What you need to know
The Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) recognises long term service in the armed forces of non commissioned ranks. Officers may be considered immediately after commissioning.
You cannot apply for this medal, it’s only issued to current serving personnel who have been recommended by the commanding officer.
To be considered, you must:
- have 20 years’ reckonable service
- be at least a substantive sergeant or equivalent
- be a holder of the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
- have been judged as ‘good, faithful, valuable and meritorious’, with conduct judged to be ‘irreproachable’ throughout
The Service Boards look for evidence of particular achievements, either in the course of or outside of military duty. These can include:
- achievements which benefit the service in the public, for example community engagement with local councils or cadet forces
- achievements in the field of sport
- charity work
A limited number are awarded each year.
Service boards consider recommendations in April and October every year. To find out how to recommend someone go to:
- Royal Navy: BR 8748
- Army: Queen’s Regulations paragraphs 5.392, 10.006 to 10.007 and DIN 2006DIN10-006 for additional information
- RAF: AP 3392, Volume 4, Leaflet 2006, Annex A
(do we need links potentially?)
What you need to know
Accumulated Campaign Service Medal front and back
The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (ACSM) is awarded to Army, RAF, Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel to recognise continued campaign service.
To apply for the ACSM, you must have completed 1,080 days aggregated by 1 January 2008 in theatres which would have merited:
- a General Service Medal 1962-2007 (Northern Ireland, Air Ops Iraq)
- an Operational Service Medal(Sierra Leone, Afghanistan)
- an Iraq Medal
If your aggregated service falls short of 1,080 days by 1 January 2008, the service will go towards the ACSM 2011.
If you go on to complete a further 1,080 days aggregated service by 31 December 2007, you will be awarded a bar. The bar is worn on the ribbon of the ACSM.
What you need to know
The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 front and back
The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (ACSM) 2011 is awarded to Army, RAF, Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel to recognise continued campaign service.
To apply for the ACSM 2011, you must have completed 720 days aggregated service and be serving either on or after 1 January 2008.
Your service must have merited:
- a General Service Medal 1962-2007 (Northern Ireland, Air Ops Iraq)
- an Operational Service Medal (Sierra Leone, Afghanistan)
- an Iraq Medal
If you go on to complete a further 720 days aggregated service, you will be awarded a bar. The bar is worn on the ribbon of the ACSM. You can receive more than one bar.
What you need to know
Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal front and back
The Long Service and Good Conduct (LSCG) Medal for the Royal Navy is awarded to personnel in recognition of long service. The regulations were updated on 1 October 2016.
To qualify, you must have:
- 15 years’ reckonable service in the Navy
- a clear record with no misconduct for at least the last 15 years
- been serving on or after 29 July 2014, if you’re an officer
- been serving on or after 1 October 2016, if you’re an ‘other rank’
- have all 3 conduct badges with character judged no lower than ‘very good’
You don’t need to apply if you’re currently serving. The MOD medals office is currently processing applications. Talk to your Unit HR Admin or go to 2016DIN09-023 or JSP 761 Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces for more information.
If you have a disciplinary entry on your record, you will need to wait 15 years from the date of your last offence before you will be eligible again. You should apply through your Unit HR Admin.
If you have been discharged and are eligible you should apply to the MOD Medal Office.
For every additional 10 years’ service with a clear record you’ll be issued a clasp. For example, if you qualify and have served 26 years you will receive the medal and clasp.
What you need to know
The Long Service and Good Conduct Medal front and back
The Long Service and Good Conduct (LSGC) Medal for the army is awarded to personnel in recognition of long service. The regulations were updated on 1 October 2016.
To qualify, you must have:
- 15 years’ reckonable service in the army
- a clear record with no misconduct for at least the last 15 years
- been serving on or after 29 July 2014, if you’re an officer
- been serving on or after 1 October 2016, if you’re an ‘other rank’
You don’t need to apply if you’re currently serving. The MOD medals office is currently processing applications. Talk to your Unit HR Admin or go to 2016DIN09-023 or JSP 761 Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces for more information.
