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The Médaille de la Gendarmerie nationale (''English: Medal of the National Gendarmerie or Federal Police'') is a French military decoration created on 5 September 1949 on proposition of the then Minister of Defence, mister
Paul Ramadier
Paul Ramadier (17 March 1888 in La Rochelle – 14 October 1961 in Rodez) was a French statesman.
Biography
The son of a psychiatrist, Ramadier graduated in law from the University of Toulouse and started his profession as a lawyer in Par ...
.
It was originally created in a single grade for award to officiers and NCOs of the
Gendarmerie nationale who were cited in the orders of the entire service. Such a citation in the orders of the entire service, and all potential subsequent ones would be denoted by a grenade device on the ribbon as the medal could, and can still only be awarded once to any potential recipient.
The medal could also be exceptionally awarded to persons not members of the service for important services rendered to the gendarmerie or for help during special missions. These presentations were made without a citation and thus without any ribbon device.
The medal's statute remained unchanged until a recent 2004 review as detailed below.
Award statute
The Médaille de la Gendarmerie nationale is awarded by the
Minister of Defence
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
of the
French Republic on proposition of the director of the Gendarmerie nationale to officers, NCOs and the military rank and file of the Gendarmerie nationale who distinguished themselves by a brilliant action which required special qualities of courage and self-sacrifice, accomplished on duty maintaining law and order.
It may also be exceptionally awarded to:
*military members of the gendarmerie, for remarkable activities or work which led to a decisive impetus to the service;
*persons not belonging to the gendarmerie who have rendered important services to the latter or who, through their particularly meritorious assistance in the course of missions, have earned its gratitude.
The ribbon of the medal will be adorned by a device denoting the degree of the award as described in its accompanying citation:
*Bronze palm when cited to the entire service;
*Gilt star when cited to its relevant army corps;
*Silver star when cited to its relevant division;
*Bronze star when cited to its relevant brigade or division.
The medal may be awarded posthumously.
Medals awarded prior to the 2004 decree and bearing the now defunct grenade device will have the latter replaced by an army corps level gilt star.
No retroactive award for actions prior to the medals' creation will be made.
Award description
The Médaille de la Gendarmerie nationale is a 36 mm in diameter circular gilt bronze medal. At its top, also in gilt bronze and hiding the ribbon suspension loop, is affixed a
grenade with flames between laurel leaves. The
obverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...
bears the relief image of a plumed
close helmet
The close helmet or close helm is a type of combat helmet that was worn by knights and other men-at-arms in the Late Medieval and Renaissance eras. It was also used by some heavily armoured, pistol-armed, cuirassiers into the mid-17th century. I ...
resting on a sword pointing upward, it bears the circular inscription along its circumference "GENDARMERIE NATIONALE". The reverse bears a laurel wreath with the relief inscription "COURAGE DISCIPLINE" on two lines at the top, the center being reserved for the inscription of the recipient's name.
The Médaille de la Gendarmerie nationale is suspended by a 37 mm wide silk
moiré ribbon divided by vertical stripes in the following colours:
*10 mm wide yellow central stripe representing the colour of the old ''
Maréchaussée
The () were corps of soldiers in the armies of France initially put in charge of military policing and justice in the Middle Ages, and later extended to civilian responsibilities. They gradually coalesced into a police force with jurisdicti ...
'', the military service charged with police and jurisdictional duties under the old regime;
*2 mm wide white stripes bordering the central stripe, they represent the two subdivisions of the service, the police service and the
Republican Guard
A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...
;
*these central stripes are themselves bordered by 9,5 mm wide blue vertical stripes representing the colour of the police service;
*2 mm wide bright red edge stripes represent the Republican Guard.
Notable recipients (partial list)
*General
Denis Favier
Denis Favier (born May 18, 1959) is a French officer known for commanding the mission to remove hijackers from Air France Flight 8969. From 2013 to 2016, he has been the General-Director of the French Gendarmerie.
Favier was born on 18 May 19 ...
*General Jacques Mignaux
*General Thierry Orosco
*Commandant (major)
Christian Prouteau
*Captain
Paul Barril
*Chief Warrant-officer Thierry Prungnaud
*Chief Warrant-officer Hubert Clément
*General Guy Parayre
*General Hubert Bonneau
*General Roland Gilles
See also
*
National Gendarmerie
The National Gendarmerie (french: Gendarmerie nationale, ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Mini ...
*
Republican Guard
A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...
*
French Armed Forces
*
Ribbons of the French military and civil awards This is a list of the ribbons of the French military and civil awards.
French national orders
French ministerial orders
French military decorations
Medals of Honor
French commemorative awards
Other awards
Order of precedence
Official ...
External links
Gendarmerie nationaleGarde RépublicaineMuseum of the Legion of Honour
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Medaille De La Gendarmerie Nationale
Civil awards and decorations of France
Military awards and decorations of France
Awards established in 1949
Law enforcement awards and honors