New Zealand Defence Service Medal

New Zealand Defence Service Medal
Awarded by  New Zealand
Type	Service medal
Eligibility	Ex-Service persons and currently serving NZDF military personnel
Awarded for	Attested military service since 3 September 1945
Status	Currently awarded
Clasps	REGULAR TERRITORIAL C.M.T. NATIONAL SERVICE
Statistics
Established	April 2011
Precedence
Next (higher)	Cadet Forces Medal
Next (lower)	Rhodesia Medal
Ribbon bar of the medal

The New Zealand Defence Service Medal (NZDSM) is a military service medal awarded to former and current members of the New Zealand Defence Force, who have served since 3 September 1945. It is expected that at least 160,000 former service personnel and more than 7,000 currently serving NZDF personnel are eligible to receive the medal.^[1]

Appearance

The NZDSM is circular medal made of antiqued bronze. The obverse of the medal contains the New Zealand Coat of Arms. The reverse depicts one large New Zealand fern frond and the emblems of the Navy, Army and Air Force represented by the badge of the New Zealand Defence Force. The lower portion of the reverse contains the inscription "THE NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE SERVICE MEDAL".

The medal is suspended from a ribbon of dark blue, red, light blue. These colours are separated by thin light green stripes. The medal is awarded with at least one clasp.

Clasps

Regular

For service in the regular force of the New Zealand Defence Force.

Territorial

For service in the Territorial Force of the NZDF.

C.M.T.

For Compulsory Military Training from 1949—1958.

National service

For National Service from 1962—1972.

References

1. ^ "New Zealand Defence Service Medal". New Zealand Defence Force. http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/category/n/n1.html. Retrieved 2011-10-04.