Defense Superior Service Medal — Military Decorations
Defense Superior Service Medal Medal and Ribbon Design Images
The Defense Superior Service Medal was decided to be created and produced with the smallest amount of labour and cost as possible. It ranks below Defense Distinguished Service Medal, but has the same design as the Defense Distinguished Service Medal only differing in that it is finished in silver rather than gold and the inscriptions on the reverse of the medal are labeled with the correct award name.
The medal is made of a silver and detailed with a blue enamel coating. It is 1 7/8 inches in height overall. It depicts a silver American eagle superimposed over a medium blue pentagon. The eagle has outstretched wings and the shield of the United States is on its chest. It is holding three crossed arrows in its talons.
The reverse is simple with the engraved line, “For Superior Service;” And below in the pentagon is the inscription, “From The Secretary of Defense To _______.”
What is the Defense Superior Service Medal Decoration?
The medal is suspended from a ribbon which is composed of vertical stripes of golden yellow, bluebird, white, scarlet, white, bluebird, and golden yellow.
The United States military sorts decorations into categories called Classes and Types. The Defense Superior Service Medal medal is classified as a Personal Decoration of the type Distinguished Service Medal.
How Do You Earn the Defense Superior Service Medal?
The Defense Superior Service Medal is awarded by the Secretary of Defense to servicemen and women of the US Armed Forces who have rendered superior service in a position of authority or responsibility while engaged in a joint activity. The award is generally given for a period exceeding 12 months. You must be attached to a Joint Task Force as an individual not a unit to be eligible for the award.
Displaying the Defense Superior Service Medal
The Order of Precedence of the Defense Superior Service Medal is 13, and this precedence is used when placing the associated service ribbon on your uniform ribbon rack. You can see a full list of decorations in the order of precedence on the Decorations homepage.
Subsequent awards of the Defense Superior Service Medal are denoted by oak leaf clusters worn on the suspension and service ribbons of the medal. The award follows the Silver Star and is worn before the Legion of Merit.
Defense Superior Service Medal Associated Branches
Army |
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Navy |
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Marine Corps |
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Air Force |
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Coast Guard |
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Defense Superior Service Medal Associated Branches
Army |
|
Navy |
|
Marine Corps |
 |
Air Force |
|
Coast Guard |
|
Defense Superior Service Medal and the Stolen Valor Act
The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 is a federal law that makes it illegal for any person to falsely claim to be the recipient of certain military awards, "with the intention of obtaining money, property, or other tangible benefit by convincing another that he or she received the award".This decoration is covered by the Stolen Valor act. Fraudulently claiming to have received a Defense Superior Service Medal can result in punishment including a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both
