Meritorious Service Medal ( United States ) The Meritorious Service Medal ( MSM ) is a military award presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16 , 1969 . The MSM was previously awarded as a decoration for achievement during peacetime ; effective 11 September 2001 , this decoration may also be bestowed in lieu of the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement in a designated combat theater . Normally , the acts or services rendered must be comparable to that required for the Legion of Merit but in a duty of lesser , though considerable , responsibility . A higher award and decoration , known as the Defense Meritorious Service Medal , is intended for similar services performed under joint service with the United States Department of Defense . In the U . S . Army and U . S . Air Force , recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal ( MSM ) are typically field grade officers in pay grade s O - 4 through O - 6 ( major , lieutenant colonel , colonel ) , senior chief warrant officers ( W - 3 to W - 5 ) in the case of the Army , and senior non - commissioned officers ( E - 7 to E - 9 ) in both the Army and the Air Force . Award of the MSM to company grade officers , junior warrant officers / chief warrant officers ( Army only ) and junior NCOs is rare and typically by exception . The U . S . Navy , U . S . Marine Corps and U . S . Coast Guard ascribe to a slightly different philosophy in awarding the MSM , typically reserving it for senior Naval and Coast Guard officers in pay grades O - 5 and O - 6 ( commander and captain ) and Marine Corps field grade officers in pay grades O - 5 and O - 6 ( lieutenant colonel and colonel ) , with the first award of the MSM typically occurring after a successful commanding officer assignment at the O - 5 level . Award of the MSM to USN , USMC and USCG officers in pay grade O - 4 and below and chief warrant officers in pay grade W - 3 and below is typically by exception . Enlisted award of the MSM in the Navy , Marine Corps and Coast Guard is likewise typically limited to pay grades E - 8 ( e . g . , USN / USCG senior chief petty officer and USMC master sergeant or first sergeant ) and E - 9 ( e . g . , USN / USCG master chief petty officer and USMC sergeant major or master gunnery sergeant ) , while award of the MSM to pay grade E - 7 ( e . g . , USN / USCG chief petty officer and USMC gunnery sergeant ) and below is very rare and by exception . In the Navy , Marine Corps or Coast Guard , the awarding authority for the MSM must be a Flag Officer or General Officer holding the pay grade of O - 7 or above . Foreign military personnel in the ranks of NATO OF - 5 ( US O - 6 equivalent ) and below and individuals who have displayed a level of service that warrants an award of such magnitude may also be eligible to be awarded the MSM . To receive this medal the individual must exhibit exceptionally meritorious service at that level of responsibility . History . At the Tri - Department Awards Conference ( February 5 , 1968 ) , there was a discussion on the need for a third meritorious award to provide appropriate recognition for non - combat achievement or service comparable to the Bronze Star Medal for combat achievement or service . It was felt that the Legion of Merit ' s prestige was slipping because it was being used with increasing frequency to reward service below the Legion of Merit ' s intended standard , but higher than that required for the Commendation Medal . An ad hoc committee was formed by the Secretary of Defense ( M & RA ) to select a name . On November 8 , 1968 , the committee unanimously approved the name " Meritorious Service Medal " . President Lyndon B . Johnson established the Meritorious Service Medal per , dated January 16 , 1969 . The Executive Order was amended by President Ronald Reagan per , dated July 2 , 1981 , to authorize award to members of the armed forces of friendly foreign nations . The medal was designed by Mr . Jay Morris of the Institute of Heraldry , and the design was approved by the committee on March 20 , 1969 . The ribbon design purposely follows the colors used for the Legion of Merit to reflect the parallel between the two medals . The eagle , symbol of the United States , stands on laurel branches denoting achievement . The star is used to represent the military service and the rays emanating therefrom denote the constant efforts of individuals to achieve through excellent and meritorious service . The Meritorious Service Medal is a bronze medal , 1 . 5 inches in diameter overall , consisting of six rays issuant from the upper three points of a five - pointed star with beveled edges and containing two smaller stars defined by incised outlines ; in front of the lower part of the star an eagle with wings upraised standing upon two upward curving branches of laurel tied with a ribbon between the feet of the eagle . The reverse has the encircled inscriptions " UNITED STATES OF AMERICA " and " MERITORIOUS SERVICE " . The suspension ribbon is 1 3 / 8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes : 1 / 8 inch Crimson 67112 ; 1 / 4 inch White 67101 ; center 5 / 8 inch Crimson ; 1 / 4 inch White ; and 1 / 8 inch Crimson . Additional awards of the Meritorious Service Medal are denoted by bronze oak leaf cluster s in the U . S . Army and U . S . Air Force ( with a silver oak leaf cluster denoting six awards ) and gold 5 / 16 inch star s in the U . S . Navy , U . S . Marine Corps and U . S . Coast Guard ( with a 5 / 16 inch silver star denoting six awards ) . These devices are also authorized for wear on the suspension and service ribbon of the medal . The U . S . Coast Guard also authorizes an Operational Distinguishing Device for the medal .