Defence Force Commendation Medal
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Use South African English|date=June 2014}}
{{infobox military award
| name = Defence Force Commendation Medal
| image = Defence Force Commendation Medal (Bophuthatswana).jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption =
| presenter = the State President
| country = 25px Bophuthatswana
| type = Military decoration for merit
| eligibility = All Ranks
| awarded_for = Service of a high standard
| campaign =
| status = Discontinued in 1994
| description =
| motto =
| clasps =
| post-nominals =
| established = 1982
| firstawarded =
| lastawarded =
| total_awarded =
| total_awarded_posthumously =
| total_recipients =
| precedence_label = BDF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear
| individual =
| higher = {{plainlist|BDF precedence:
}}
{{plainlist|SANDF precedence:
}}
| same =
| lower = {{plainlist|BDF succession:
}}
{{plainlist|SANDF succession:
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| related =
| image2 = x29px
| caption2 = Ribbon bar
}}
The Defence Force Commendation Medal was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1982. It could be awarded to all ranks for service of a high standard.[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Bophuthatswana_Constitution.pdf Republic of Bophuthatswana Constitution Act, 1977][http://www.geocities.ws/militaf/milbop.htm South African Medal Website - Bophuthatswana Defence Force] (Accessed 30 April 2015)
The Bophuthatswana Defence Force
The Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF) was established upon that country's independence on 6 December 1977. The Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Bophuthatswana Defence Force was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).{{Citation |date=May 1996 |title=South Africa Homeland Militaries |url=http://www.photius.com/countries/south_africa/national_security/south_africa_national_security_homeland_militaries.html}} (Accessed 1 May 2015){{citation |last=Peled |first=Alon |series=Cornell Studies in Security Affairs |title=A Question of Loyalty: Military Manpower Policy in Multiethnic States |year=1998 |publisher=Cornell University Press |location=Ithaca |isbn=0-8014-3239-1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/questionofloyali00pele/page/50 50f] |url=https://archive.org/details/questionofloyali00pele/page/50 |url-access=registration }}Warrant of the President of the Republic of South Africa for the Institution of the "UNITAS MEDAL-UNITAS-MEDALJE", Gazette no. 16087 dated 25 November 1994.
Institution
The Defence Force Commendation Medal was instituted by the State President of Bophuthatswana in 1982. It is the junior award of a set of three decorations for merit, along with the Defence Force Merit Decoration and the Defence Force Merit Medal.
Bophuthatswana's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the Republic of South Africa and these three decorations are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Southern Cross Decoration and Pro Merito Decoration, the Southern Cross Medal (1975) and Pro Merito Medal (1975), and the Military Merit Medal.
Award criteria
Order of wear
{{main|South African military decorations order of wear#Order of wear}}
Since the Defence Force Commendation Medal was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, {{OCLC|72827981}}Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993
;Bophuthatswana Defence Force until 26 April 1994:
File:Ribbon BDF Marumo Medal Class I.png File:Ribbon - Defence Force Commendation Medal.png File:Ribbon BDF Marumo Medal Class II.png
- Official BDF order of precedence:
- Preceded by the Marumo Medal, Class I.
- Succeeded by the Marumo Medal, Class II.
- Bophuthatswana official national order of precedence:
- Preceded by the Medal of the Order of the Leopard.
- Succeeded by the Marumo Medal, Class II.
;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
File:Ribbon - Military Merit Medal (South Africa).png File:Ribbon - Defence Force Commendation Medal.png File:Ribbon - Venda Defence Force Medal.png
- Official SANDF order of precedence:
- Preceded by the Military Merit Medal (MMM) of the Republic of South Africa.
- Succeeded by the Defence Force Medal of the Republic of Venda.
- Official national order of precedence:
- Preceded by the National Intelligence Service Decoration, Bronze of the Republic of South Africa.
- Succeeded by the Defence Force Medal of the Republic of Venda.
The position of the Defence Force Commendation Medal in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.
Description
;Obverse
The Defence Force Commendation Medal is a medallion struck in bronze, 38 millimetres in diameter, with an encircled leopard head in the centre and four double-ended arrow symbols around the perimeter. The undecorated suspender is attached to the medal by a double-ended arrow symbol beneath four converging lines.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/151697565/Bop_Defence_force_comendation_medal.html |title=Bop Defence force comendation (sic) medal |access-date=9 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729102521/http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/151697565/Bop_Defence_force_comendation_medal.html |archive-date=29 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.army.mil.za/aboutus/uniform/formerforcesmedals/bophuthatswana.htm |title=Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF) |access-date=13 June 2014 |archive-date=23 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923173748/http://www.army.mil.za/aboutus/uniform/formerforcesmedals/bophuthatswana.htm |url-status=dead }}
;Reverse
The reverse displays the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
;Ribbon
The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and cobalt blue, with two 4 millimetres wide yellow bands in the centre, spaced 8 millimetres apart.
Discontinuation
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{South African military decorations and medals}}
Category:Military decorations and medals of Bophuthatswana
Category:Awards established in 1982
Category:Awards disestablished in 1994