Unitas Medal

Unitas Medal
Awarded by the President
Country	South Africa
Type	Military commemorative medal
Eligibility	All ranks on active SANDF strength on 27 April 1994, BMATT personnel
Awarded for	Commemoration of the establishment of the SANDF
Status	Discontinued in 1994
Statistics
Established	1994
First awarded	1994
Last awarded	1994
Order of wear
Next (higher)	Military Rule Medal
Next (lower)	Closure Commemoration Medal
Ribbon bar

The Unitas Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa on 4 November 1994. It was awarded to all ranks who were on the active strength of all seven constituent military forces from 27 April 1994 to 10 May 1994, to commemorate their amalgamation into the South African National Defence Force. It was also awarded to personnel of the British Military Advisory and Training Team which served in South Africa at the time.

The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994 it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The Unitas Medal was instituted by the President on 4 November 1994 to commemorate the unification of defence forces and armed forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on 27 April 1994. The seven constituent military forces were:

The Unitas Medal was awarded to all ranks who were on the active strength of these seven constituent military forces on 27 April 1994 and until at least 10 May 1994, and also to the President, the Minister of Defence and the Deputy Minister of Defence. Personnel of the British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) who were serving in South Africa at the time, were subsequently also awarded the Unitas Medal.

The position of the Unitas Medal in the official order of precedence was revised on 27 April 2003, when a new set of awards was instituted. It changed again in 2010, when the Closure Commemoration Medal was instituted.

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