The State of Maryland State Service Medal (formerly the Maryland National Guard State Service Medal) is an award bestowed on those who have served five years continuously in any branch of the

Maryland Military Department The Maryland Military Department (MMD) is a department of the State of Maryland directed by the adjutant general of Maryland. The Maryland Military Department consists of the: *State Operations section, which manages fiscal and administrative du ...

."Maryland Military Department Regulations 672-1 (Awards and Decorations)" (15 August 2010). State of Maryland Military Department. Accessed 8 April 2012. The

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which developed f ...

is marked with

bottony A number of cross symbols were developed for the purpose of the emerging system of heraldry, which appeared in Western Europe in about 1200. This tradition is partly in the use of the Christian cross an emblem from the 11th century, and increasi ...

devices to indicate each additional five years of continuous service up to fifty, which is marked with two gold bottonees.

References

{{reflist Awards and decorations of the National Guard (United States)