Germany plans new military medal

BERLIN, March 7 (UPI) -- The German president has approved the creation of a new gallantry medal for the country's soldiers, a spokesman said.

The spokesman said President Horst Koehler "approved in principle" Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung's plan to create a new military medal, Deutsch Welle reported Friday.

The German military has not distributed any medals for bravery since World War II. It has given awards for special achievement, length of duty and tours lasting more than 30 days.

Government officials did not offer any specifics about the design of the medal, but they said it would not be a resurrection of the Iron Cross, which was introduced by Prussian Emperor Friedrich Wilhelm III in 1813 and later adopted by the Nazis.

Defense ministry spokesman Thomas Raabe said the Iron Cross was ruled out "not only because of its Third Reich connotations, but because it was awarded for war service and we are not a nation at war."