Australian Service Medal
The Australian Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in peacekeeping and non-warlike operations. It is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the medal are made in the form of additional clasps. The Australian Service Medal 1945–1975 recognises non-warlike service prior to 17 September 1975.
Description
- The Australian Service Medal is a nickel-silver medal ensigned with the Crown of St Edward. The obverse features a modified shield of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms surmounted by the Australian Defence Force Joint Service emblem superimposed on meridians of longitude.
- The reverse of the medal shows clusters of mimosa blossoms surrounding a Federation Star with the inscription "For Service" in capital letters.
- The medal ribbon is 32mm wide and has a central brown stripe symbolising the earth. It is flanked by two stripes of dark green which in turn are flanked by stripes of light green, gold and silver-green.
- A nickel-silver clasp with the name of the theatre or action for which the award is made is presented with the medal.
Related medals
Personnel who receive this medal may also be entitled to receive a service or campaign medal from an international organisation or the host country, if they meet the eligibility criteria for those medals. These are treated as foreign medals in the Australian system, and if approved for wear on service uniforms, are worn after Australian medals in the order they are received. Recipients of the ASM may be authorised to wear up to two further medals from an international organisation and a host nation for the same period of service.Some of these medals have been granted a blanket authority for all recipients to wear. Others are approved on an individual basis.