cross can be awarded by ''Chef d'état-major des Armées'' (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), but the Cross with Palm decoration is only awarded by the ''Ministre de la Défense'' (Minister of Defence).

Award description

Medal: suspended from a ribbon is a 36 mm bronze cross, with an effigy of the Republic crowned with a wreath, with the edge embossed: "REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE". On the reverse is the inscription: ''"Croix de la Valeur militaire".'' Ribbon: a red bar with three vertical white bands: a centered 7 mm band, with a smaller 2 mm band on each end.

Recipient units (partial list)

* Frigate Jean de Vienne (D643) *Police Mobile Armoured Group (GBGM) *

17th Parachute Engineer Regiment The 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment (french: 17e Régiment de Génie Parachutiste, List of French paratrooper units, 17e RGP) is heir to the traditions of the 17th Colonial Engineer Regiment (french: :fr:17e régiment colonial du génie, 17e Ré ...

*126th Infantry Regiment *

1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment The 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (french: 1er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes, 1er R.C.P) is the oldest and among the most decorated airborne regiments of the French Army. Established in the French Army in 1943 and formerly part of the Fr ...

1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment The 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine ( en, 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment) or 1er RPIMa is a unit of the French Army Special Forces Command, therefore part of the Special Operations Command. Heirs to the Free Frenc ...

*3rd Combat helicopter regiment *152nd Infantry Regiment * 2nd Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment * 12th Cuirassier Regiment *

35th Parachute Artillery Regiment The 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment (french: 35e Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste, 35e RAP) is the only airborne artillery unit of the French Army forming the air artillery component of the 11th Parachute Brigade. It is based in Tarbes ...

* 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment * 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment *

4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment The 4e Régiment d'Hélicoptères des Forces Spéciales ( en, 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment) or 4e RHFS is a special operations unit of the French Army Light Aviation. It is part of the French Army Special Forces Command, therefore of the ...

13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment The 13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes ( en, 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment) or 13e RDP is a special reconnaissance regiment of the French Army. It is a unit of the French Army Special Forces Command, the latter itself being under the Spec ...

* 2nd Foreign Legion Engineer Regiment * Escadron de Chasse 01-007 "Provence" *2/4 La Fayette Fighter Squadron * Frigate Courbet (F 712) *40th Artillery Regiment *

1st Parachute Hussar Regiment The 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment (french: List of French paratrooper units, 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes, List of French paratrooper units, 1er RHP) is an List of French paratrooper units, airborne cavalry unit in the French Army, fou ...

* 1st Foreign Legion Cavalry Regiment *2/61 Franche-Comté Transport Squadron *

6th Engineers Regiment The 6th Engineers Regiment (french: 6e Régiment du Génie) is a regiment of the ''génie militaire'' of the French Military constituted under the IIIrd Republic. It is the only Engineers Regiment among the Troupes de Marine (French Marine Cor ...

* 2nd Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment * National Gendarmerie Intervention Group

References

External links

Site traitant des décorations militaires et civiles françaises

Les décorations françaises (Ordres et médailles)
{{French medals Military awards and decorations of France Awards established in 1956 1956 establishments in France