# How can I, as a civilian, earn a medal? (international edition!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-as-a-civilian-earn-a-medal-international-edition/606268 "2011-12-15T02:10:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-as-a-civilian-earn-a-medal-international-edition/606268/21 "2011-12-16T20:32:32Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > The one I would love to get is the [Antarctic Service Medal](http://www.americal.org/awards/antsm.htm). Although a military medal it is available to civilians (see requirement b5). For Americans, you would need to go through the Nationl Science Foundation. This is the one I was coming to [del]boast about[/del] mention, since I have it, and I’m a civilian. The ceremony was touching. I walked into the lab, and was handed the award to the tune of the [Soviet National Anthem](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91kdwxFsthI), coming from a nearby computer that was starting up a game of _Hunt for Red October_. I expect in the Navy it might get a bit more formality. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-as-a-civilian-earn-a-medal-international-edition/606268/22 "2011-12-16T21:26:24Z")
A [list of Spanish medals](http://www.educateca.com/manuales_cursos/recompensas_medallas.asp). Some are military, or reserved for police, but the majority are civilian, including medals for sportsmen, scientists… The order of Civilian Merit is often given to people who’ve saved someone else’s life without it being their job. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-as-a-civilian-earn-a-medal-international-edition/606268/23 "2011-12-16T21:43:55Z")
You could illustrate a children’s picture book and get the [Caldecott Medal](http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-as-a-civilian-earn-a-medal-international-edition/606268/24 "2011-12-17T04:46:00Z")
Join the Boy Scouts of America and: - earn a lot of merit badges, provide leadership to your troop, and carry out a community service project before your 18th birthday to earn your Eagle Scout medal: [http://www.troop97.net/images/eagle\_medal.jpg](http://www.troop97.net/images/eagle_medal.jpg) - earn the religious award of your particular faith, some of which take the form of medals: [http://www.oocities.org/~pack215/cubreligious.gif](http://www.oocities.org/~pack215/cubreligious.gif) - save someone’s life or act especially heroically, and you could get any one of several Scout medals: [http://www.grandtetoncouncil.org/index.cfm?pageid=1375](http://www.grandtetoncouncil.org/index.cfm?pageid=1375) ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-as-a-civilian-earn-a-medal-international-edition/606268/25 "2011-12-17T07:28:39Z")
They are dished out like sweeties in the UK. I think David [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3242656.stmBeckham](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3242656.stmBeckham) got one for being gorgeous. Or for services to the teenage gossip mag indu ---
**Author:** ![Toffe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@Toffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toffe)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-as-a-civilian-earn-a-medal-international-edition/606268/26 "2011-12-17T12:54:19Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > And the OP sounds to me as if he wants a very broad scope Yes, that’s it exactly 🙂 If anyone is in doubt about posting something because it’s too simple, don’t be: post it anyway. These suggestions are all fantastic; thanks a lot, again. I’ll read through the links more closely when I can - my internet connections, both wifi and the 3G on my phone, are bricked right now. (I’m posting this away from home on a laptop with a poor battery) ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-as-a-civilian-earn-a-medal-international-edition/606268/27 "2011-12-17T13:52:46Z")
Australia gives out medals twice a year, and you get to have post nominal letters like the Poms do with the OBEs and so on. There’s Companion of the Order of Australia (or ACs, sufficiently rare as to be about the eqivalent of peerages), Officers of the Order of Australia (AO’s, or roughly knighthoods) down to AMs and OAMs. The AC is pretty glittery - 18K gold sunburst thing with rubies, about 3 or 4 inches across. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-as-a-civilian-earn-a-medal-international-edition/606268/28 "2011-12-18T18:34:38Z")
> [@Noel\_Prosequi](#): > > …The AC is pretty glittery… Yes indeedy: [http://www.heritagemedals.com.au/images/large/oa\_lge.jpg](http://www.heritagemedals.com.au/images/large/oa_lge.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-as-a-civilian-earn-a-medal-international-edition/606268.md?page=1)