Annex C – Military Valour Decorations (MVDs)

Introduction

1. The Military Valour Decorations (MVDs) are national honours created on 1 January 1993 to recognize acts of valour, self-sacrifice or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. The regulations governing the decorations are reprinted in Annex C, Appendix 1.
2. MVDs include the following decorations:
   1. Victoria Cross (VC). Awarded for the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty, in the presence of the enemy (refer to full description in Annex C, Appendix 1, paragraph 4).
   2. Star of Military Valour (SMV). Awarded for distinguished and valiant service in the presence of the enemy (see full description in Annex C, Appendix 1, paragraph 5).
   3. Medal of Military Valour (MMV). Awarded for an act of valour or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy (see full description in Annex C, Appendix 1, paragraph 6).
3. Awards for gallantry in the presence of the enemy recognize active combat with a foe in situations such as war.
4. They can be awarded for lesser hostile situations short of war if the troops are in “combat” with an organized, armed “enemy” that is recognized as such by the people of Canada. It must be understood however that “combat” is not merely the presence of fire. Rather, the fire has to be directed at the troops, with the intent of combat being the destruction of the opposing force as a viable entity. The word “enemy” in this context means a hostile armed force, and includes armed terrorists, armed mutineers, armed rebels, armed rioters and armed pirates.
5. Canadian Bravery Decorations are used in all other circumstances (refer to Annex D).
6. It should be noted that conflicting parties in a peacekeeping context are not considered enemies and although there may be altercations with the CF in a peacekeeping mission, the use of force by the CF will generally be limited to self-defence. This is why MVDs are not generally awarded during peacekeeping operations.

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Recommendations

7. Recommendations are processed through the chain of command from the theatre of operations to the Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command (Comd CJOC) or the Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM).
8. Recommendations shall be prepared and forwarded to NDHQ/DH&R, through the senior Canadian officer in an active theatre of operations and Comd CJOC or CANSOFCOM, in accordance with Chapter 2.
9. In order to maintain the established standards and integrity of these decorations, recommendations normally shall not be submitted or accepted if they total more than one nomination for every 250 persons under command in an active theatre of operations for a six-month period. (See Chapter 2, Figure 2-1.) This rule ensures the respect and value of these decorations are preserved but often imposes difficult choices to the leaders; only the bravest of the brave, those who willingly and knowingly sacrifice themselves for others, or set an extreme example of devotion to duty will be recognized.
10. Recommendations shall be supported by statements gathered from a minimum of two witnesses. If practicable, sworn statements should accompany each recommendation. These statements may be sworn before any commissioned officer on full-time service. In exceptional circumstances where there are fewer than two witnesses, a statement from one person may be acceptable. It should be accompanied by an explanation of the exceptional circumstances.
11. The recommendation shall be accompanied by a supporting narrative that fully summarizes the incident. Guidelines for composing such narratives are included in Appendix 2. Definitions for Military Valour Guidelines are in Appendix 3.

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Time limits

12. Recommendations, which must include two witness statements, shall be submitted within two years of the date of the incident.
13. Recommendations should be initiated as soon as possible after the incident, while memories are fresh and witnesses are available. Normally a recommendation, together with witnesses’ statements, must be initiated within one month of the date on which the deed or action occurred. If this time limit is exceeded, reasons for the delay must accompany the recommendation.
14. The circumstances of each case are carefully examined by CFDAC to ensure fair and equal treatment for all.

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Investigative assistance

15. Commanding officers should use any available investigative resources to help create a complete recommendation, e.g. Military Police (MP) or allied liaison officers.

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General guidelines

16. All who remain steady in their duty in the face of gunfire or other active combat hazards are courageous. MVDs, therefore, recognize those who are the bravest of the brave, who knowingly sacrifice themselves for others, or who set an extreme example of devotion to duty.
17. As a guide, the senior Canadian officer should recommend no more than one third of the potential number of decorations in any six-month period for immediate award. These should be exclusively for those who demonstrate extreme courage or self-sacrifice. The remaining number of potential recommendations should be held as a reserve and submitted at periodic intervals every six months beginning with the deployment of the formation to the active theatre of conflict. Responses to such calls shall include statistics for total command strength over the relevant period, along with the total number of recommendations made for the same period.
18. Care should be taken to search actively for the most deserving individuals for periodic awards.
19. The commander should balance recommendations among the forces under control to reflect such factors as severity of combat and closeness of contact with the enemy. In general, units and formations that fought hardest and best should receive the preponderance of recognition. “Best” need not be related to victory or success. A well-fought action against overwhelming odds is equally deserving of recognition.
20. The test should always be to protect the prestige and integrity of the honour in the eyes of the troops.

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