Medalje vir Troue Diens Medal for Loyal Service | |
---|---|
Type | Military long service medal |
Awarded for | Ten years of loyal service |
Country | South Africa |
Presented by | the President |
Eligibility | All ranks |
Status | Current |
Established | 27 April 2003 |
Order of wear | |
Next (higher) | Service Medal in Bronze |
Next (lower) | Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces |
The Medalje vir Troue Diens - Medal for Loyal Service was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa on 16 April 2003 and came into effect on 27 April 2003. It can be awarded to all ranks whose character and conduct have been irreproachable and who have completed ten years of qualifying service. [1] [2]
The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994, it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). [2] [3] [4]
The Medalje vir Troue Diens - Medal for Loyal Service was instituted by the President on 16 April 2003 and came into effect on 27 April 2003. The bilingual title of the medal is in Afrikaans and English. [1] [5]
The medal can be awarded to all ranks of the South African National Defence Force and of any Auxiliary Service of the South African National Defence Force, whose character and conduct have been irreproachable and who, on or after 27 April 2003, have completed ten years of qualifying service, not necessarily continuous. The medal and the Bars to the medal may be awarded posthumously. Qualifying service include service in the former constituent permanent or part-time forces of the SANDF as well as other former uniformed establishments, such as the Police forces and Prisons services of South Africa, the Republics of Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei and the Self-Governing Territories. [1]
Upon completion of further periods of ten years of qualifying service, the Medalje vir Troue Diens - Medal for Loyal Service and the appropriate bar may be awarded in addition to previous medals for long service which had been awarded for service in these former forces. [1]
Guidelines, consisting of appropriate words or phrases which may be useful when writing a citation for the award of the Medalje vir Troue Diens - Medal for Loyal Service, have been published by the South African Defence Department. [6]
Only one medal is conferred and, for each additional period of ten years of qualifying service to a maximum of another forty years, altogether four bars may be awarded to denote subsequent conferments of the medal. The position of the Medalje vir Troue Diens - Medal for Loyal Service in the official military and national orders of precedence depends on which bars for further periods of service beyond ten years, if any, had been awarded to the recipient. [1]
In respect of the Medalje vir Troue Diens without a bar, for ten years service, the official order of precedence is as follows: [7]
In respect of the Medalje vir Troue Diens and Bar for twenty years service, the official order of precedence is as follows: [7]
In respect of the Medalje vir Troue Diens and Bar for thirty years service, the official order of precedence is as follows: [7]
In respect of the Medalje vir Troue Diens and Bar for forty years service, the official order of precedence is as follows: [7]
In respect of the Medalje vir Troue Diens and Bar for fifty years service, the official order of precedence is as follows: [7]
The Emblem for Reserve Force Service, post-nominal letters RD, was instituted on 27 April 2003 and may be awarded to members in the part-time Reserves of the South African National Defence Force who have performed twenty years of loyal service, of which not less than five years were served in the Reserve Force, service in the former Citizen Force or Commandos included. The emblem is worn on the centre of the ribbon of the Medalje vir Troue Diens - Medal for Loyal Service, above any bars awarded for periods of extended service, and may be continued to be worn even if the recipient is later appointed in the Regular Force. [2] [8]
The conferring of the Emblem for Reserve Force Service entitles recipients to the use of the post-nominal letters RD, denoting "Reserve Distinction". [2] [8]
The Medalje vir Troue Diens - Medal for Loyal Service was struck in nickel-silver, circular in shape with a diameter of 38 millimetres and a raised edge, with the edge evenly scalloped. The obverse of the medal bears the coat of arms of the Republic of South Africa in relief. [1] [2]
The reverse bears the emblem of the South African National Defence Force at the top and is inscribed, in relief, with the words "VIR TROUE DIENS" around the lower perimeter, with the medal number impressed between the emblem and the inscription. The medal is attached to a plain nickel-silver suspender affixed to the upper rim of the medal. [1] [9]
The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and national flag green, with a 3 millimetres wide national flag red band and a 3 millimetres wide white band on the left edge, and a 3 millimetres wide white band and a 3 millimetres wide national flag blue band on the right edge. [1]
The bars are 33 millimetres wide and 5 millimetres high, with the Arabic numerals "20", "30", "40" or "50" respectively in relief in the centre. When only a ribbon bar is worn, silhouette button replicas of the medal, 8 millimetres in diameter and with the Arabic numerals "20", "30", "40" or "50" respectively in relief, is affixed to the ribbon bar to denote each bar awarded, evenly spaced on the breadth of the ribbon. The bars and ribbon buttons are struck in the following metals:
The Emblem for Reserve Force Service consists of the uppercase letters "RD", 8 millimetres high and struck in silver. [2] [8]
The John Chard Decoration, post-nominal letters JCD, was a military long service decoration which was instituted by the Union of South Africa on 6 April 1952. It was awarded to members of the Citizen Force of the South African Defence Force for twenty years of efficient service and good conduct. Clasps could be awarded after thirty and forty years service respectively.
The Medal for Distinguished Conduct and Loyal Service is a South African military medal which was instituted by the Republic in 1987. It was awarded to members of the South African Defence Force for forty years of loyal service and distinguished conduct.
The Good Service Medal, Bronze, originally named the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Bronze, is the junior of a set of three South African military medals which was instituted by the Republic on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to members of all elements of the South African Defence Force for ten years of exemplary service, but was restricted to Permanent Force personnel from 1993.
The Good Service Medal, Gold, originally named the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Gold, is the senior of a set of three military medals which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was initially awarded to members of all elements of the South African Defence Force for thirty years of exemplary service, but was restricted to Permanent Force personnel from 1993.
The Union Medal was instituted by the Union of South Africa in 1952. It was awarded to Permanent Force members of the South African Defence Force for eighteen years of service and good conduct.
The Unitas Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa on 4 November 1994. It was awarded to all ranks who were on the active strength of all seven constituent military forces from 27 April 1994 to 10 May 1994, to commemorate their amalgamation into the South African National Defence Force. It was also awarded to personnel of the British Military Advisory and Training Team which served in South Africa at the time.
The General Service Medal was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1991, for award to all ranks for operational service inside Bophuthatswana.
The Long Service Medal, Silver was instituted by the President of the Republic of Venda in 1985, for award to all ranks for twenty years exemplary service.
The Closure Commemoration Medal is a military commemoration medal which was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in 2010, to commemorate the disbandment of the Commandos, the rural defence component of the South African National Defence Force.
The Merit Medal in Silver, post-nominal letters MMS, was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress, who had distinguished themselves during the "struggle" by exceptionally meritorious service and particular devotion to duty.
The Merit Medal in Bronze, post-nominal letters MMB, was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of uMkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress, who had distinguished themselves during the "struggle" by service of a high order.
The Operational Medal for Southern Africa was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in 1998. It was awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army for operational service outside South Africa during the "struggle".
The Service Medal in Gold was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress, for thirty years exemplary service.
The Service Medal in Silver was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress, for twenty years service.
The Service Medal in Bronze was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress, for ten years service.
The Gold Decoration for Merit, post-nominal letters GDM, was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, for outstanding service and utmost devotion to duty during the "struggle".
The Silver Medal for Merit, post-nominal letters SMM, was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, for exceptionally meritorious service and particular devotion to duty during the "struggle".
The Gold Service Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, for thirty years service.
The Silver Service Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It could be awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, for twenty years exemplary service.
The Bronze Service Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, for ten years of exemplary service.