Cross for Length of Military Service

Created in 1900 and updated or reformed in 1953, 1966, 1972, and 2010, it is a seniority award which recognizes lengthy honorable service in the Italian armed forces.

[2] The four classes were: The medal consists of a Maltese cross in gold or silver, depending on the class, with a disc in the center bearing the crowned monogram of Vittorio Emanuele III ("VE") on the obverse and the years of service in Roman numerals on the reverse ("XVI", "XXV", or "XL").

The medal was hung on the chest with a green silk ribbon, divided down the middle by a white stripe.

The Kingdom of Italy's legislation governing the Cross for Length of Military Service remained in force even after the fall of the monarchy and birth of the Italian Republic on 2 June 1946.

On the reverse, the republic continued the practice of indicating the number of years of service in Roman numerals ("XVI", "XXV", or "XL").