Appendix 9 – DISTANTIA Bar to the Special Service Medal

1. The DISTANTIA bar was created on 5 November 2024.
2. The new DISTANTIA bar reflects the evolving nature of technology, warfare and CAF capabilities. It provides tangible recognition to those who directly contribute to mission success in overseas operations by having a direct impact in deployed theatres through the use of remote technology from Canada or other locations.
3. The detailed criteria are in the Order-in-Council reprinted below.
4. Eligibility is limited to those personnel who meet all of the following criteria:
   1. in a specific approved role listed in Figure 9P9-1;
   2. officially assigned, on a full-time basis, to an approved medal-earning overseas operation listed in Figure 9P9-1;
   3. personally operating a weapon system or delivering targeted effects which has a direct munition or non-munition effect inside the theatre of operations for that approved operation; and
   4. not eligible for any other medal (e.g. personnel deployed outside Canada to perform such tasks may be approved for other campaign or service medals).
5. The individual must be in the chain of decisions, in proximity to the actual action through technical means, that either results in or has the potential to affect an actual strike against a target, the degradation of enemy capability or will to fight, or the defence of friendly assets in theatre. Although not a strict criteria, being put under tactical command or officially declared to an operation (i.e. the operators are taking their orders from the theater chain of command as opposed to the Canadian chain, which merely provides
administrative support) is a good indicator of eligibility.
6. Those who are not personally operating the systems or delivering targeted effects such as supervisors, enablers, those who provide information and briefings to the operators and any others who have a second- or third-degree effect are not eligible.
7. Any service in such roles directed towards the defense of Canada or its assets, domestic operations, normal domestic and overseas monitoring, surveillance and intervention, general support to OGDs, allies and overseas operations, etc is not eligible. Only the dedicated full-time service to a specific approved overseas operation may be eligible as is the case with eligibility for the campaign or service medal for those serving in the theatre of operations.
8. The list of eligible operations and roles are listed in Figure 9P9-1
9. The Proof of Service for this bar is currently being developed using existing applications and details will be communicated to affected groups in due course.

(Reprint of Order in Council PC 2024-1174)

Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, under subsection 4(3) and section 5 of the Special Service Medal Regulations,

1. determines as special service, within the meaning of those Regulations, service which meets the following conditions:
   1. it is either 180 consecutive days or an aggregate of 270 days, 60 of which are consecutive, of honourable service beginning on or after the day on which this Order comes into force, performed either in Canada or outside of Canada other than a theatre of operations, for the specific purpose of remotely participating, on a full-time basis, in approved operations through either the personal use of weapons systems or the delivery of targeted effects, which use or delivery is enabled by technology and has a tangible effect, or the potential of such an effect, in the theatre of operations, and
   2. the service is not counted as service towards any other Canadian or foreign service medal; and
2. specifies that the Bar that is awarded with the Special Service Medal, representing the special service referred to in paragraph (a), is to bear the word “DISTANTIA”.

Figure 9P9-1 – Qualifying Service List for the Special Service Medal with DISTANTIA Bar

Approved eligible Operations	Approved eligible roles
Op ARTEMIS	Cyber analysts
Op HORIZON	Cyber Operator/Analyst (individual or within a team)
Op IMPACT	Cyber Protection Team
Op NEON	Defensive Cyber Operations Team
Op PRESENCE	FMV analysts
Op PROJECTION	Imagery analysts
Op PROJECTION	Linguists
Op REASSURANCE	MMUAS operators
Op UNIFIER	OSINT analysts
Op UNIFIER	SIGINT analysts
Op UNION	Target and Network Development analysts
-	Target Materials Production / Target Coordinate Mensuration analysts
-	UAV pilots
-	UAV sensor operators