Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR"

Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (obverse)
Awarded by  USSR
Type	Service medal
Eligibility	Citizens of the Soviet Union
Awarded for	25 years service in the Soviet Armed Forces
Status	No longer awarded
Statistics
Established	May 20, 1976
Total awarded	~800,000
Ribbon of the Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR"

The Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (Russian: Медаль «Ветеран Вооружённых Сил СССР») was a long service award of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union established on May 20, 1976 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and awarded for twenty-five years of impeccable service to troops of the army, navy, of internal forces and of border troops. Its statute was twice amended by further decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, first on July 18, 1980 and lastly on January 10, 1984.

The Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" was awarded to soldiers of the Soviet Army, of the Soviet Navy, of Border Troops and of Internal Troops, who impeccably served in the Armed Forces of the USSR for 25 years or more. The medal could also be awarded to persons already retired from the service prior to the issuance of the Decree establishing it, who impeccably served in the Armed Forces of the USSR for 25 years or more.

The medal was awarded on behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR by the Ministry of Defence of the USSR, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR and by the State Security Committee of the USSR.

The Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" was worn on the left side of the chest and when in the presence of other Orders and medals of the USSR, was located immediately after the Medal "Veteran of Labour". If worn in the presence of awards of the Russian Federation, the latter have precedence.

The Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" was a 32mm in diameter silver-plated tombac circular medal with a raised rim. The obverse was oxidised, it bore at its upper section a ruby-red enamelled five pointed star superimposed on the relief image of the hammer and sickle, just below in the center, the relief inscription "USSR" (Russian: «СССР») over a curled laurel branch; at the bottom along the medal circumference, a relief scroll with the inscription in prominent letters "VETERAN OF THE ARMED FORCES" (Russian: «ВЕТЕРАН ВООРУЖЕННЫХ СИЛ»). The reverse was plain with a matte finish.