Military awards and decorations of Switzerland

Switzerland does not have a national honour system. Enshrined in the 1848 Swiss Constition in Article 12 was a prohibition on the acceptance of honours and titles by Swiss citizens.[1] In the current Swiss constitution there is no specific prohibition on titles and orders, however there is a statute that covers the prohibition previously covered by Article 12.

The Swiss military maintains a system of awards which recognize length of service, training, sports, and mission participation.[2]

Award ribbons

Length of Service Decorations

Length of Service Decoration
Emblem Name Remarks
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Length of Service Decoration
German: Dienstleistungsabzeichen
French: Insigne de prestation de service
Italian: Distintivi del servizio 		This ribbon is worn with a series of rosettes to indicate total length of service. No rosettes indicates 90 days of service, a single bronze rosette 170 days of service, two bronze rosettes indicate 250 days of service, and 350 days of service is indicated by three bronze rosette. A single silver rosette indicates 450 days of service, two silver rosettes 550 days of service, and three silver rosettes indicate 650 days of service. A single gold rosette is indicative of 750 days of service, two gold rosettes 850 days of service, and three gold rosettes indicate 950 days of service.

Decorations

Alpine Insignia
Emblem Name Remarks
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Alpine Decoration
German: Hochgebirgsabzeichen
French: Insigne de haute montagne
Italian: Distintivo d’alta montagna 		This replaced the Alpine Badge previously issued by the Swiss Army. The Alpine Decoration is awarded to those members of the Swiss Army who have received specialist training in mountain warfare and rescue.
Skill-at-arms Decorations
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Assault Rifle, Level 1
German: Sturmgewehr Stufe 1
French: Fusil d’assaut degré 1
Italian: Fucile d’assalto grado 1 		This ribbon is worn in place of the older Sugus type badges.
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Assault Rifle, Level 2
German: Sturmgewehr Stufe 2
French: Fusil d’assaut degré 2
Italian: Fucile d’assalto grado 2
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Pistol, Level 1
German: Pistole Stufe 1
French: Pistolet degré 1
Italian: Pistola grado 1
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Pistol, Level 2
German: Pistole Stufe 2
French: Pistolet degré 2
Italian: Pistola grado 2
Training Decorations
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Buddy Aid/NBC Defence
German: Kameradenhilfe/ABC Abwehr
French: Aide au camarade/défense ABC
Italian: Aiuto al camerata/difesa NBC
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Coxswain
German: Wasserfahrer
French: Navigateur
Italian: Battelliere
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Pointer (weapon)
German: Richter
French: Pointeur (arme)
Italian: Puntatore (arma)
Sports Decorations
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Military sport 1
German: Militärsport 1
French: Sport militaire 1
Italian: Sport militare 1
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Military sport 2
German: Militärsport 2
French: Sport militaire 2
Italian: Sport militare 2
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Military sports competition
German: Militärsport Wettkampfauszeichnung
French: Compétition de sport militaire
Italian: Sport militare competitivo

Mission insignia

Service within Switzerland
Emblem Name Remarks
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Operations within Switzerland
German: Inland-Einsätze
French: Engagements à l’intérieur du pays
Italian: Impieghi in Svizzera
Service abroad
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Kosovo Mission Insignia Awarded for 150 days of service as a member of the Swisscoy.[3]
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Bosnia-Herzegovina Mission Insignia Awarded for 150 days of service with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Swiss Headquarters Support Unit (SHQSU) to Bosnia-Herzegovina.[3]
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Korea Mission Insignia Awarded for 150 days of service with the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.[3]
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Namibia Mission Insignia Awarded for 150 days of service with the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG).[3]
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Western Sahara Mission Insignia Awarded for 150 days of service with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).[3]
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Peace Support Mission Insignia Awarded for 150 days of service in peace support operations outside of the framework of an international organization.[3]
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. UN Military Observer Mission Insignia Awarded for 150 days of service as a military observer with a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission.[3]
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Partnership for Peace Mission Insignia Awarded for service with NATO Partnership for Peace.[4]
Ribbon bar image; refer to adjacent text. Long Leave for Military Duties Abroad
German: Lange Ausland-Abkommandierung
French: Service commandé de longue durée à l’étranger
Italian: Servizi comandati prolungati 		Awarded for at least 150 training days service in a training course of a foreign army as part of the "LAK" program.[4]

Order of wear

Awards are worn of the uniform as ribbon bars in rows of three, with a maximum of nine ribbons worn at a time. When the top row of ribbons is less than three, they are worn to the wearers left.[2] Only the highest level of award received is worn. The ribbons are worn in the following order:[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft (1848)". Verfassungen.de. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  2. 1 2 Armed Forces Logistics Organisation AFLO, ed. (2008). Insignia of the Swiss Armed Forces (PDF). Bern: Swiss Armed Forces. pp. 69–77. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Insignes remis pour les missions accomplies à l'étranger dans le cadre de la promotion de la paix" (in French). Promotion de la Paix - Centre de compétences SWISSINT. Archived from the original on 1 January 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "Reglement 51.009d" (PDF) (in German). Schweizer Armee. p. 11. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
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