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Defense Superior Service Medal

On February 6, 1976 President Ford issued an Executive Order creating the Defense Superior Service Medal as one of the Defense Department awarded medals of America. These US military medals are presented by the Department of Defense as a senior award to members of the U.S. military for superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility. These military medals are generally awarded to flag and general officer grades in each of the 5 branches of service in the name of the Secretary of Defense.

In the general order of precedence that has been established for the proper display of all military awards, the Defense Superior Service Medal is worn just below the Silver Star and just above the Legion of Merit. These military ribbons and medals use the same design as the Defense Distinguished Service Medals, but are finished in silver instead of gold.

The Defense Superior Service Medal can be worn as traditional full size military medals and mini medals, military ribbons and lapel pins. Like most military medals, they are available as traditional slide-on, full size military medals or mini-medals, and slide-on military ribbons. Nowadays however, more and more military service personnel are realizing the value to their career goals of always having their uniform decorations looking their best, and have turned to the slimmer and trimmer thin military medals and mini medals and the ultra thin military ribbons to provide them with the smartest looking military award displays possible.