USSR- MEDAL FOR IRREPROACHABLE SERVICE IN THE MILITARY

. 1st class, 1960s-1980s. ARMY ISSUE Prior to the establishment of the Medal 'For Impeccable Service', existing state Orders meant for feats of valour or for extraordinary services to the state were conferred to military personnel for long service. An Order of Lenin for twenty-five years of service, the Order of the Red Banner for twenty, the Order of the Red Star for fifteen, hundreds of thousands of such awards seriously devaluated the awards of the same Orders earned for their original criteria. The intent to encourage the establishment of a ministerial/departmental level medal 'For Impeccable Service' was stated in decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 14, 19571 emphasising the then devaluation of certain Soviet high military Orders used as long service awards instead of their originally intended criteria. This led to the joint January 25, 1958 decree of the Ministers of Defence, of Internal Affairs and of the Chairman of the Committee on State Security of the USSR establishing the Medal 'For Impeccable Service