Medal of Military Merit (Belgium)

Meritorious Service Medal (Belgium)
Meritorious Service Medal
Awarded by Kingdom of Belgium
Type	Medal
Eligibility	Personnel of the Belgian Defence
Awarded for	Exemplary behaviour or act
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	25 February 2005
Precedence
Next (higher)	Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operation or Mission
Next (lower)	Commemorative Medals for Army Marches
Ribbon bar of the Medal of Military Merit

The Medal of Merit for personnel of the Belgian Defence Forces and Foreign Armed Forces (Dutch: Medaille van Verdienste ten gunste van de personeelsleden van defensie en van vreemde legers, French: Médaille du Mérite en faveur des membres du personnel de la défense et d’armées étrangères) is a military decoration of Belgium. It was established on 23 February 2005 as a more rewarding successor of an earlier Medal of Military Merit (created in 1988) and is awarded to members of the Belgian Armed Forces and civilians working for the Belgian Defence who show an exemplary meritorious behaviour in the completion of their duties or who have accomplished an exemplary meritorious act.

The Medal may also be awarded to foreign military and civilian members of a foreign Armed Force who have provided exceptional support to the Belgian Defence.

The Medal of Military Merit is awarded by Royal Decree.

Classes

The Medal of Military Merit is awarded in one single class.

History

The original Medal of Military Merit was created in 1988 by Ministerial Decree and awarded internally within the Ministry of Defence. However, it was felt that this limited the visibility and importance of the award, and a new Medal of Military Merit with a slightly different official name was created in its place, that was to be awarded by the King of Belgium. The original Medal of Military Merit is to be considered as equivalent to the new one.

Insignia

The medal is round, made of bronze, showing on the obverse a crest with the Belgian lion and at the reverse the name of the recipient and date of the award, and is suspended to the ribbon by a ring. The ribbon is light blue with four vertical white stripes. The original Medal of Military Merit had the same aspect as the new one, and both are virtually indistinguishable.

Award Conditions

The Medal of Military Merit is awarded by the King based on a proposal from the Directror of Human Resources of the Belgian Defence to persons who:

• Are more productive than most of their colleagues;
• Try to achieve perfection in their daily work;
• Have on their own initiative achieved something to the benefit of the Belgian Defence;
• Have not had any penal or disciplinary sanction;
• Behave in an exemplary manner; and
• Take into account human and social issues in their work.

The Medal may also be awarded to foreign military and civilian members of a foreign Armed Force who have provided exceptional support to the Belgian Defence.

One cannot be awarded the Medal of Military Merit if one has already been awarded the Civic Decoration for the same acts.

The Medal is usually awarded once a year, and the award of the Medal is rare. Every year only four to eleven people have been awarded the Medal of Military Merit.

See also

• Military Cross (Belgium)
• Cross of Honour for Military Service Abroad
• Military Decoration (Belgium)
• Commemorative Medal for Armed Humanitarian Operations
• Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operation or Mission
• Commemorative Medals for Army Marches
• List of Medal of Military Merit (Belgium) Recipients
• List of Belgian decorations
• List of Belgian military decorations

References

• Royal Decree of 23 February 2005 Creating a Medal of Merit for Personnel of the Defence Forces and Foreign Armed Forces (Moniteur Belge of 1 April 2005)
• Belgian military regulation DGHR-REG-DISPSYS-001 of 20 February 2006
• Belgian military regulation DGHR-SPS-DECOR-001 of 18 January 2006