Meritorious Service Medal (United States)

United States Armed Forces military award

This article is about the military medal awarded in the United States. For the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey medal, see Coast and Geodetic Survey Meritorious Service Medal. For other similarly named decorations, see Meritorious Service Medal.

Award

Meritorious Service Medal

Type| Military medal (Decoration)
Awarded for| Outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States
Presented by| United States Department of the Army[1]
United States Department of the Navy[2]
United States Department of the Air Force[3]
United States Department of Homeland Security[4]
Eligibility| Military Personnel Only
Status| Currently Awarded
Established| 1969; 55 years ago (1969)

Meritorious Service ribbon

Precedence
Next (higher)| Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Next (lower)| Air Medal

The Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) is a military award presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves with outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States.

Introduced in 1969, the MSM was long awarded as a decoration for peacetime achievement. Since 2004, it has also been bestowed in lieu of the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement in a designated combat theater.[5] Normally, the acts or services rendered must be comparable to that required for the Legion of Merit but in a duty of lesser, though considerable, responsibility.

A higher award and decoration, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM), is intended for similar services performed under joint duty within the United States Department of Defense, including the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, and joint task forces under their cognizance.

## Recipients

[edit]

The Meritorious Service Medal is given to all ranks for meritorious service in the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Space Force. It may be awarded for meritorious performance while serving in a staff position as a field grade officer, senior chief warrant officer, or senior non-commissioned officer, or, in the case of field grade officers, for successful completion of a command tour at the battalion (Army) or squadron (Army, Air Force, or Space Force) level[citation needed]. It is rarely awarded to officers in pay grades O-1 through O-3 (second lieutenant, first lieutenant, captain), junior warrant officers and chief warrant officers in pay grades W-1 and W-2 (WO1 and CW2, Army only), and junior NCOs in pay grades E-6 and below[citation needed].

Within the U.S. Army, according to AR 600-8-22, Paragraph 3-17, the MSM may not be upgraded to or downgraded from a recommended Bronze Star Medal. In the Army, an MSM recommendation that is downgraded will be approved as an Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM).

The U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard subscribe to a slightly different philosophy from the Army, Air Force, and Space Force in awarding the MSM, typically reserving it for senior Navy and Coast Guard officers in pay grades O-5 to O-6 (commander and captain) and Marine Corps field grade officers in pay grades O-5 and O-6 (lieutenant colonel and colonel), with the first award of the MSM typically occurring after completion of a successful commanding officer assignment at the O-5 level. Award of the MSM to USN, USMC, and USCG officers in pay grade O-4 (USN & USCG lieutenant commander / USMC major) and below, including chief warrant officers and below (other than as an award at retirement to CWO5 and CWO4) is typically by exception and normally limited to those who have held one of the service's handful of O-4 level commanding officer assignments (e.g., Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship) or serving on a USN or USCG flag officer staff or USMC general officer staff.[6][7]

Lt. Gen. Jack L. Rives pins the Meritorious Service Medal on Colonel Lindsey Graham, April 2009

For enlisted ranks, the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard typically limit the award of the MSM to pay grades E-8 (e.g., USN/USCG senior chief petty officer and USMC master sergeant or first sergeant) and E-9 (e.g., USN/USCG master chief petty officer and USMC sergeant major or master gunnery sergeant). Awarding the MSM to pay grade E-7 (e.g., USN/USCG chief petty officer and USMC gunnery sergeant) and below is very rare and by exception. In the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, the awarding authority for the MSM must be either a flag officer or general officer holding the pay grade of O-7 or above. It is most common for Navy and Coast Guard master chief petty officers (typically command master chief petty officers) and Marine Corps master gunnery sergeants and sergeants major to receive the MSM as an end-of-tour award or upon retirement.[6]

Foreign military personnel in the ranks of NATO OF-5 (US O-6 equivalent) and below and people who have displayed a level of service that warrants an award of such magnitude may also be eligible to be awarded the MSM, if approved by a U.S. flag officer or general officer. To receive this medal, the individual must exhibit exceptionally meritorious service at that level of responsibility.[5]

