History

The medal for Distinguished Military Service was established on October 28, 1974, and is awarded in two classes. This medal was conferred upon members of the Army, Navy, Border Guard Troops, and Internal Affairs troops. More than 120,000 II Classes were awarded by 1991.

The medals are the same in motif and construction, but differ in composition. The I Class is composed of gold-plated aluminum allow and clear plastic. The II Class is composed of silver-plated aluminum and clear plastic. A small ring is located at the 12 o'clock for the five sided suspension. The reverse is concave with an MMD mark at 6 o'clock (Moskovskii Monetny Dvor, meaning Moscow Mint). It is worn on a small rectangular suspension with a red ribbon with two green stripes.

The obverse Russian inscription translates to: "For Distinguished Military Service".