The Medal of National Defense Service () is a

military decoration Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medal ...

awarded by the Central Military Commission of China, first amended on May 4, 2010, then established on August 1, 2011. It was divided into three grades, but in 2022 it's re-divided into 5 grades.

Criteria

2011 criteria

The medal is awarded to military officers, civilian cadres and soldiers who have served for the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

for more than 10 years. Among them: * A person who served more than 10 years and less than 20 years is awarded with a bronze medal, * A person who served more than 20 years and less than 35 years is awarded with a silver medal, * A person who served more than 35 years is awarded with a gold medal.

Service Ribbon

File:Medal of National Defense Service Ribbon - Golden.svg, Golden File:Medal of National Defense Service Ribbon - Silver.svg, Silver File:Medal of National Defense Service Ribbon - Bronze.svg, Bronze

2022 criteria

In February 2022, the original 3-rank criteria were re-ranked with a new 5-rank criteria: * A person who served for at least 50 years is awarded with a special level medal * A person who served for at least 40 years and less than 50 years is awarded with a level 1 medal * A person who served for at least 30 years and less than 40 years is awarded with a level 2 medal * A person who served for at least 16 years and less than 30 years is awarded with a level 3 medal * A person who served for at least 8 years and less than 16 years is awarded with a level 4 medal

References

Awards established in 2011 Military awards and decorations of the People's Liberation Army {{orders-medals-stub