International Operational Service Medal

International Operational Service Medal Irish: Bonn Sheirbhís Oibríochta Idirnáisiúnta
International Operational Service Medal (ribbon)
Awarded by  Ireland
Type	Wearable
Eligibility	Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, NCOs & Other Ranks of the Defence Forces and members of the DF Nursing and Chaplaincy Services.
Awarded for	Awarded to Defence Forces personnel who have served overseas on a mission for which no other medal has been awarded.
Status	Currently awarded
Post-nominals	IOSM
Statistics
First awarded	October 2016
Precedence
Next (higher)	United Nations Peacekeepers Medal
Next (lower)	1916 Centenary Commemorative Medal/UN, NATO or EU medal

The International Operational Service Medal (IOSM, Irish: Bonn Sheirbhís Oibríochta Idirnáisiúnta) is a military decoration awarded by the Government of Ireland to personnel of the Irish Defence Forces who have been deployed on overseas missions by direction of the Government where no other mission medal has been awarded. It was first awarded in October 2016.

The International Operational Service Medal was first awarded to members of the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF) in late 2016 who took part in the response to the West African Ebola virus epidemic (Operation Gritrock) from 2014 onward, after UK forces had offered to award a campaign medal to Irish Defence Forces medical personnel who served alongside them, and the European Union humanitarian response to the European migrant crisis known as Operation PONTUS. In excess of 15,000 migrants and refugees had been rescued by the Irish Naval Service in the Mediterranean Sea from May 2015 to December 2016.

The medal will be bronze alloy and round in form. The design on the obverse will consist of a map of the globe. On the reserve side shall be inscribed the wording Bonn Seirbhíse Idirnáisiúnta Oibríochta Óglaigh na hÉireann, 'Defence Forces International Operational Service Medal'.

The ribbon is 5 cm in length and is 31 mm wide with 2 x 6 mm wide green stripes, 2 x 6 mm blue stripes and 1 x 7 mm navy stripe.

Straight unswivelled bar through which the ribbon is threaded hanging from a bronze pin-back brooch in which is inscribed Seirbhíse Idirnáisiúnta (International Service).

The bronze bar for example, "OP PONTUS", to the medal denotes the specific theatre, or mission for which the medal is being awarded and is bronze in colour. Additional clasps can be added to as required.

Members of the Permanent Defence Forces and the Army Nursing and Chaplaincy Service may be awarded the Defence Forces International Operational Service Medal should they meet the operational service and qualifying service requirements for the award of the medal in an eligible mission.