## Design and devices

[edit]

The Meritorious Service Medal is a bronze medal, 1.5 inches in diameter overall, consisting of six rays issuant from the upper three points of a five-pointed star with beveled edges and containing two smaller stars defined by incised outlines; in front of the lower part of the star an eagle with wings upraised standing upon two upward curving branches of laurel tied with a ribbon between the feet of the eagle. The reverse has the encircled inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "MERITORIOUS SERVICE". The suspension ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: 1/8 inch Crimson 67112; 1/4 inch White 67101; center 5/8 inch Crimson; 1/4 inch White; and 1/8 inch Crimson.[8]

The medal was designed by Jay Morris of the Institute of Heraldry, and the design was approved on March 20, 1969, by the medal committee appointed by the defense secretary. The ribbon design follows the colors used for the Legion of Merit to reflect the parallel between the two medals. The eagle, symbol of the United States, stands on laurel branches denoting achievement. The star is used to represent the military service and the rays emanating therefrom denote the constant efforts of individuals to achieve through excellent and meritorious service.

Additional awards of the Meritorious Service Medal are denoted by bronze oak leaf clusters in the Army, Air Force, and Space Force, with one silver oak leaf cluster denoting five additional awards. (1 silver OLC plus the medal itself represents six) and gold 5/16 inch stars in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard (with a 5/16 inch silver star denoting five additional awards). These devices are also authorized for wear on the suspension and service ribbon of the medal. In certain instances, the U.S. Coast Guard also authorizes an Operational Distinguishing Device for the medal.

## History

[edit]

At the Tri-Department Awards Conference (February 5, 1968), there was a discussion about the need for a third meritorious award to provide appropriate recognition for non-combat achievement or service comparable to that of the Bronze Star Medal for combat achievement or service. It was felt that the Legion of Merit's prestige was slipping because it was being used with increasing frequency to reward service below the Legion of Merit's intended standard, but higher than that required for the Commendation Medals of the various military services.[9]

An ad hoc committee was formed by the Secretary of Defense (M&RA) to select a name. On November 8, 1968, the committee unanimously approved the name "Meritorious Service Medal". President Lyndon B. Johnson established the MSM in Executive Order 11448, dated January 16, 1969. The Executive Order was amended by President Ronald Reagan per Executive Order 12312, dated July 2, 1981, to authorize the award for members of the armed forces of friendly foreign nations.

Until 2003, the MSM could only be awarded for peacetime service and could not be awarded in a combat zone; the MSM equivalent for those zones was the Bronze Star Medal (BSM). As in 1968 when the MSM was created, there were concerns that the prestige of the BSM was also slipping during combat operations in Southwest Asia that had essentially been continuous since 1990. In 2003, authority to award the MSM for combat zone service was authorized, retroactive to September 11, 2001.

## See also

[edit]

* Coast and Geodetic Survey Meritorious Service Medal, an award of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
* Merchant Marine Meritorious Service Medal, an award of the United States Merchant Marine
* Meritorious Civilian Service Award – a comparable award given to civilian employees of the United States Departments of Defense and its agencies.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2018-01-10.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-18. Retrieved 2018-01-10.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. ^ "Production publication" (PDF). static.e-publishing.af.mil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-27. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
4. ^ "Data" (PDF). media.defense.gov. 2017.
5. ^ a b "Meritorious Service Medal". edocket.access.gpo.gov.
6. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-07-26.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
7. ^ "AWARDING AUTHORITY FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDALS > the Official United States Marine Corps Public Website > Messages Display". Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
8. ^ "Institute of Heraldry Meritorious Service Medal". Archived from the original on 2011-01-13. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
9. ^ Air Force Personnel Center Meritorious Service Medal Archived 2011-06-16 at the Wayback Machine

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meritorious Service Medal (United States).

