- Time Period: Post-WW2
- Year of Institution: 6 May 1985
- Country: New Zealand
The New Zealand Armed Forces Award is a long service decoration designated for Regular Force Officers of the New Zealand Defence Force.
It was instituted on 6 May 1985, originally recognizing 15 years of exemplary service. However, on 14 August 2020, updated criteria were announced, reducing the service requirement to 14 years for the initial award, and making clasps available for every subsequent seven years of service.
The New Zealand Armed Forces Award Design
The New Zealand Armed Forces Award is a circular silver medal. The obverse features the crowned effigy of Her Majesty The Queen, encircled by the inscription “ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FID. DEF.”
The reverse displays an eagle with spread wings superimposed over two crossed swords pointing upwards, topped by a Naval Crown. Two fern fronds, with stems crossed at the base, lie behind the swords. The design is bordered by the inscription “New Zealand” at the top and “Armed Forces Award” at the bottom. The symbols on the reverse represent the three branches of the New Zealand Defence Force: the Army, the Royal Navy, and the Air Force.
The medal hangs from a ribbon colored dark blue, crimson, and light blue, representing the three services, with a central black stripe symbolizing New Zealand. Subsequent awards are indicated by a clasp on the medal’s suspension ribbon or a rosette on the service ribbon worn in undress.
