The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) was introduced in 1991 and is awarded for distinguished leadership in action.

The Distinguished Service Medal is a nickel-silver medal with a Federation Star on a circle of flames on the obverse. The reverse has a panel for recipient detail over a design of fluted rays of varying lengths.

The Distinguished Service Medal ribbon has alternating stripes of silver-blue and orchre-red.

A further award of the Distinguished Service Medal is denoted by a nickel-silver bar with the Federation Star on a horizontal row of flames. When the ribbon is worn alone, the award of a bar is indicated by a ribbon bar emblem in the form of a Federation Star on a nickel-silver disc.

Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal are entitled to the post-nominal letters ‘DSM’.