Annex F – Mention In Dispatches (MID)
Table of contents
Introduction
- MID are national honours awarded for valiant conduct, devotion to duty or other distinguished service to members of the CF on active service and other individuals working with or in conjunction with the CF on or after 1 November 1990.
- A citation certificate accompanies the award.
- Regulations governing the award of the insignia are reprinted in Annex F, Appendix 1.
Recommendations
- The senior Canadian officer involved in active operations may recommend that subordinate individuals receive public recognition for valiant conduct, devotion to duty or other distinguished service by formally mentioning them in dispatches.
- If approved, public recognition is granted by the award of a MID insignia and the publication of appropriate details in the Canada Gazette.
- Normally, MID recommendations are restricted to war-like conditions in an active theatre of operations. Exceptions must be clearly and individually justified.
- beyond the normal call of duty that does not qualify for a MID may be considered for the CDS or Command Commendation. Refer to Chapter 9, Annex G.
- Recommendations shall be prepared and forwarded to NDHQ/DH&R through the chain of command in accordance with Chapter 2.
- A MID for devotion to duty or other distinguished service requires a citation of a maximum of 80 words in English or of 105 words in French to explain the honour.
- In order to maintain the established standard and integrity of this award, recommendations shall not be submitted or accepted if they total more than one for every 100 persons under command in the theatre of operations for a six-month period. The maximum is one for 200 in other operations. (See Chapter 2, Figure 2-1).
General guidelines
- As a guide, no more than one third of the potential total number of MIDs in a six-month period should be recommended for immediate award. These should be exclusively for valour.
- Care should be taken to search actively for the most deserving individuals.
- As with Military Valour Decorations (MVDs) (refer to Chapter 9, Annex C), the commander should balance recommendations among the forces under command to reflect such factors as severity of combat and closeness of contact with the enemy. In general, units and formations that faced the hardest missions should receive the preponderance of recognition. This consideration need not be related to victory or success. Determined action in the face of overwhelming odds is equally worthy of recognition.
- The test should always be to protect the prestige and integrity of the award in the eyes of all CF members.
Presentation
- MID recipients are informed of their award through their chain of command and given two MID oak leaves for immediate wear on undress ribbons. The MID insignias and certificate are forwarded to the CDS’s office who will arrange for formal presentation. The CDS may also delegate presentation of MIDs to appropriate authorities.
Wearing
- No more than one insignia is worn on the ribbon of any one medal; two or more MIDs for duty during service recognized by the same medal are marked by the wearing of one insignia only.
- Refer to Annex F, Appendix 1, paragraph 8, of the Regulations concerning the Insignia for MID and to the Canadian Forces Dress Instructions (A-AD-265-000/AG-001) for regulations on the wearing of the MID.
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