Military Merit Medal (South Africa)
| Military Merit Medal | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Awarded by the Chief of the South African Defence Force, from 1993 the State President, and from 1994 the President | |
| Country |
  South Africa
|
| Type | Military decoration for merit |
| Eligibility | All Ranks |
| Awarded for | Service of a high order |
| Status | Discontinued in 2003 |
| Post-nominals | MMM |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 1974 |
| First awarded | 1974 |
| Last awarded | 27 April 2003 |
| SADF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear | |
| Next (higher) |
SADF precedence:
SANDF precedence:
|
| Next (lower) |
SADF succession:
SANDF succession:
|
.png){kind=small} Ribbon bar |
|
.svg){kind=small}
The Military Merit Medal, post-nominal letters MMM, is a military decoration which was instituted in the Republic of South Africa on 9 October 1974 as the Chief of the Defence Force's Commendation Medal. It could be awarded to all ranks of the South African Defence Force for service of a high order.
The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994, it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
The Military Merit Medal, post-nominal letters MMM, was instituted by the Chief of the Defence Force as the Defence Force's Commendation Medal on 9 October 1974. In 1993 it was ratified and formally instituted by the State President as the Military Merit Medal.
In 1968, the Commandant General of the South African Defence Force instituted the Commendation by the Commandant General, which was awarded for service of a high order which did not qualify for a decoration. Recipients were entitled to wear a bronze protea flower emblem on a strip of tunic cloth, mounted like a medal ribbon and placed in the last position on their ribbon bars.
About 500 awards were made and, from the appearance of the emblem, it became irreverently known as the "Mielieblaar" (Corn leaf). When the title of Commandant General was changed to Chief of the Defence Force, after Admiral Hugo Biermann was appointment in that post in 1972, the name of the award was changed accordingly to the Chief of the Defence Force's Commendation.
On 9 October 1974, the Chief of the Defence Force's Commendation was replaced by the Chief of the Defence Force's Commendation Medal, which was still awarded by the Chief of the Defence Force for service of a high order. All the members of the "Mielieblaar Club" received the new medal, to replace the protea flower emblem. Even though it was officially sanctioned, the medal was considered unofficial and assumed the lowest position in the order of precedence, since it was not instituted or awarded by the State President.
In 1992, a committee, chaired by Brigadier (Professor) Deon Fourie and with Colonel André Kritzinger, Commandants Ray Burgess and Piet Joubert, Major (State Herald) Fred Brownell and representatives of all four Arms of the Service as members, was tasked with the revision of the South African military orders, decorations and medals. Of the resulting recommendations, one of those which was approved in 1993 was that, since the State President was the Fount of Honour and the award of a military medal by the Chief of the Defence Force was therefore inappropriate, the Chief of the Defence Force's Commendation Medal should be upgraded to a full-fledged military decoration, awarded by the State President. The name Military Merit Medal was proposed, as well as that its position in the official order of wear should be revised accordingly.
...
Wikipedia