The Conspicuous Service Medal (CSM) is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force

Australian Defence Force

The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...

, it is awarded for meritorious achievement or dedication to duty in non-war like situations. The CSM was introduced in 1989 and is a distinct Australian military award. It is the second level award of the Conspicuous Service Decorations in the Australian Honours System

Australian Honours System

-History:The Commonwealth of Australia, until 1975, used the Imperial or British honours system. Only a handful of peerages were created for Australians, some in recognition of public services rendered in Britain rather than Australia. Some hereditary peers and baronets whose titles derive from...

. Recipients of the Conspicuous Service Medal are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "CSM". Since its inception 848 have been awarded. All ranks are eligible for the award.

Description

• The Conspicuous Service Medal is a circular nickel-silver
  Nickel silver
  Nickel silver, also known as German silver, Argentann, new silver, nickel brass, albata,, or alpacca, is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver...
  
   medal 38 mm in diameter. It is ensigned with the Crown of Saint Edward
  St. Edward's Crown
  St Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior British Crown Jewels, being the official coronation crown used in the coronation of first English, then British, and finally Commonwealth realms monarchs...
  
   in nickel-silver. The obverse bears the Southern Cross surrounded by a laurel wreath
  Laurel wreath
  A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
  
  .
• The reverse has a horizontal panel that is superimposed on a design of fluted rays.
• The medal is suspended from the ribbon by a nickel-silver suspension bar.
• The 32 mm ribbon has alternating equal-width, diagonal stripes of bush green and sandy gold.

External links

• It's an Honour Australian Government website