The Medal for Gallantry is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force

Australian Defence Force

The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...

. It recognises acts of gallantry in action in hazardous circumstances. The MG was introduced on 15 January 1991, replacing the Imperial equivalent. It is ranked third in the Gallantry Decorations in the Australian Honours System

Australian Honours System

-History:The Commonwealth of Australia, until 1975, used the Imperial or British honours system. Only a handful of peerages were created for Australians, some in recognition of public services rendered in Britain rather than Australia. Some hereditary peers and baronets whose titles derive from...

. Recipients of the Medal of Gallantry are entitled to use the post-nominal letters

Post-nominal letters

Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...

 "MG". Since its inception 50 awards have been made.

Decoration allowance

Veterans who are paid disability pension under the Veterans Entitlements Act 1986 (the Act) and who have been awarded a gallantry award specified in the Act including the Medal for Gallantry are also paid a decoration allowance which as at May 2011 was A$

Australian dollar

The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...

2.10 per fortnight.

Description

• The Medal for Gallantry is circular and is made of gold-plated silver. It is ensigned with the Crown of Saint Edward
  St. Edward's Crown
  St Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior British Crown Jewels, being the official coronation crown used in the coronation of first English, then British, and finally Commonwealth realms monarchs...
  
  . The obverse bears a Federation Star
  Commonwealth Star
  The Commonwealth Star is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901....
  
  , which is superimposed on a circle of flames. This image represents action under fire.
• The reverse shows a horizontal panel superimposed on a design of fluted rays.
• The Medal for Gallantry is suspended from a 32 millimetre-wide ribbon by a narrow gold-plated silver suspender bar. The ribbon has a design of chevrons of light orange alternating with chevrons of deep orange angled at 60 degrees. The chevron pattern is placed as a stylised “A” with the points facing upwards.

Notable recipients

• Signalman
  Signalman (rank)
  Signalman was a U.S. Navy rating for sailors that specialized in visual communication. See Signaller for more about the roles of Signalmen.-U.S. Navy:A signal lamp is a visual signaling device for optical communication...
  
   Martin "Jock" Wallace
  Martin Wallace (soldier)
  Martin 'Jock' Wallace MG, born in 1969 of Scottish ancestry, grew up in Tamworth, New South Wales, and enlisted in the Australian Army in 1987 at the age of seventeen...
  
   MG. Formerly of the 152 Signals Squadron and the Special Air Service Regiment. Awarded 27 November 2002 for actions in Afghanistan on 2 March 2002.
• Sergeant
  Sergeant
  Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
  
   Matthew Locke
  Matthew Locke (soldier)
  Matthew Raymond Locke MG is a recipient of the Medal for Gallantry, awarded for bravery, the third highest award in the Australian honours system...
  
   MG of the Special Air Service Regiment; Killed In Action, 2007.
• Sergeant Brett Wood MG of the 2nd Commando Regiment
  2nd Commando Regiment (Australia)
  The 2nd Commando Regiment is an Australian Army Special Forces unit, it is one of three combat-capable units within the Australian Special Operations Command. The regiment was established on 19 June 2009 when it was renamed from the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment...
  
  ; Killed In Action, 2011.
• Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith
  Ben Roberts-Smith
  Benjamin "Ben" Roberts-Smith VC, MG is an Australian soldier and a recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia, the highest award in the Australian honours system....
  
   VC
  Victoria Cross for Australia
  The Victoria Cross for Australia is the highest award in the Australian Honours System, superseding the Victoria Cross for issue to Australians...
  
  MG of the Special Air Service Regiment.

External links

• It's an Honour