VANZ News Issue 5
The New Zealand Defence Service Medal
The Royal Warrant and design for the New Zealand Defence Service Medal (NZDSM) has been approved by Her Majesty The Queen. Applications are expected to open shortly. The medal is awarded for non-operational military service in the Defence Force by New Zealanders. Those who have served in the military for more than three years since World War II and those who did compulsory military training or national military service, qualify.
The Medals Office expects to issue around 116,000 medals over the next three years. The Minister has directed that the priority will be: living ex-Service personnel over the age of 70, living ex-Service personnel over the age of 60, then other living ex-Service personnel. Terminally ill ex-Service personnel will be given overall priority but need to apply in the usual manner. Families of deceased ex-Service personnel will be asked to apply for their late relations’ (e.g. husband/mother) medal after the processing of applications from older living ex-Service personnel is underway, possibly late 2011. Go to the NZDF Medals site to keep up to date with the NZDSM medals.