The Cross for Military Valour () is a military decoration of France. It recognizes an individual bestowed a Mention in Dispatches earned for showing valour in presence of an enemy, in theatres of operations which are not subject to the award of the Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures (Cross of War for Foreign Theatres of Operations). The Cross for Military Valour is usually awarded for security or peacekeeping operations, always outside the French territory. History It was established in 1956 to reward soldiers, sailors, and airmen serving in Algeria who had committed acts of valour or gallantry in combat. Algeria was a department of France at the time, so it was not considered a declared war but peacekeeping operations on French soil. Therefore, the War Cross for foreign operational theatres, which had been awarded for valiant service in Indochina, was not considered appropriate. Médaille de la Valeur Militaire was created on 11 April 1956 with a four-grade system of distinctions. To put it on the same level as the Croix de guerre, the Medal was replaced by a Cross on 12 October 1956. The Cross was used extensively to reward soldiers for valour in every French military operations since 1956, except the Gulf War and the Kosovo War, when Overseas War Crosses were awarded in place of Crosses for Military Valour : Aden Gulf (April 4 and 5, 2015) Afghanistan (November, 2001 – a date to be determined) Algeria (from 31 October 1954 to 1962) Antilles (from 16 April 2005 to 15 June 2005). Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Tchad (Operation Barkhane, from 1 October 2014 to present and MINUSMA from 1 August 2013 to present). Cape Verde (On 13–14 June 2002) Central African Republic (from 18 November 2006 to 7 December 2006; 2 March 2007) Chad (1968; 28 January 2008) Congo (service in 1960?) | Zaïre (service in 1978?) | Democratic Republic of the Congo (from 2 June to 26 September 2003) Haiti (from 19 February 2004 to 30 June 2004) Iraq and Syria (Opération Chammal ; from 8 August 2014 to present) Ivory Coast (Opération Licorne from 19 September 2002. to December 31, 2014) Lebanon (from 9 January 2005 to 16 July 2006) Liberia (9–10 June 2003) Libya (Opération Harmattan from 22 February 2011 to present). Mauritania (from 10 January 1957 to November 1960) Morocco (from 1 January 1953 to 1956). Sénégal, Burkina Faso, Mauritanie,