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Applying for the NZ Defence Service Medal

New Zealand Defence Service MedalNotes (current as at 11 January 2012)

1. The NZDF is now accepting applications for the New Zealand Defence Service Medal from ex-Service persons age 50 or over. Applications from those in other age groups and from the next-of-kin of deceased ex-Service persons will be called for progressively over the next year or so.

2. Please read the instructions and information on this page before starting to fill in the NZDSM online application form.

3. Important: Please do NOT use question marks ( ? ) or apostrophes ( ' ) when filling in the online form. The use of these symbols may stop the online form being delivered successfully to NZDF. (NZDF is currently reprogramming our medals system to accept ? and ' but this may take some time to be resolved).

4. If you receive an e-mail acknowledgement to the e-mail address you supply in the form then your online application has arrived safely with us.

5. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement of the receipt of your online form within 10 working days, please contact us via our online contact form (Note: the contact form is not the application form).

Topics

Introduction

The New Zealand Defence Service Medal recognises non-operational and operational military service in the NZ Armed Forces by New Zealanders since 3 September 1945.
The Royal Warrant for the NZ Defence Service Medal states that the medal is to recognise “the contribution made to New Zealand by those who, on or after 3 September 1945, have undertaken attested service in the Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Air Force, regular or territorial forces, including those who undertook Compulsory Military Training (CMT) and National Service”.

Who can apply today? (current as at 11 January 2012)

Ex-Service personnel aged 50 or over are able to apply for the NZDSM. Further applications will be called for as processing progresses.

Who is not able to apply yet? (current as at 11 January 2012)

Ex-Service personnel aged 49 or under and the families of deceased ex-Service persons: Applications from these groups will be called for in the future, and are not currently being accepted. The timing of this call will be based on how many applications are received in the previous rounds of applications from those over 50.

Information for current serving NZDF military personnel

See the Information for current serving NZDF military personnel section of the FAQs about the NZDSM.

Online Form

The online version of the application form. If you are able to, please fill in the online version of the application form instead of a paper form. This will assist the processing of your application.

Please read all the information on the current page before starting to fill in the online form.

Note to NZDF civilian employees aged 50 or over who are former Service persons: The online application form is not mirrored on the NZDF intranet. You will need be apply online from an internet capable computer.

Paper application form

Application forms can be downloaded from the Application Forms and General Enquiries page of our website.

About the form

For ease of use the form is separated into various sections and uses the following terms:
Applicant is the person applying for the medal to be issued
Delivery details are for where we will send the medal
Potential medal recipient is the person who undertook military service and whose name will be engraved on the medal.

The following information about the potential medal recipient will be asked for:

  • - Personal and contact details
    - Type of service
    - Period of service
    - Details as at three years of service (to assist NZDF to engrave the correct information on the medal, especially if this information is missing or incomplete in the service records)
    - Any previous medals or additional information
    - Potential medal recipient’s conduct declaration.

Please fill this form out in BLOCK letters.

The information we are asking for here will aid the processing of your application. Please provide as much detail as you can. Do not worry if you do not know all the answers.

Eligibility

The eligibility requirements by type of service for the award of the New Zealand Defence Service Medal are:

- For Regular Force personnel (Navy/Army/Air Force): three years accumulated service in the New Zealand military after 3 September 1945.
- For Territorial Forces personnel (Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve, New Zealand Naval Volunteer Territorial Army, Territorial Force, Force Reserve): three years accumulated ‘efficient’ service in the New Zealand military after 3 September 1945.
- For Compulsory Military Training (CMT) personnel (from 1950-59): completion of obligations under the Military Training Act 1949 and Amendments.
- For National Service personnel (from 1962-72): completion of obligations under the National Military Service 1961 and Amendments.

Short Service Qualifications

- Members of J Force (Japan) or K (Korea): completion of 12 months or more service after 3 September 1945; and/or completion of initial engagement.
- Personnel still serving on a 2NZEF engagement on or after 3 September 1946 (i.e. 12 months after the end of World War Two).

In special cases certain shorter periods of service will also qualify for the medal when there are deserving circumstances. For example:
- When a service person dies while in service, is medically discharged due to a total and permanent disability before completing three years service, or is medically discharged for any other reason after completion of 12 months service.
- The medal will also be awarded to those personnel discharged through no fault of their own when their service was no longer required as a member of the Armed Forces.
- CMT and National Service personnel will also be eligible for the medal if they were given a waiver of completion of service by the Secretary of Labour or Minister of Labour, or did not complete their training because the CMT or National Service scheme ended while they were still under training.

