The Army Long Service and Good Conduct medal was instituted in 1830. Until 1901 the medal's obverse contained an image of a trophy of arms with the Royal Arms in an oval shield in the centre while the reverse side contained the inscription "For Long Service and Good Conduct".
On the succession of King Edward VII to the throne in 1901, the effigy of the reigning sovereign was placed on the medal's obverse.
In 1930 the title of the medal was changed to the Long Service and Good Conduct (Military) Medal. It was also decided to add a fixed suspension bar bearing the text "Regular Army" or the name of a dominion country: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India or South Africa.
Today, the Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (Army) is awarded to members of the British Army who have completed 15 years of reckonable service. A soldier who completes 15 years of reckonable service from the date of attestation or age 17½, whichever is later, shall be eligible to receive the medal. However, there are a number of offences which would normally preclude award of the LS&GCM. Awards are only made after a thorough check of a soldier's record of service.
A Clasp to the medal was introduced in 1940. This can be awarded for an additional fifteen years' service. The Clasp bears an image of the Army Crest. When the ribbon alone is worn on a uniform a silver rosette denotes the award of the Clasp. The medal's ribbon was plain crimson from 1830 until 1917 when white stripes were added to both edges.
An officer can be considered eligible for the award of the LS&GCM if 12 or more of the 15 years of his or her service have been in the ranks and provided that the other requirements for the award of the medal have been met. An Officer shall be eligible for the award of the Clasp if 22 or more of the 30 years of his or her service has been in the ranks and provided that the other requirements have again been met.
Before 1 December 1977 18 years of service was required for consideration for the LS&GCM (Army).
In 1977 the qualifying period was reduced from 18 to 15 years.
In 2016 the medal was extended to Commissioned officers who were serving on or after 29th July 2014, at the same time the qualifying criterai was amended and applied to OR's as well (from 1st October 2016 for OR's). The criteria for all is 15 years of good conduct from the date of any offence which would previously preculded the award of the LSGC. Bars are now awarded for additional periods off 10 years. The criteria was not made retrospective.