If you have a disciplinary entry on your record, you will need to wait 15 years from the Unit HR Admin.
If you have been discharged and are eligible you should apply to the MOD Medal Office.
For every additional 10 years’ service with a clear record you’ll be issued a clasp. For example, if you qualify and have served 26 years you will receive the medal and clasp.
What you need to know
Long Service and Good Conduct (LSGC) Medal front and back
The Long Service and Good Conduct (LSGC) Medal for the Royal Air Force is awarded to personnel in recognition of long service. The regulations were updated on 1 October 2016.
To qualify, you must have:
- 15 years’ reckonable service in the RAF
- a clear record with no misconduct for at least the last 15 years
- been serving on or after 29 July 2014, if you’re an officer
- been serving on or after 1 October 2016, if you’re an ‘other rank’
You don’t need to apply if you’re currently serving. The MOD medals office is currently processing applications. Talk to your Unit HR Admin or go to 2016DIN09-023 or JSP 761 Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces for more information.
If you have a disciplinary entry on your record, you will need to wait 15 years from the date of your last offence before you will be eligible again. You should apply through your Unit HR Admin.
If you have been discharged and are eligible you should apply to the MOD Medal Office.
For every additional 10 years’ service with a clear record you’ll be issued a clasp. For example, if you qualify and have served 26 years you will receive the medal and clasp.
What you need to know
Volunteer Reserves Service Medal front and back
The Volunteer Reserves Service Medal (VRSM) replaced the separate medals that used to be issued to personnel of the separate Reserve Forces in April 1999.
The VRSM is awarded to both officers and other ranks of the:
- Royal Naval and Royal Marine Reserves
- Army Reserves (formerly the Territorial Army)
- Royal Auxiliary Air Force
These medals may still be issued for qualifying service ending before 1 April 1999:
- Royal Naval Reserve Decoration
- Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Reserve
- Territorial Decoration
- Efficiency Medal for the Army Reserve
- Air Efficiency Award for the Royal Auxiliary Air Force
To be considered for the VRSM, you must have:
- 10 years’ reckonable service in the Reserve Forces
- earned a training bounty in 9 out of the 10 qualifying years
- to have completed a full years training in the year that the 9th bounty was awarded
- to be serving in the Volunteer Reserves on or after 1 April 1999
If you go on to serve an additional 5 years reckonable service you’ll be issued a clasp. The clasp should be worn on the ribbon of the VRSM.
There are complex rules for service that has been both regular and reserve.
If you think you might be eligible, please contact your Unit HR Admin or apply to the MOD Medal Office.
Further information can be found in Defence Council Instruction (DCI) JS 53/99 and AP3392 Vol 7 Leaflet 702 Annex B.
What you need to know
Cadet Forces Medal front and back
The Cadet Forces Medal is awarded in recognition of long service in the MOD Sponsored Cadet Forces.
To be considered, you must
- be a uniformed cadet force adult volunteer
- have completed 12 years’ qualifying service
All uniformed service in the cadet forces over the age of 18 may be aggregated to fulfil the relevant qualifying period: breaks in service are allowed but are not to be counted towards the length of qualifying service. Up to 3 years’ service with any of the following may be used towards the qualifying service for the medal provided it has not been used towards another medal:
- Regular Forces
- Volunteer Reserve Forces
- University Royal Naval Units
- University Officer Training Corps
- University Air Squadrons
A Clasp will be awarded for each 6 years’ additional qualifying service (Before 1 April 1991, clasps were awarded for eight years’ additional service). Recommendations for the award of medals and clasps are to be made by cadet units in accordance with the Cadet Forces Medal Regulations published in JSP 814 Policy and Regulations for Ministry of Defence Sponsored Cadet Forces.
