The inaugural Sacrifice Medal ceremony

Regardless of my original stance on the need for such a medal (and having just re-read the piece, I still stand by my reasoning), I'm pleased to see Canadian soldiers being recognized for their sacrifice by the Governor General:

Governor General Michaelle Jean presided Monday over the first presentations of the new Sacrifice Medal.

Of the first 46 medals, 21 are posthumous awards.

The medal is awarded to members of the Forces, or civilians working with the Forces, who are killed or wounded by hostile action or to any member of the military who dies because of a service-related accident or disease.

The new medal is unquestionably beautiful, and the symbolism of both the artwork and the colours in the ribbon are almost poetic:

The Medal consists of a silver circular medal that is 36 mm across, has a claw at the top of it in the form of the Royal Crown, and is attached to a straight slotted bar.

On the obverse of the Medal appears a contemporary effigy of Her Majesty the Queen of Canada, facing right, wearing a Canadian diadem composed alternately of maple leaves and snow flakes, and circumscribed with the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA” and “CANADA”, separated by small maple leaves.

On the reverse of the Medal appears a representation of the statue named “Canada” –that forms part of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial – facing right, overlooking the horizon. The inscription “SACRIFICE” appears in the lower right half of the Medal.

The Medal is suspended from a watered ribbon that is 32 mm in width, consisting of a 10-mm black stripe in the middle that is flanked by 11-mm red stripes, on which are centred 1-mm white stripes.

The bar to the Medal is in silver with raised edges and shall bear a centred, single silver maple leaf overall. The Bar is presented for subsequent awards of the Medal.

Further to that last point, I think it worth taking special note of the first individual to receive the medal with bar for a second award, Sergeant Lance Thomas Hooper, M.S.M., C.D. I think sometimes it's assumed that the CF has a "one and you're done" policy, and Sgt Hooper's a pointed reminder that that's just not the case. I'd like to offer him my congratulations, as well as some friendly advice: learn to duck!