Defense Meritorious Service Medal The Defense Meritorious Service Medal ( DMSM ) is the third - highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense . In the order of precedence , it is worn between the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal . The medal is awarded in the name of the Secretary of Defense to members of the Armed Forces who , while serving in a joint activity , distinguish themselves by non - combat outstanding achievement or meritorious service , but not of a degree to warrant award of the Defense Superior Service Medal . The medal is not the same as the Meritorious Service Medal , which is a separate federal military decoration . Both have virtually identical award criteria , but the DMSM is awarded to service members assigned to joint , multi - service organizations , while the MSM is awarded to service members in traditional military units within their respective individual services . Criteria . The medal was first created on 3 November 1977 by President Jimmy Carter under to recognize non - combat meritorious achievement or service while serving in a joint assignment . The recognized service is typically for a period of time greater than 12 months , encompassing a recipients entire joint assignment , including extensions . The required achievement or service , is of a lesser degree than that required for award of the Defense Superior Service Medal , but must have been accomplished with distinction . A joint assignment " connotes activities , operations , or organizations in which elements of more than one Armed Forces of the United States , as reflected in joint manpower documents or the Joint Duty Assignment List , perform joint missions under the auspices of the Office of the Secretary of Defense ; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ; or the commander of a Combatant Command " . Service members assigned to or attached to a Joint Task Force as individuals , not members of a specific military service ' s unit , can be eligible for the DMSM . Members of service specific units are eligible for awards of personal decorations from their parent service . Personnel serving with jointly manned staffs within Allied Command Europe , Allied Command Atlantic , the NATO Military Committee , and military agencies associated with functions of the military or other joint activities as may be designated are also included . Award of the DMSM is typically limited to officers in pay grade O - 4 and above , chief warrant officers in pay grade W - 3 and above , and enlisted personnel in pay grade E - 7 and above . Appearance . Medal Description . The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is made of bronze and is in diameter . The obverse design consists of a circular wreath of laurel leaves tied with a ribbon at base . In the center is a pentagon shape which slightly overlaps the wreath . Superimposed over the pentagon is an eagle with wings upraised standing at the base of the pentagon . The eagle is symbolic of the United States while the pentagon shape alludes to the Department of Defense , and the laurel wreath represents achievement . The reverse of the medal bears the inscription , " Defense Meritorious Service " in three horizontal lines while around the bottom are the words , " United States of America " . In between the inscriptions is space for engraving the name of the recipient . Ribbon Description . The ribbon for the medal is in width composed of the following vertical stripes : White , Crimson , White , Bluebird , White , Bluebird , White , Bluebird , White , Crimson , White . The colors , crimson and white , are duplicates of the colors of the Legion of Merit ribbon . The stripes of blue ( Bluebird ) is the color associated with the Department of Defense . Additional awards of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal are denoted by bronze oak leaf cluster s , with a silver oak leaf cluster representing six awards . As a joint award , oak leaf clusters traditionally associated with Army and Air Force awards are also used for multiple awards of the DMSM to Navy , Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel . These oak leaf clusters are attached to the suspension and service ribbon s .