Who may fill in the form?

You may fill in this application to apply for an NZDSM for:
A) Yourself, if you believe you are eligible under one or more of the above criteria.
Note: If you are a currently serving in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) DO NOT fill in this form as your medal will be processed automatically at a date directed by CDF.

or for:

B) Someone else who is alive, but is unable to sign the form for themselves. In this case you will need to supply a copy of your Enduring Power of Attorney over Property for the ex-Service person when you send in your form. You may be a relative or non-relative.

Note: Applications by, or on behalf of, living ex-Service persons opened on 14 April 2011.

or for:
C) Someone else who is deceased. The person who believes that they have the highest legal claim in accordance with the order of entitlement shown in Part 3 must sign the form if they are able to. In most cases this will be the beneficiary of the Will or the closest living relative.

Note: NZDF is not currently accepting applications concerning deceased ex-Service persons. NZDF expects to call for applications from the families of deceased ex-Service persons sometime in 2012. For the latest updates on the opening of applications for deceased ex-Service persons please see the 'When can I apply for the new medal?' FAQ on the NZ Defence Service Medal Frequently Asked Questions and latest updates page of our website.

Assistance

The information we are asking for will aid the processing of your application. Do not worry if you do not know all the answers, but please tell us as much as you can. If you have any questions about filling in this form, please phone us on 0800 334 772.

In all but urgent cases, applications are prioritised according to the age of the living ex-Service person applying and the date at which the application was received. Applications for the medals of deceased ex-Service personnel will be called for at a later date. We aim to deliver medals to those entitled to receive them as quickly as possible and will be providing frequent updates about the NZDSM Project on the NZ Defence Service Medal Frequently Asked Questions and latest updates page of our website.

Statutory Declaration

There are two types of Statutory Declaration.
1) The Statutory Declaration of Service (at Part 2) is only for living ex-Service persons to complete. If service records are discovered to be either missing or incomplete, you will be requested to complete the Statutory Declaration, if you have not already done so. Completing the Statutory Declaration will assist the processing of your application.

You MUST submit a Statutory Declaration of Service if you served in:
- Compulsory Military Training and/or
- National Service and/or
- Territorial Forces (Navy, Army and Air Force) and were not awarded a long service award for service in the Territorial Forces.

You may, but are not required to, submit a Statutory Declaration of Service if you served:
- only in the Regular Forces (after 3 September 1945) and/or
- only in an Expeditionary Force (2NZEF / J / K Force).
Note: This will assist the processing of your application in the rare event that your service records are discovered to be either missing or incomplete.

2) The Statutory Declaration of Relationship (at Part 3) must be completed if you are the Beneficiary of the Will or the closest living relative applying for the NZDSM of a deceased ex-Service person.

Notes:
- Someone else may help the relative fill in the form and Statutory Declaration of Relationship if the person is able to sign the form but is unable to fill in the rest of the form for themselves.
- NZDF will only issue the NZDSM to the beneficiary of the Will or the closest living relative of the deceased, or to the person or institution (e.g. a museum) authorised by the closest living relative to be given the medal.

For both types of Statutory Declaration: If you are required to complete a Statutory Declaration (as discussed above) you will need to sign a paper version of the Statutory Declaration before an appropriate witness (see note about who can certify documents in Part 2) and post this to the Medals Office at the address below.

Supporting Documents Required

You may need to supply supporting documents. See the checklist at the end of Part 1 (section 11) of the form.

Urgent Requests

NZDF will review all requests for urgent prioritisation. Every effort will be made to process these applications quickly if they are considered reasonable, for example, if someone has a terminal illness.

Updating Information

If you find that you need to contact us and update the information that you have supplied, please notify us stating:
- Your application reference number
Note: Your application reference number will be provided by NZDF once your application form is received.
- Your name
- Your Service number (if applying for yourself)
- The name, Service number (if known) and date of birth of the ex-Service person (if you are applying on behalf of someone else)

New Zealand Defence Service Medal Apply OnlineIn writing to:
NZ Defence Service Medals Applications
The Medals Office
Headquarters New Zealand Force
Private Bag 905
UPPER HUTT 5140
or via our online contact form

Privacy Statement

The Privacy Act 1993 governs what information NZDF can ask you for, how we must protect it, and with whom we can share it. The also gives you rights to see and correct information that we hold about you.

Thank You

Thank you for reading the instructions and information on applying for the New Zealand Defence Service Medal. If you are able to able to apply online, please fill in the online version of the application form.

 

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 This page was last reviewed 11 January, 2012 and is current.

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