Military Decoration (Belgium)

Military Decoration (Long Service)
	Military Decoration (Long Service) Second Class
Type	Military decoration,
Awarded for	Long Service
Presented by	Kingdom of Belgium
Eligibility	Non-Commissioned Officers and other ranks of the Belgian Armed Forces
Status	Active
Established	December 22, 1873
	; Ribbon
Precedence
Next (higher)	Military Cross
Next (lower)	Cross of Honour for Military Service Abroad

The Military Decoration (Dutch: Militaire Ereteken, French: Décoration Militaire) is a military award of the Kingdom of Belgium. It was established on December 23, 1873 and is awarded to non-commissioned officers and other ranks of the Belgian Armed Forces for loyal and uninterrupted service. Early in the 20th century, 2 classes for the medal were created.

Award Criteria

The Military Decoration is awarded in two classes. Military personnel below the rank of Officer is awarded the second class after ten years of service. Five years after the award, they are awarded the first class of the medal (unless, by then, the service member is promoted to a commissioned officer rank).

Appearance

The medal is a gilt cross pattée surmounted by the royal crown of Belgium with four rays between the cross arms. The obverse bears a circular central medallion with a Belgian lion and a circular relief inscription. This inscription is the Belgian motto (Unity makes Strength) and used to be solely in France (surrounding the centered lion completely) but carries since July, 8, 1952 the motto both in Dutch (eendracht maakt macht) in the upper half and in French (l'union fait la force) in the lower half of the circle. The reverse is identical except for the central medallion, which used to the royal monogram of the reigning monarch at time of the award surrounded by the relief inscription "ARMÉE * MÉRITE * ANCIENNETÉ" ("ARMY * MERIT * SENIORITY"). Since July, 8, 1952, only a Belgian lion is depicted, without surrounding text or reference to the reigning monarch. The medal is suspended by a ring through the suspension loop to a silk moiré ribbon of seventeen alternating longitudinal stripes of red, yellow and black. A gilt inverted metal chevron is affixed to the ribbon of the award first class.

For Long Service	For Long Service	Common Reverse

First Class Obverse Before 1952	Second Class Obverse Before 1952	Reverse Before 1952 Reign of Albert I of Belgium

Devices

On the ribbon an inverted gilt chevron is affixed when the first class of the medal is awarded.

References

Clarke JD,Gallantry Medals & Awards of the World
Royal Decree of 23 December 1873 creating the Military Decoration
Belgian military regulation DGHR-REG-DISPSYS-001 of 20 February 2006
Quinot H., 1950, Recueil illustré des décorations belges et congolaises, 4e Edition. (Hasselt)
Cornet R., 1982, Recueil des dispositions légales et réglementaires régissant les ordres nationaux belges. 2e Ed. N.pl., (Brussels)
Borné A.C., 1985, Distinctions honorifiques de la Belgique, 1830-1985 (Brussels)
Report of written questions and answers in the Belgian House of Representatives, 17 March 2014 (QRVA 53-152)

External links

Belgian Military Decoration at Northeastmedals

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Orders, decorations, and medals of Belgium
Current orders	Order of Leopold Order of the Crown Order of Leopold II
Former orders	Order of the African Star Service Star Royal Order of the Lion
Pre–1914	Civic Guard Merit Medal 1830 Star of Honour Iron Cross 1830 Volunteers' Commemorative Cross 1870–71 Commemorative Medal
1914–1918	Croix de guerre 1914–18 Fire Cross 1914–1918 Yser Medal Yser Cross Volunteer Combatant's Medal 1914–1918 Commemorative Medal of the 1914–1918 War Commemorative Medal of the 1914–1917 African Campaigns Liège Medal Maritime Decoration 1914–1918 Political Prisoner's Medal 1914–1918 Deportees' Cross 1914–1918 1914–1918 Medal for National Restoration King Albert Medal Queen Elisabeth Medal Inter-Allied Victory Medal 1914–1918 Civic Decoration 1914–1918 Commemorative Medal of the National Committee for Aid and Food
1940–1945	Croix de guerre 1940–45 Maritime Medal 1940–1945 1940–1945 Military Combatant's Medal Volunteer's Medal 1940–1945 1940–1945 African War Medal 1940–1945 Colonial War Effort Medal Abyssinian Campaigns Commemorative Medal Resistance Medal 1940–1945 Civilian Resistance Medal Civilian Disobedience Medal Political Prisoner's Cross 1940–1945 Prisoner of War Medal 1940–1945 Escapees' Cross 1940–1945 Medal for Resistance against Nazism in the Annexed Territories Medal of the Recruiting Centers 1940 Medal of Belgian Gratitude 1940–1945 Commemorative Medal of the 1940–1945 War Civic Decoration 1940–1945
Post–1945	Foreign Operational Theatres Commemorative Medal War Volunteer's Medal Medal of Military Merit
Current military awards	Military Cross Military Decoration Croix de guerre (post–1954) Cross of Honour for Military Service Abroad Commemorative Medal for Armed Humanitarian Operations Medal for Services Rendered Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operations or Missions Meritorious Service Medal Commemorative Medal for the "European March of Memory and Friendship" "Four Days of the Yser" Commemorative Medal
Current civilian awards	Civic Decoration Honour Badge of Labour Labour Decoration Decoration for Mutuality
Commemorative medals	Commemorative Decoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Creation of the Railroads Commemorative Medal of the Reign of King Leopold II Commemorative Medal for the 75th Anniversary of the Belgian Postal Service Centenary of National Independence Commemorative Medal Commemorative Medal for the Centenary of the Telegraphic Service Commemorative Medal for the 100th Anniversary of the Belgian Postal Service Commemorative Medal of the Reign of King Albert I
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