Distinguished Service Medal (Australia)

For other uses, see Distinguished Service Medal (disambiguation).

Award

Distinguished Service Medal

Obverse of medal and ribbon

Type| Medal
Awarded for| Distinguished leadership in warlike operations.
Presented by| Governor-General of Australia
Eligibility| Members of the Australian Defence Force
Post-nominals| DSM
Status| Currently awarded
Established| 15 January 1991
First award| 1993
Final award| 2025 Australia Day Honours
Total| 360
Total awarded posthumously| 2
Total recipients| 362
Order of Wear
Next (higher)| Bravery Medal
Next (lower)| Public Service Medal
Related| Distinguished Service Cross
Commendation for Distinguished Service

The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in warlike operations. The DSM was introduced in 1991 and is the second highest distinguished service decoration in the Australian Honours System. Awards are made by the governor-general of Australia on the advice of the minister for Defence. Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "DSM". Since its inception 362 awards have been made—which includes nine bars and one second bar—with the most recent being announced in the 2025 Australia Day Honours.[1]

## Government allowance

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The Government of Australia may grant an allowance to veterans or serving members of the Australian Defence Force who have been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, or other awards for gallantry. At November 2007, this allowance was A$2.10 per fortnight.[2]

## Description

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* The Distinguished Service Medal is ensigned with the Crown of St Edward in nickel-silver. The obverse has a Federation star superimposed on a circle of flames.
* The medal has a nickel-silver suspender bar.
* The medal ribbon has alternating vertical stripes: four silver-blue and three ochre-red.

## See also

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* Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
* Distinguished Service Order (United Kingdom)
* Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)
* Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
* Australian Honours Order of Precedence

## References

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1. ^ "Distinguished Service Medal". Australian Honours Search Facility. Australian Government. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
2. ^ "Veteran's Entitlements Act 1986 – Sect 102". Commonwealth Consolidated Acts. Australasian Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 17 November 2007.

## External links

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* It's an Honour

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Orders, decorations, and medals of Australia

(order of wearing)

National orders|

* / Order of Australia

Royal orders|

* Order of the Garter
* Order of the Thistle
* Order of Merit
* Royal Victorian Order
* Order of St John

Gallantry|

* Victoria Cross for Australia (VC)
* Star of Gallantry (SG)
* Medal for Gallantry (MG)
* Commendation for Gallantry

Bravery|

* Cross of Valour (CV)
* Star of Courage (SC)
* Bravery Medal (BM)
* Commendation for Brave Conduct
* Group Bravery Citation

Distinguished service|

* Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
* Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)
* Commendation for Distinguished Service

Conspicuous service|

* Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC)
* Conspicuous Service Medal (CSM)

Nursing service|

* Nursing Service Cross (NSC)

Meritorious service|

* Public Service Medal (PSM)
* Australian Police Medal (APM)
* Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM)
* Ambulance Service Medal (ASM)
* Emergency Services Medal (ESM)
* Australian Corrections Medal (ACM)
* Australian Intelligence Medal (AIM)
* Australian Antarctic Medal (AAM)
* Royal Victorian Medal (RVM)

Campaign medals
(service periods)|

| 1939–1945|

* Australia Service Medal 1939–1945

|

1945–1975|

* Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975
* Australian General Service Medal for Korea (1953–1956)
* Vietnam Medal (1964–1973)
* Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal (1968–1973)
* Australian Service Medal 1945–1975

1975–2012|

* Australian Active Service Medal (1975–2017)
* Rhodesia Medal (1979–1980)
* International Force East Timor Medal (1999–2000)
* Afghanistan Medal (2001–2014)
* Iraq Medal (2003–2013)
* Australian Service Medal (1975–2014)

2012–present|

* Australian Operational Service Medal – Border Protection (2012–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – GMEO (2014–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – Special Operations (2019–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – Counter Terrorism/Special Recovery (2020–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – Africa (2023–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – Indo-Pacific (2025–present)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – Civilian (2012–present)

Special service|

* Police Overseas Service Medal
* Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal
* National Emergency Medal
* Civilian Service Medal 1939–1945
* National Police Service Medal
* Australian Sports Medal (2000, 2021–present)

Commemorative

* King Edward VII Coronation Medal (1902)
* King George V Coronation Medal (1911)
* King George V Silver Jubilee Medal (1935)
* King George VI Coronation Medal (1937)
* Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1953)
* Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (1977)
* 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal (1999)
* Centenary Medal (2001)
* Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)
* Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
* Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022)
* King Charles III Coronation Medal (2023)

Long service|

* Defence Force Service Medal (1982–1998)
* Reserve Force Decoration (1982–1998) (RFD)
* Reserve Force Medal (1982–1998)
* Defence Long Service Medal (1998–)
* National Medal
* Australian Cadet Forces Service Medal
* Service Medal of the Order of St John

Other defence awards|

* Australian Defence Medal
* Champion Shots Medal
* Anniversary of National Service 1951–1972 Medal
* / Unit Citation for Gallantry
* / Meritorious Unit Citation

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