Volunteer Reserves Service Medal

Medal in the British Armed Forces

Award

Volunteer Reserves Service Medal

Obverse of the medal

Type| Long service medal
Awarded for| 10 years' qualifying service
Presented by|  United Kingdom
Eligibility| All members of the Reserves of all of the branches of the British Armed Forces
Clasps| for each additional 5 years service
Established| 1 April 1999

Standard ribbon bar

Honourable Artillery Company ribbon
Order of Wear
Next (higher)| Air Efficiency Award[1]
Next (lower)| Ulster Defence Regiment Medal[1]
Related| Reserve Decoration, Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, Territorial Decoration, Efficiency Medal (Territorial), Air Efficiency Award

The Volunteer Reserves Service Medal (VRSM) is a medal which may be awarded to members of the Volunteer Reserves of all branches of the British Armed Forces \- the Royal Naval Reserve, the Royal Marines Reserve, the Army Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. It replaced the separate decorations and medals awarded respectively to officers and other ranks in each of the services - the Royal Navy's Reserve Decoration and Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, the British Army's Territorial Decoration and Efficiency Medal, and the Royal Air Force's Air Efficiency Award \- from 1 April 1999.

## Description

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The medal is a silver oval, 38mm high and 32mm wide. The obverse depicts an image of the monarch. The reverse has the words, in five lines, FOR SERVICE IN THE VOLUNTEER RESERVES, above a sprig of oak leaves and acorns. The medal is suspended from a ribbon that represents each of the services with narrow stripes of dark blue, scarlet and light blue in the centre (for the Navy, Army and Air Force, respectively) separated by a thin strip of yellow from dark green bands (representing the Reserves) at each edge.[2] Members of the Honourable Artillery Company receive the same medal but with their ribbon.[3]

## Criteria

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The VRSM is awarded after 10 years of qualifying service in the Volunteer Reserves, although service in the Regular forces before joining the Reserves may count towards the qualifying period. However, a maximum of five years of regular service can be counted and this service is counted as half qualifying time. A clasp is awarded for each additional 5 years service.[2]

## "VR" post-nominal letters

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It was announced on 26 March 2015 by the Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon, that Volunteer Reservists may use the post-nominal letters "VR" after 10 years' service, back-dated to 1999. As the post-nominal recognition is available after a straight 10 years' service, reservists may find themselves entitled to use "VR" before the qualifying period and eligibility criteria for the VRSM have been achieved. The VRSM and the post-nominals VR are therefore not directly connected.[4]

The postnominals "VR" should follow the post-nominal letters denoting the grant of any state Honour or decoration, or educational or professional qualification.[5]

## See also

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* King's Volunteer Reserves Medal (KVRM)

## References

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1. ^ a b "No. 56878". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 March 2003. p. 3353.
2. ^ a b "Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
3. ^ Mackay, James; Mussell, John W; Editorial Team of MEDAL NEWS, eds. (2004). The Medal Yearbook 2004. Devon, UK: Token Publishing Ltd. p. 221\. ISBN 9781870192620.
4. ^ Ministry of Defence (26 March 2015). "New recognition for Reserve and Regular military service". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
5. ^ JSP 761 Pt 1 (V5.0 Oct 16): Ministry of Defence. Chapter 5, Paragraph 17

## External links

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* v
* t
* e

Long and Meritorious Service Medals of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations

Regular military
meritorious
and long
service medals|

* Meritorious Service Medal
* Meritorious Service Medal (Australia)
* Meritorious Service Medal (Cape of Good Hope)
* Meritorious Service Medal (Natal)
* Meritorious Service Medal (New Zealand)
* Meritorious Service Medal (South Africa)
* Accumulated Campaign Service Medal
* Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Cape of Good Hope)
* Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal)
* Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal
* Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military)
* Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (South Africa)
* Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (1830)
* Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (1848)
* Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army)
* Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army)
* Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Ulster Defence Regiment)
* Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for Indian Army)
* Royal West African Frontier Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* King's African Rifles Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Royal Sierra Leone Military Forces Long Service and Good Conduct Medal‎
* Trans-Jordan Frontier Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Indian Army)

Civilian long
service medals|

* Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Fire and Rescue Service Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* African Police Medal for Meritorious Service
* Royal Canadian Mounted Police Long Service Medal
* Ceylon Police Long Service Medal
* Ceylon Fire Services Long Service Medal
* Sierra Leone Police Long Service Medal
* Colonial Police Long Service Medal
* Sierra Leone Fire Brigades Long Service Medal
* Mauritius Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Mauritius Fire Services Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Mauritius Prisons Service Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Colonial Fire Brigades Long Service Medal
* Colonial Prison Service Medal
* Hong Kong Disciplined Services Medal
* Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service Medal
* Prison Services (Operational Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Royal Ulster Constabulary Service Medal
* Northern Ireland Prison Service Medal
* National Crime Agency Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Police Service of Northern Ireland Service Medal
* Border Force and Immigration Enforcement Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

Volunteer
and part-time
long service
decorations
and medals|

* Emergency Reserve Decoration
* Volunteer Officers' Decoration
* Volunteer Long Service Medal
* Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies
* Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies
* Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration
* Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal
* Militia Long Service Medal
* Imperial Yeomanry Long Service Medal
* Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Territorial Decoration
* Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
* Efficiency Decoration
* Territorial Force Efficiency Medal
* Territorial Efficiency Medal
* Efficiency Medal
* Army Emergency Reserve Efficiency Medal
* Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Reserve
* Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
* Royal Naval Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Royal Naval Wireless Auxiliary Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Royal Naval Auxiliary Service Long Service Medal
* Air Efficiency Award
* Volunteer Reserves Service Medal
* Ulster Defence Regiment Medal
* Northern Ireland Home Service Medal
* Cadet Forces Medal
* H.M. Coastguard Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Special Constabulary Long Service Medal
* Royal Observer Corps Medal
* Civil Defence Long Service Medal
* Jersey Honorary Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* Service Medal of the Order of St John
* Voluntary Medical Service Medal
* Women's Royal Voluntary Service Medal
* South African Medal for War Services
* Colonial Special Constabulary Medal

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