Cross For Length Of Military Service

The Cross for Length of Military Service () is a military medal created by the Kingdom of Italy which then passed to the Italian Republic. Created in 1900 and updated or reformed in 1953, 1966, 1972, and 2010, it is a seniority award which recognizes lengthy honorable service in the Italian armed forces.

Kingdom of Italy

History

King Victor Emmanuel III created the Cross for Length of Military Service by royal decree on 8 November 1900Royal Decree, 8 November 1900, Number 358, ''Col quale si istituisce una Croce per anzianità di servizio coniata in oro e argento per i militari di truppa e ufficiali dell'Esercito e dell'Armata'' (), published in the ''Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia n. 260'' () of 10 November 1900 (in Italian). to decorate military personnel of all ranks of the ''Regio Esercito'' (" Royal Army") and ''Regia Marina'' ("Royal Navy") for long and meritorous service. When created in 1900, it replaced the by-then-obsolete Piedmontese-style chevrons of the uniforms of the era of King Umberto I, standardizing the decoration on a larger scale in step with the evolution of Italian military uniforms.

Eligibility

The Cross for Length of Military Service was a seniority medal, awarded strictly for length of honorable service. When created in 1900, it was divided into three classes, but a fourth class was added by royal decree on 15 June 1912.Royal Decree, 15 June 1912, Number 822, ''Portante una aggiunta al R. decreto 8 novembre 1900, n. 358, col quale viene istituita una croce per anzianità di servizio'' (), published in the ''Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia n. 183'' () of 3 August 1912 (in Italian). The four classes were:

*Silver cross for enlisted personnel who had served for 16 years;
*Silver cross surmounted by the royal crown of Italy for enlisted personnel who had served for 25 years (added in 1912);
*Gold cross for officers who had served for 25 years;
*Gold cross surmounted by the royal crown of Italy for officers who had served for 40 years.

Appearance

Medal

The medal consists of a Maltese cross in gold or silver, depending on the class, with a disc in the center bearing the crowned monogram of Vittorio Emanuele III ("VE") on the obverse and the years of service in Roman numerals on the reverse ("XVI", "XXV", or "XL"). The crowned crosses are surmounted by the royal crown of Italy in silver or gold, also depending on the class.

Ribbon

The medal was hung on the chest with a green silk ribbon, divided down the middle by a white stripe. A gold (for the gold cross) or silver (for the silver cross) crown on the ribbon with a diameter of distinguishes the crosses with crowns from those without when only the ribbon is worn.
The founding royal decree of 1900 did not allow wearing of the ribbon without the medal, but a royal decree of 1906 modified this, giving the bearer the right to wear only the ribbon.

Italian Republic

History

The Kingdom of Italy's legislation governing the Cross for Length of Military Service remained in force even after the fall of the monarchy and birth of the Italian Republic on 2 June 1946. The Italian Republic first defined its version of the medal only in 1953. A 1966 reform established that the cross was awarded to officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel of the Italian Army (), Italian Navy (), and Italian Air Force () and had the following classes:
*Silver Cross for officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel who had served for 16 years;
*Silver Cross with star for enlisted personnel who had served for 25 years;
*Gold Cross for officers and non-commissioned officers who had served for 25 years;
*Gold Cross with star for officers and non-commissioned officers who had served for 40 years.

Appearance

Medal

The Italian Republic's 1953 legislation altered the appearance of the medal from that awarded by the Kingdom of Italy. The republic continued the practice of awarding a Maltese cross in gold and silver, depending on the class, but eliminated the crowns above the crosses and replaced the royal monogram "VE" on the obverse of the kingdom's medal with the abbreviation "RI" (for — "Italian Republic") in a disc in the center of the cross. On the reverse, the republic continued the practice of indicating the number of years of service in Roman numerals ("XVI", "XXV", or "XL"). The Maltese cross is wide.

Ribbon

The ribbon is wide and identical to the kingdom's ribbon in that it is green with a white stripe in the middle. However, in the 1953 legislation, the republic eliminated the crown from the ribbon and replaced it with a star when required by the class of the medal, in either gold or silver, depending on the class of the medal.

In 1972 a gold turreted crown was introduced, high and wide at the top, tapering to wide at the base, to be affixed to the ribbon of the Gold Cross for officers and non-commissioned officers with 25 years of service.

2010 reform

Legislative Decree Number 66 of 2010 repealed all existing legislation regarding the Cross for Length of Military Service under Article 2268 and absorbed it under Article 1464 into Articles 857 and 858 of the ''Regolamento'' ("Regulation") without substantial changes. It continued the authorization for personnel to wear the ribbons without the respective medals unless the medal is expressly required.Decree of the President of the Republic Number 90 of 15 March 2010, ''Articolo 867 Testo unico delle disposizioni regolamentari in materia di ordinamento militare, a norma dell'articolo 14 della legge 28 novembre 2005, n. 246'' (), published in the ''Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 140'' () of 18 June 2010, ''Supplemento Ordinario n. 131'' () (in Italian).

The 2010 reform also made a distinction between ''graduati'' (literally “graduates,” an Italian military term roughly corresponding to "junior non-commissioned officers") and non-commissioned officers of a higher rank, corresponding to what other countries might consider "senior non-commissioned officers." It redefined eligibility as follows:
* Silver Cross for officers, non-commissioned officers, ''graduati'', and enlisted personnel with 16 years of service.
*Silver Cross with star for ''graduati'' and enlisted personnel with 25 years of service;
*Gold Cross for officers and non-commissioned officers with 25 years of service;
*Gold Cross with star for officers and non-commissioned officers with 40 years of service.

See also

References

{{reflist

1900 establishments in Italy
1953 establishments in Italy
Awards established in 1900
Awards established in 1953
Military awards and decorations of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III