Overseas Medal

The Overseas Medal (Médaille d'Outre-Mer) is a commemorative or campaign medal issued to members of the French Armed Forces for participating in operations outside national territory. It replaced the French Colonial Medal by decree on 6 June 1962.

Description

 * Ribbon: sky blue with three vertical white bands, the two side ones of 2mm and the central one of 7mm
 * Medal: the work of engraver Georges Lemaire, in silver. A helmeted allegorical effigy of a woman as the personification of the French Republic, circled by the words "République française".  The reverse shows a terrestrial globe on top of trophies of military conquest with the words "MEDAILLE D'OUTRE-MER"
 * Link: Silver laurel branches.
 * Bars: Gilt, showing the territory where the campaign occurred.

Campaign Clasp
The areas of service are indicated by a gilt silver campaign clasp, there are currently 13 available:
 * Cambodge (Cambodia)
 * Liban (Lebanon)
 * Chad (Tchad), awarded to all French personnel, military or otherwise, who served in Chad regardless of the length of service from March 15, 1960 to January 27, 2008 . As of January 28, 2008, the campaign clasp is awarded for fifteen days of consecutive service or a cumulative equivalent of non-consecutive days.
 * Mauritania (Mauritanie), awarded to all French personnel, military or otherwise, who served in Mauritania from November 1977 to July 1990, regardless of length of service.
 * Moyen-Orient (Middle East)
 * Ormuz (Hormuz)
 * République centrafricaine (Central African Republic)
 * République de Côte d'Ivoire (Republic of Côte d'Ivoire)
 * République démocratique du Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo)
 * République du Congo (Congo)
 * Rwanda (Rwanda)
 * Somalie (Somalia)
 * Zaïre (Zaire)

Source

 * Les décorations françaises, ISBN 2-911468-99-6
 * http://www.france-phaleristique.com/accueil.htm