The Medal for Long Service (Polish: ''Medal za Długoletnią Służbę'') is a Polish decoration awarded in three classes (gold, silver and bronze) to members of the

Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, abbreviated ''SZ RP''; popularly called ''Wojsko Polskie'' in Poland, abbreviated ''WP''—roughly, the "Polish Military") are the national armed forces of ...

and other uniformed services, and to

civil servants The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

who have honorably completed 30, 20 or 10 years of service to the State.

History

The medal was established by the Law of January 8, 1938. After the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

the conferment was suspended, and after the war the medal was eventually discontinued. In 1951, it was replaced by the

Medal of the Armed Forces in the Service of the Fatherland The Medal of the Armed Forces in the Service of the Fatherland ( pl, Medal Siły Zbrojne w Służbie Ojczyzny) is a Polish military decoration, awarded for long service and excellent work in the army. The medal was first established on 26 May 195 ...

for members of the armed forces. The Medal for Long Service was revived by the Law of 14 June 2007, which amended the Act of 16 October 1992, concerning medals and decorations, along with the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

and the

Military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distin ...

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ar ...

and Navy Cross of Merit. The change came into force on October 9, 2007. In the hierarchy of Polish medals, it ranks between the

Medal for Sacrifice and Courage The Medal for Sacrifice and Courage ( pl, Medal za Ofiarność i Odwagę) is a Polish medal established on February 17, 1960. It is awarded to those who, with disregard for their own life, save people from drowning, aid the victims of natural disa ...

and the Medal for Long Marital Life.

Eligibility

The original medal of 1938 was awarded by the appointed minister to any member of the armed forces or other uniformed services, or to civilian employees of the government or local government following 30 (gold medal), 20 (silver medal) or 10 years (bronze medal) of continuous or cumulative service. As only service after November 18, 1918 counted, only the silver and bronze medals were awarded; the first gold medals would only be awarded in 1948. The recipients of the medal were required to make monetary payment for it. Since 2007 the medal has been conferred by the

President of Poland The president of Poland ( pl, Prezydent RP), officially the president of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), is the head of state of Poland. Their rights and obligations are determined in the Constitution of Polan ...

. It has replaced the Cross of Merit as a state-conferred award for long and honorable service. Unlike its pre-World War II counterpart, the conferment is not automatic, but is decided on an individual basis.

Design

The medal is circular, 35 mm in diameter, and is made from gilded, silver-plated or bronze-patined metal. (The original medals were silver or bronze.) The obverse depicts a Polish crowned eagle surrounded by rye ears and circumscribed "ZA DŁUGOLETNIĄ SŁUŻBĘ" ("FOR LONG SERVICE"). On the reverse are the Roman numerals "XXX", "XX" or "X", with a laurel spray below. The same numeral in gold, silver or bronze is attached to the ribbon bar.

References

External links

# # {{Polish awards Orders, decorations, and medals of Poland