Reserve Force Decoration

Reserve Force Decoration


Obverse of medal (with bar) and ribbon
TypeLong Service Medal
Awarded fora minimum of 15 years "qualifying service", including an assessment of good conduct
Presented byAustralia
EligibilityOfficers of the Australian Defence Force Reserves
Post-nominalsRFD
Claspsfor each additional 5 years of service
StatusNot currently awarded, but additional service bars can still be issued to awardees
Established20 April 1982
Total5,600[1]





Ribbon with rosettes


Ribbon with Federation Star for 40 years
Order of Wear
Next (higher)Defence Force Service Medal[2]
Next (lower)Reserve Force Medal[2]
RelatedDefence Long Service Medal

The Reserve Force Decoration (postnominal RFD) is an Australian Military award given for long service by officers of the Reserve Forces. It is part of the suite of defence force service awards introduced in 1982, which also included the Defence Force Service Medal (DFSM, for all members of the permanent forces) and the Reserve Force Medal (RFM, for non-commissioned members of the Reserve forces). However, the RFD is the only one of the three to carry a postnominal entitlement.

All three medals were replaced with effect 20 April 1999 with a single medal, the Defence Long Service Medal,[3][4][5] which is now awarded to all permanent and reserve members irrespective of rank.[6]

Additional service clasps, each indicating a further 5 years after the initial 15 year qualifying service, can still be issued to persons awarded the RFD, RFM or DFSM. The first four clasps to the medal are indicated by rosettes. These are replaced by a single silver Federation Star for the fifth clasp. Additional Federation Star emblems are added for subsequent clasps.

  1. ^ Medal Yearbook 2013. Honiton, Devon: Token. 2013. p. 397. ISBN 978-1-908-828-00-2.
  2. ^ a b "The Order of Wearing of Australian Honours and Awards" (PDF). It's an Honour. Australian Government. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  3. ^ "Defence Force Service Medal". Department of Defence. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Reserve Force Decoration". Department of Defence. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Reserve Force Medal". Department of Defence. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Defence Long Service Medal". Department of Defence. Retrieved 13 March 2022.