* US Army Institute of Heraldry: Meritorious Service Medal (archived 13 January 2011)

* v
* t
* e

Joint awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces

Joint military decorations|

* Defense Distinguished Service
* Homeland Security Distinguished Service
* Defense Superior Service
* Defense Meritorious Service
* Joint Service Commendation
* Joint Service Achievement
* Joint Meritorious Unit

Joint
service medals|

* Prisoner of War
* National Defense Service
* Antarctica Service
* Korean Service
* Armed Forces Expeditionary
* Vietnam Service
* Southwest Asia Service
* Kosovo Campaign
* Afghanistan Campaign
* Iraq Campaign
* Inherent Resolve Campaign
* Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary
* Global War on Terrorism Service
* Korea Defense Service
* Armed Forces Service
* Humanitarian Service
* Outstanding Volunteer Service
* Armed Forces Reserve

* v
* t
* e

Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)

Timeline|

* First inauguration
* Let Us Continue
* Second inauguration
* White House preservation
* 1964 SOTU Address
* 1965 SOTU Address
* 1966 SOTU Address
* 1967 SOTU Address
* 1968 SOTU Address
* 1969 SOTU Address
* Judicial appointments
* Supreme Court
* Thurgood Marshall Supreme Court nomination
* controversies
* Johnson desk
* Nixon transition
* Executive Orders
* Presidential Proclamations
* Meritorious Service Medal

Foreign policy|

* Johnson Doctrine
* Dominican Republic occupation
* Vietnam War
* Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
* "Credibility gap"
* Glassboro Summit
* Outer Space Treaty
* Operation CHAOS

Domestic policy|

* Administrative Conference of the United States (1964)
* Cannabis policy
* Civil Rights Act of 1964
* Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
* Executive Order 11246 (1965)
* Flood Control Act of 1965
* Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
* Voting Rights Act of 1965
* Child Nutrition Act
* 1966; School Breakfast Program
* Uniform Time Act (1966)
* White House Conference on Civil Rights (1966)
* Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
* Executive Order 11375 (1967)
* Civil Rights Act of 1968
* Gun Control Act of 1968
* Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968
* Law Enforcement Assistance Administration

Economic policy|

* Revenue Act of 1964
* Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964
* Urban Mass Transportation Administration
* Coinage Act of 1965
* Food and Agriculture Act of 1965
* High-Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965
* U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (1965)
* Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act (1966)
* Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (1966)
* National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (1966)
* Tax Adjustment Act of 1966
* Agricultural Fair Practices Act of 1967
* U.S. Department of Transportation (1967)
* Wholesome Meat Act (1967)
* Architectural Barriers Act of 1968
* Consumer Credit Protection Act of 1968
* Truth in Lending Act
* Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968
* Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968
* Ginnie Mae
* National Flood Insurance Act of 1968
* National Flood Insurance Program
* Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968
* Revenue and Expenditure Control Act of 1968
* Williams Act (1968)

Environmental
policy|

* Wilderness Act (1964)
* Land and Water Conservation Fund (1965)
* Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act of 1965
* Rivers and Harbors Act of 1965
* Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965
* Clean Waters Restoration Act (1966)
* National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966
* Air Quality Act of 1967
* National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (1968)

Great Society/
War on Poverty|

* Economic Opportunity Act of 1964
* Community Action Agencies
* Head Start
* Job Corps
* Office of Economic Opportunity
* Food Stamp Act of 1964
* Food Stamp Program
* AmeriCorps VISTA (1965)
* Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965)
* Higher Education Act of 1965
* FAFSA
* Federal Family Education Loan Program
* Federal Work-Study Program
* Pell Grant
* Stafford Loan
* Student loans in the United States
* Teacher Corps
* TRIO
* Upward Bound
* National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities
* 1965; National Endowment for the Arts
* National Endowment for the Humanities
* Older Americans Act (1965)
* Administration on Aging
* Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965
* Economic Development Administration
* Social Security Amendments of 1965
* Medicare
* Medicaid
* Model Cities Program (1966)
* National Historic Preservation Act
* 1966; National Register of Historic Places
* National Historic Landmark
* State Historic Preservation Office
* Bilingual Education Act (1967)
* Public Broadcasting Act of 1967
* Corporation for Public Broadcasting
* PBS
* NPR

* ← Kennedy administration
* Nixon administration →

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template