| Defence Long Service Medal | |
| Presenter: | Australia |
| Type: | Long Service Medal |
| Eligibility: | Members of the Australian Defence Force, including reserves |
| Awarded For: | a minimum of 15 years "qualifying service", including an assessment of good conduct |
| Status: | Currently awarded |
| Clasps: | for each additional 5 years of service |
| Established: | 1998 |
| Total Awarded: | 33,000[1] |
| Access-Date: | 29 April 2013--> |
| Precedence Label: | Order of Wear |
| Higher: | Reserve Force Medal[2] |
| Related: | Defence Force Service Medal Reserve Force Decoration (RFD) |
The Defence Long Service Medal is an Australian military award given for long service by permanent and reserve members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), irrespective of rank. It was introduced in 1998, and replaced the suite of ADF service awards introduced in 1982, which comprised the Defence Force Service Medal, the Reserve Force Medal and the Reserve Force Decoration.[3]
It is awarded to personnel who complete 15 years of Regular or Reserve service, or combinations thereof, on or after 14 February 1975. Additional service clasps, each indicating a further 5 years after the initial 15 year qualifying service, are issued. The first four clasps to the medal are indicated by rosettes on the ribbon. These are replaced by a single silver Federation Star for the fifth clasp. Additional Federation Star emblems are added for subsequent clasps.[3]
According to the Australian Department of Defence, the medal is described as:[3]
Other Australian long service awards include:
While the Australian Defence Medal is sometimes classified as a "long service medal", it is intended to recognise all those who completed an obligation to serve their country (whether voluntarily or conscripted), and is not awarded for "long service" per se.