Volunteer Reserves Service Medal

Volunteer Reserves Service Medal
Ribbon Bar of the Medal
Awarded by  United Kingdom
Type	Long service medal
Eligibility	All members of the Reserves of all of the branches of the British Armed Forces
Awarded for	10 years' qualifying service
Clasps	for each additional 5 years service
Statistics
Established	1 April 1999
Order of Wear
Next (higher)	Air Efficiency Award
Next (lower)	Ulster Defence Regiment Medal
Related	Reserve Decoration, Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, Territorial Decoration, Efficiency Medal (Territorial), Air Efficiency Award
Honourable Artillery Company VRSM ribbon

The Volunteer Reserves Service Medal (VRSM) is a medal which may be awarded to members of the Reserves of all branches of the British Armed Forces - the Royal Naval Reserve, the Royal Marines Reserve, the Army Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. It replaced the separate decorations and medals awarded respectively to officers and other ranks in each of the services - the Royal Navy's Reserve Decoration and Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, the British Army's Territorial Decoration and Efficiency Medal, and the Royal Air Force's Air Efficiency Award - from 1 April 1999.

The medal is a silver oval, 38mm high and 32mm wide. The obverse depicts an image of the monarch. The reverse has the words, in five lines, FOR SERVICE IN THE VOLUNTEER RESERVES, above a sprig of oak leaves and acorns. The medal is suspended from a ribbon that represents each of the services with narrow stripes of dark blue, scarlet and light blue in the centre (for the Navy, Army and Air Force, respectively) separated by a thin strip of yellow from dark green bands (representing the Reserves) at each edge. Members of the Honourable Artillery Company receive the same medal but with their own ribbon.

The VRSM is awarded after 10 years' qualifying service in the Reserves, although service in the Regular forces before joining the Reserves may count towards the qualifying period. However, a maximum of five years Regular service can be counted and this service is counted as half qualifying time. A clasp is awarded for each additional 5 years' service.