The Technical Service Medal () was a

military award Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion. Civil decorations awarded ...

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

established in 1964. The medal was awarded in two classes and was awarded for outstanding initiative and devotion an individuals assigned staff duty. Also known as the ''Republic of Vietnam Technical Service Honors Medal'', the Technical Service Medal was bestowed in two classes, one for issuance to commissioned officers and the other class for warrant officers and enlisted personnel. The award appeared as a propellered disc suspended from a blue-grey ribbon. The second class version contained two vertical red lines while the first class medal displayed an additional set of thin red lines down the center of the award ribbon. The award of the Technical Service Medal was open to both civilians and military personnel who had performed duties “as technicians or of a technical nature” and had demonstrated “outstanding professional capacity, initiative, and devotion to duty”. The decoration was therefore a “behind-the-lines” type of award, mainly awarded to those who were engaged in support and upkeep duties for units deployed to the front lines of the Vietnam War. The two classes of the Vietnam Technical Service Medal were denoted by a slight variation in the award's ribbon bar, with the suspension medal for the decoration identical in both cases. The Vietnam Technical Service Medal was occasionally bestowed to foreigners, but not to the extent as other well known Vietnamese awards such as the

Vietnam Gallantry Cross The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry () is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal was created on August 15, 1 ...

Civil Actions Medal The Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal () also known as the Vietnam Civil Actions Medal or Civil Actions Medal, is a military decoration of the former South Vietnamese government (1955–75). The medal was created on May 12, 1964 during t ...

, and the

Vietnam Campaign Medal The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, also known as the Vietnam Campaign Medal (), is a South Vietnamese military campaign medal which was created in 1949 and awarded during the First Indochina War. During the Vietnam War (Second Indochina War ...

. The Vietnam Technical Service Medal became obsolete upon the fall of South Vietnam in 1975. The award is today only available from private dealers in military insignia.

References

External links

Military Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Republic of Vietnam
{{ARVN Military awards and decorations of Vietnam Awards established in 1964 1972 disestablishments in South Vietnam