Reserve Force Decoration

The Reserve Force Decoration (postnominal RFD) was an Australian Military award given for long service by officers of the Reserve Forces. It is part of the suite of defence force service awards introduced in 1982, which also included the Defence Force Service Medal (for all members of the permanent forces) and the Reserve Force Medal (for non-commissioned members of the Reserve forces). However, the RFD is the only one of the three to carry a postnominal entitlement.

All three medals were replaced with effect 20 April 1999 with a single medal, the Defence Long Service Medal, which is now awarded to all permanent and reserve members irrespective of rank.

Additional service clasps, each indicating a further 5 years after the initial 15 year qualifying service, can still be issued to persons awarded the RFD, RFM or DFSM. The first four clasps to the medal are indicated by rosettes. These are replaced by a single silver Federation Star for the fifth clasp. Additional Federation Star emblems are added for subsequent clasps.